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Job Description
Position Summary:
The Draftsman turns won work into the precise, production-ready documentation FabTek's floor builds from. Working from customer prints and models supplied by our Tier-1 OEM partners and from the manufacturing decisions made by Engineering, this role produces the flat patterns, nest files, weldment and machining drawings, cut lists, and bills of material that drive laser, waterjet, brake, weld, machining, and finishing operations. This is a high-skill execution role, not a product-design role. FabTek's customers own their product designs; the Draftsman's job is to translate that intent — plus FabTek's own process and tooling decisions — into geometry and data the shop can build right the first time. A strong draftsman is one of the largest single levers on FabTek's material yield, scrap rate, and rework cost.
Key Working Relationships:
Director of Engineering & Estimating — direct supervisor; receives process and manufacturability decisions, escalates conflicts and RFIs. Estimating — provides the as-quoted part counts, BOM assumptions, and material/labor basis; the Draftsman's documentation must reconcile to what was priced, and flag where it doesn't. Production (VP Production / shop leads) — primary internal customer; the Draftsman's outputs must be buildable on FabTek's specific equipment and tooling. Purchasing — relies on accurate BOMs and cut lists to buy material and hardware against the job.
Quality / Compliance
— coordinates on drawing control, revision management, and documentation required for ISO 9001 and customer quality flowdowns.
Core ResponsibilitiesProduction documentation:
Develop fabrication and weldment drawings from customer prints, 3D models (STEP/IGES/native), and Engineering's process decisions. Produce flat patterns with bend deductions tuned to FabTek's specific press-brake tooling — not generic CAD defaults — so parts form to print on the first attempt. Generate and optimize nest files for the Amada
AMS 3015 CL
fiber laser to maximize sheet yield; identify shared-nest and common-blank opportunities across parts and jobs. Prepare waterjet programs/geometry for the
OMAX 2652
where thickness or edge quality dictates waterjet over laser. Create machining drawings (datums, stock allowance, dimensions) for post-fabrication operations on the Haas VF-4SS. Build clean bills of material and cut lists that purchasing buys against and the floor builds against. Specify fixture, weld-sequence, and assembly callouts so fitters and welders can build without interpretation. Quality, accuracy, and the "quiet check": Review customer prints for clarity, completeness, and manufacturability concerns before documentation is released; raise RFIs and route DFM issues to Engineering. Catch errors early and cheaply — inaccessible welds, miscounted hardware, tolerance conflicts, geometry that won't form — before metal moves. Maintain rigorous revision and drawing control : every released drawing carries the correct revision, change history, and ties to the right customer print revision. Reconcile documentation against the estimate; flag scope or quantity discrepancies to Engineering and Estimating.
Change management and floor support:
Issue clean, controlled revisions when mid-job changes occur (process adjustments, scrap corrections, customer ECNs); ensure the floor is always building from current documentation. Serve as a fast, accurate documentation resource to the floor during active jobs — re-cut a flat pattern, update a nest, revise a weldment drawing so remaining units don't repeat a problem.
Systems and data:
Maintain orderly part, drawing, and file management within FabTek's systems (CAD/CAM, nesting software, and FabTek's operations platform). Support population and upkeep of materials, parts, and BOM data within FabTek's MRP/operations environment as documentation is produced.
Required Qualifications:
3+ years of drafting/detailing experience in sheet metal fabrication, weldments, or structural metal (job-shop / contract manufacturing strongly preferred over pure OEM product design). Proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred) and 2D drafting (AutoCAD or equivalent); ability to import and work from customer STEP/IGES/native files. Working knowledge of sheet metal flat-pattern development and bend allowances/deductions , and an understanding that these are tooling- and machine-specific. Fluent in reading and interpreting fabrication prints, GD&T, weld symbols, and finish callouts. Demonstrated ability to produce clean, build-ready BOMs and cut lists. Strong attention to detail with a documented track record of low drawing-error and rework rates.
Preferred Qualifications:
Hands-on experience with CAM/nesting software (e.g., SigmaNEST or equivalent) and laser/waterjet program preparation. Familiarity with fiber laser, waterjet, press brake, and CNC machining processes and their respective design constraints. Exposure to
ISO 9001
documentation/drawing-control discipline and customer quality flowdowns (PPAP/APQP a plus). Associate degree or technical certificate in drafting, mechanical design, or manufacturing technology. Physical /
Work Environment:
Primarily an office/CAD workstation role with regular time on the production floor. Requires the ability to be present in a manufacturing environment (PPE as required), occasionally lift light items, and stand/walk during floor reviews and first-article checks. This position description outlines the primary duties and expectations of the role and is not an exhaustive list. Responsibilities may evolve with the needs of the Engineering & Estimating function and FabTek Industries.
