Mold Technician

Mold Technician

The Mold Technician is responsible for setting up, starting, monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing injection molding processes to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality production. This role works independently to maintain process stability, improve cycle times, reduce scrap, and support continuous improvement initiatives while serving as a technical resource for operators and production teams.

Responsibilities:

• Set up, start up, and shut down injection molding machines and associated equipment according to established procedures and process parameters.
• Monitor injection molding processes to ensure consistent part quality, process stability, and adherence to production standards.
• Troubleshoot molding issues, including part defects, process deviations, and equipment malfunctions, and implement effective corrective actions.
• Optimize molding processes to improve cycle times, reduce scrap, and enhance overall process capability and efficiency.
• Perform mold setup, changeovers, and adjustments, including installation, alignment, and removal of molds and related tooling.
• Use hand tools and mechanical skills to perform routine adjustments, minor repairs, and preventive maintenance on molding machines and auxiliary equipment.
• Interpret and work from blueprints, part drawings, tooling prints, and engineering change notices (ECNs) to ensure correct setup and production.
• Support and utilize preventive maintenance practices to maintain equipment reliability and minimize unplanned downtime.
• Collaborate with production, quality, engineering, and maintenance teams to support continuous improvement and problem-solving activities.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) concepts to improve productivity and reduce waste.
• Lead or participate in root cause analysis using tools such as 5-Why and structured corrective action reports to resolve recurring issues.
• Establish, document, and maintain robust process windows and standard operating conditions for injection molding processes.
• Use Statistical Process Control (SPC) and process capability studies (Cp/Cpk) to monitor and improve process performance.
• Support automated molding cells, robotics, and vision inspection systems, including basic troubleshooting and optimization.
• Assist with process validation studies and Mold Flow analysis reviews to ensure robust and capable molding processes.
• Train and mentor operators, setup technicians, and junior process technicians on proper molding practices, setup procedures, and troubleshooting techniques.
• Support 24/7 manufacturing operations by providing technical leadership and guidance during off-shift production issues as needed.
• Follow all safety procedures and best practices when handling molds, operating equipment, and working with forklifts, overhead cranes, and mold-handling devices.

Essential

Skills:

• Hands-on experience with injection molding machines, molds, and molding processes, including setup, startup, and optimization.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot injection molding issues and perform basic maintenance and repair on molding equipment.
• Mechanical aptitude and experience using hand tools for machine setup, mold setup, and equipment adjustments.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, part drawings, tooling prints, and engineering change notices (ECNs).
• Experience with mold setup, mold setting, and mold handling in a production environment.
• Familiarity with blow molding and blow mold equipment is beneficial for broader molding operations.
• Knowledge of preventive maintenance practices for molding machines and related equipment.
• Experience working with PLCs in relation to molding machine controls and automation.
• Understanding of production environments, including CNC or automated equipment, and the ability to support high-volume manufacturing.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical process-related issues.
• Proficiency with Statistical Process Control (SPC) and process capability studies (Cp/Cpk) to monitor and improve process performance.
• Ability to establish and document robust process windows and standard operating conditions for molding processes.
• Strong understanding of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and lean manufacturing principles.
• Ability to lead root cause analysis using structured problem-solving tools and implement corrective actions.
• Capability to support 24/7 manufacturing operations and provide technical guidance during off-shift production issues.

Additional Skills &

Qualifications:

• RJG Scientific Molding Certification is preferred.
• Experience with decoupled molding techniques.
• Advanced understanding of plastic resin characteristics, including drying requirements and material flow properties.
• Experience with automotive manufacturing standards, including IATF frameworks.
• Knowledge of PPAP, APQP, FMEA, Control Plans, and Process Validation.
• Experience performing Mold Flow analysis reviews and conducting process validation studies.
• Experience with…