MECHANICAL ENGINEER WITH DIRECT WORKSHOP ACCESS — DESIGN AND RAPID PROTOTYPING Anyone

I am looking for a hands-on mechanical engineer who can develop designs and take responsibility for their rapid fabrication, assembly and revision in a workshop.

Direct, reliable workshop access is the key requirement for this role. Strong SolidWorks or equivalent CAD skills are essential, but this is not a CAD-only assignment. You must be able to turn a design into a physical prototype quickly, demonstrate how it works and make practical improvements without lengthy delays between design and fabrication.

THE PRODUCTS

The work involves small mechanical assemblies for recreational products and toy-like mechanisms. These are compact products, not miniature or precision micro-mechanical components.

The designs use steel sheet approximately 2–5 mm thick, bent parts, hinges, pivots and simple mechanical connections. Depending on the design, fabrication and assembly may involve laser cutting, bending, riveting and standard screws, nuts, washers and other hardware.

ESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES
- Experience designing small metal products and practical mechanical assemblies.
- Proficiency in SolidWorks or comparable professional mechanical CAD software.
- Ability to produce manufacturing-ready 3D models, drawings, DXF files and bills of materials.
- Direct access to a workshop with laser-cutting, sheet-metal bending, riveting, welding and general assembly capabilities.
- Ready access to suitable steel stock and standard hardware, including screws, nuts, washers and rivets.
- Availability to communicate frequently, respond promptly and carry out short cycles of fabrication, testing and revision.
- Ability to arrange shipment of completed prototypes to Poland by DHL or another reliable courier.
You do not necessarily need to own the workshop. However, you must have an established working relationship that gives you reliable access, short turnaround times and the ability to supervise fabrication and assembly personally. A plan to search for suitable fabrication suppliers after the project starts will not meet the requirements.

CURRENT SCOPE AND TIMING

There are currently two projects:
1. The first already has a detailed specification and descriptive drawings (but not technical drawings)
2. The second has defined initial requirements and concepts but needs further development.
I will provide the available specifications, drawings and reference materials.

My expectation is that the first functional prototype can be ready for demonstration within two to three weeks of receiving the complete brief and agreeing on the scope. The target for both projects, including prototypes, is approximately three to five weeks. Please confirm whether you can realistically commit to this schedule and state your expected shipping lead time separately.

HOW WE WILL WORK

The intended workflow is:
1. Review my specification and resolve practical design and manufacturing questions.
2. Prepare or refine the CAD design and fabrication files.
3. Manufacture and assemble a functional prototype.
4. Demonstrate the prototype through clear videos or a live video call using WhatsApp or a similar application.
5. Discuss the results, update the design and promptly modify or rebuild the prototype as needed.
6. Demonstrate the revised version and ship the agreed prototype to Poland for hands-on testing.
The ability to move quickly between these steps is central to the assignment. I need an engineer who takes responsibility for the physical result as well as the drawings.

ELECTRONIC SIGNING

Preference will be given to applicants who already have access to an EU-recognised Qualified Electronic Signature (QES), or who are willing and eligible to obtain one through a suitable provider at my expense, so that all relevant agreements between us can be signed electronically. If you do not currently have a QES, please indicate whether you are willing to complete the necessary identity verification and setup (eg through Zeal-ID or other comparable platforms).

PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR APPLICATION
- Examples of comparable metal products you have both designed and physically prototyped.
- Your location and a description of the workshop you can use.
- Which fabrication processes are available directly and which require outside suppliers.
- Photos or videos of relevant workshop facilities and previous prototypes, where available.
- Your earliest start date and realistic turnaround time for the first prototype.
- Your availability for frequent communication and rapid revisions.
- Your proposed pricing approach, separating engineering work, prototype fabrication, materials and shipping.
- Your QES status or willingness to obtain one.
Please apply only if you can provide both engineering work and practical, rapid prototype fabrication through an established workshop arrangement. read less