Product Design & Development Engineer Commercial Kegerator

Product Design & Development Engineer – Commercial Kegerator

Company: Hill Farm Organics Pvt. Ltd.

Location: Palampur, Himachal Pradesh / Hybrid / Project-Based

Project: Design & Prototype Development of Commercial Kombucha Kegerator

Scope of Work1. Mechanical Design

Review and optimize the existing architecture for:

• overall dimensions and clearances
• keg loading/unloading
• keg coupler clearance
• CO₂ cylinder access
• compressor/condenser packaging
• evaporator placement
• door construction
• magnetic gasket installation
• drip tray and drainage
• tap/tower mounting
• service accessibility
• castors/feet
• structural rigidity

2. Refrigeration & Airflow Integration

Work with our refrigeration vendor to develop an efficient cooling system capable of maintaining approximately 2–4°C beverage storage temperature under commercial operating conditions.

Particular attention is required for:

• compact evaporator design
• condenser ventilation
• forced-air circulation
• return-air path
• elimination of hot/dead zones
• tower and tap-shank cooling
• condensate management
• thermal isolation of the compressor/CO₂ compartment

A key challenge is achieving this within the shallow 18-inch cabinet depth.

3. Design for Manufacturing

Develop the enclosure specifically for practical Indian fabrication methods, including:

• SS sheet-metal construction
• laser cutting
• CNC bending
• TIG welding
• PUF insulation
• commercially available hinges
• magnetic refrigerator gaskets
• gasket-retaining profiles
• removable service panels
• standard refrigeration components wherever possible

The design should avoid unnecessary custom tooling for the initial production run.

4. Prototype Development

Support fabrication and assembly of the first working prototype.

This will include:

• coordinating with our sheet-metal fabricator
• coordinating with refrigeration technicians
• resolving fitment issues
• checking door sealing
• testing airflow
• testing temperature distribution
• testing tower temperature
• evaluating condensation
• evaluating serviceability
• implementing prototype revisions

Required Deliverables

The final engineering package should include:

1. Complete 3D CAD assembly
2. Individual component models
3. Fully dimensioned fabrication drawings
4. CNC-ready DXF flat patterns
5. Sheet-metal folding/bending drawings
6. Exploded assembly drawing
7. Bill of Materials (BOM)
8. Bought-out component specifications
9. Refrigeration component layout
10. Airflow/duct/plenum drawings
11. CO₂ and beverage-line routing
12. Electrical component layout
13. Door, hinge and magnetic-gasket details
14. Assembly instructions
15. Prototype revision drawings
16. Final manufacturing-ready CAD package

All editable/source CAD files must be handed over to Hill Farm Organics at completion.

Preferred Experience

We would particularly like to hear from candidates with experience designing:

• commercial refrigerators
• visi coolers
• under-counter chillers
• beer dispensers/kegerators
• vending machines
• beverage dispensers
• refrigerated cabinets
• commercial kitchen equipment

Experience with SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Inventor or equivalent parametric CAD software is required.

Knowledge of refrigeration engineering would be highly advantageous, although we can separately provide refrigeration engineering support.

What We Already Have

This is not a blank-sheet project.

We have already developed:

• product concept
• approximate dimensions
• internal architecture
• 3D concept renders
• airflow concept
• preliminary fabrication drawings
• preliminary CNC flat patterns
• refrigeration discussions and component requirements

These will be shared with the selected designer as the starting point.

Project Objective

The immediate objective is to produce one fully functional commercial prototype.

Following successful testing, the design will be optimized for a small production run and potentially scaled into a standardized HORECA product.

We therefore want someone who thinks beyond making a CAD model and is interested in actually building, testing and engineering a manufacturable product.

When Applying

Please share:

• Relevant previous projects
• Examples of sheet-metal/refrigerated product design
• CAD portfolio
• Software used
• Experience taking products from CAD to fabrication
• Expected project fee
• Estimated development timeline
• Your availability for prototype-stage coordination
• Where possible, please specifically highlight experience with commercial refrigeration, beverage dispensing or sheet-metal product development.

Skills Required
Solidworks, 3D CAD, Inventor, Tig Welding, CNC Bending, Fusion 360, laser cutting