Tool & Die Technician HPDC

The Tool & Die Technician plans and performs skilled tooling operations necessary to maintain, troubleshoot, repair, modify, and improve dies, fixtures, gauges, tools, jigs, and related equipment used in an aluminum High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) manufacturing environment.

This position is responsible for maintaining tooling in a condition that supports safe operation, product quality, dimensional accuracy, production efficiency, and equipment reliability. The Tool & Die Technician performs preventive and corrective maintenance, precision machining and fitting, die troubleshooting, and tooling improvements while working closely with Production, Die Cast Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and Process personnel.

• Build, repair, modify, maintain, and assemble dies, jigs, fixtures, gauges, tools, and related tooling used in the manufacturing process.
• Perform preventive and corrective maintenance on HPDC dies, including inspection, disassembly, cleaning, repair, replacement of components, reassembly, and functional verification.
• Inspect and maintain die components including cover and ejector halves, inserts, cores, slides, ejector systems, guide pins, bushings, shot-related tooling components, vents, overflows, seals, fittings, and cooling/heating circuits.
• Examine dies and tooling for wear, cracking, erosion, heat checking, soldering, damaged parting surfaces, plugged cooling passages, water leaks, damaged vents, and other conditions that may affect casting quality or die performance.
• Read and interpret blueprints, tooling drawings, engineering specifications, tolerances, and GD&T requirements as applicable to assigned work.
• Set up and operate tool-room equipment including manual lathes, milling machines, drill presses, surface grinders, and other machining equipment necessary to manufacture or repair tooling components.
• Safely operate hand tools, power tools, precision tools, grinding equipment, polishing equipment, and other equipment required for tooling maintenance and repair.
• Perform precision fitting, spotting, grinding, stoning, polishing, and finishing of tooling surfaces and components.
• Machine, modify, repair, or replace tooling components such as inserts, cores, ejector pins, guide pins, bushings, slides, and other die components.
• Verify dimensions, alignments, fits, tolerances, and clearances of dies, tooling, and replacement components using appropriate precision measuring equipment.
• Properly use precision measuring equipment including micrometers, calipers, indicators, height gauges, bore gauges, gauge pins, and other applicable inspection equipment.
• Assemble repaired or modified dies and tooling and verify proper mechanical operation prior to release to production.
• Support die installation, setup, connections, alignment, testing, and production startup as required.
• Assist Die Cast Production, Maintenance, Process Technicians, and other personnel during die changes and production startups when tooling support is required.
• Troubleshoot tooling-related production problems and determine appropriate corrective actions to restore safe and efficient production.
• Investigate die-related cause-and-effect issues involving casting defects, dimensional variation, machine downtime, and tooling failures.
• Troubleshoot tooling conditions that may contribute to flash, sticking, ejection problems, dimensional variation, incomplete fill, porosity, water leaks, and other casting defects.
• Evaluate whether production problems originate from the die/tooling, machine, casting process, material, or peripheral equipment and communicate findings to the appropriate personnel.
• Troubleshoot and repair die-related hydraulic and pneumatic components, including cylinders, core pulls, hoses, fittings, connections, and associated components.
• Inspect, troubleshoot, and maintain die cooling and thermal-control components including water lines, cooling passages, bubblers, fittings, seals, and related components.
• Perform appropriate die repair techniques, including preparation and finishing of repaired surfaces and welding-related repairs when qualified and authorized.
• Set up and test dies to verify proper function and ability to produce parts according to product and quality specifications.
• Examine existing dies, tools, jigs, and fixtures and recommend modifications to improve function, reliability, maintainability, die life, cycle performance, or product quality.
• Assist Engineering, Process, Quality, and Product Development personnel by…