Sr. Molding Engineer

Sr. Molding Engineer

Location:

Lincolnshire, IL

Ingersoll Rand is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

Job Overview:
The Process Engineer is responsible for the development, optimization and sustaining robust molding processes for liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and high consistency rubber (HCR) utilizing injection, transfer and compression molding processes. The Process Engineer plays a key role in driving process capability, optimizing cycle times, reducing scrap, troubleshooting production issues and ensuring stable manufacturing performance across all molding work centers.

The Process Engineer collaborates closely with the Tooling, Production, Quality, NPI and Maintenance teams to ensure successful product launches, consistent quality and efficient manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities:

• Process Development & Optimization:
  Develop, validate and optimize molding processes for: LSR injection molding. HCR injection, compression and transfer molding. Multi-cavity, family molds and multi-shot configurations.
• Troubleshooting & Technical Support:
  Provide daily technical support to address molding issues such as:
  Flash, short shots, cure variations, knit lines and voids. Sticking and ejection problems. Inconsistent shrink, durometer and dimensional stability.
• Tooling & Equipment Interaction:
  Partner with Tooling Engineer on:
  Gate/vent design for silicone and rubber molds. Cold runner or valve-gate LSR systems. Mold thermal management and vent maintenance. Mold qualification and production readiness. Support maintenance to ensure equipment (presses, injection units, dosing systems, thermolators) operate within validated performance parameters.
• Continuous Improvement:
  Drive improvements in:
  Cycle time optimization. Scrap and rework reduction. OEE (availability, performance and quality). Material usage and yield optimization. Participate in LEAN, Kaizen, 5S and efficiency projects. Use SPC, data analytics and process monitoring to identify and address instability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  
  Work with NPI Engineering on:
  Feasability reviews. New mold trials and qualification. Launch readiness and transfer to production. Support Quoting/Estimating with:
  Cycle time projections. Material behavior expectations. Cavitation/tooling strategy input. Communicate clearly with Production and Quality teams on process changes, risks and improvement projects.
• General Accountability:
  Cooperation and professional conduct with coworkers, staff, and managers. Communicate effectively with Flexan' s employees and Management. Demonstrates all the Flexan corporate values.

Requirements:
Bachelor's degree in an Engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Materials, Plastics, Polymer)/ 5+ years' direct experience in silicone and/or rubber molding, with strong understanding of:
Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) injection. High Consistency Rubber (HCR) molding. Compression and transfer molding. Cure cycles, post-cure and material behavior. Tool design elements (cavitation, gating, venting, steel types). Experience using DOE, SPC and statistical tools for process improvement. Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD & T, CAD models, customer and regulatory specifications. Demonstrated success in troubleshooting complex molding issues.

What We Offer:

At Ingersoll Rand, we embrace a culture of personal ownership — taking responsibility for our company, our communities, and our environment, as well as our individual health and well-being. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to empower you with the tools and support necessary to take charge of your health, ensuring that together, we can continue to make life better.