Position Summary
Chicago Dryer Company is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer of automated flatwork finishing equipment for commercial laundries. Located on the Hermosa/Logan Square border—just one block from a Metra station—we have been manufacturing products in Chicago since 1886. Our customers include major hospitality groups, healthcare systems, resorts, and some of the most advanced commercial laundries in the world. Every day, hundreds of millions of pounds of linens pass through machines we design and build. We offer a fast-paced, collaborative design and manufacturing environment with long-term stability, competitive compensation, and significant opportunities for growth. In this role, you will focus specifically on the development, troubleshooting, and optimization of our gas-heated ironer technology. Our machines use natural gas and LP systems to heat ironer cylinders either directly or through thermal-fluid heating systems. You will drive improvements in combustion performance, efficiency, emissions, safety, system reliability, and heating technology innovation.
Job Type
Full-Time
Key Responsibilities
- Develop, optimize, and troubleshoot combustion systems and gas-heated ironers.
- Improve heat-transfer efficiency and overall thermal performance.
- Diagnose and resolve issues related to burner harmonics, ignition, flame stability, heat output, and gas delivery.
- Evaluate new methods of heating (direct and indirect) using natural gas and LP.
- Support new product development, design upgrades, and field improvements.
- Work with electrical/controls engineers on burner control, interlocks, flame detection, and safety systems.
- Analyze combustion, air/fuel ratios, emissions reduction, and thermal efficiency.
- Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, and service teams to ensure system reliability and manufacturability.
- Interpret and apply relevant industry standards (UL, CSA, ETL, NFPA, etc.).
Qualifications & Skills
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline
Experience
- 5+ years of experience working in combustion systems, industrial burners, thermal systems, or related gas-fired equipment
Technical Competencies
Mechanical / Thermal Systems
- Strong understanding of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation)
- Combustion theory and flame characteristics
- Gas burner and manifold design (nozzles, orifices, manifolds)
- Thermal efficiency optimization and BTU output calculations
- Pressure vessel experience or ASME familiarity appreciated (not required)
Electrical & Controls Integration
- Understanding of PLC or microcontroller-based burner control systems
- Instrumentation experience: thermocouples, RTDs, gas valves, flame supervision
- Safety interlocks, gas train controls, ignition systems
- Familiarity with burner controls such as Honeywell, Siemens, Fireye, or similar
Standards / Codes
- Familiarity with gas-related safety codes and regulatory requirements
- Experience with industry standards (UL, ETL, CSA, NFPA)