Tooling Engineer - Aerospace Fasteners

A leading global manufacturer of precision fasteners and installation tools for the aerospace industry is hiring a Tooling Engineer at its Southern California facility. Its products are critical to the structural integrity of commercial, military, and general aviation platforms, in production and in service.

The Tooling Engineer is responsible for the design, development, and continuous improvement of tooling used to manufacture aerospace fasteners, with a focus on cold heading of pins and sleeves. Working closely with Production, Quality, and Manufacturing Engineering, you will make sure tooling meets part specifications and tolerances, extends tool life, and reduces machine downtime and cost per part.

• Design and detail heading tooling (dies, punches, cutoff tooling, transfer fingers, and related components) in CAD, producing drawings with full GD&T
• Develop tooling and forming progressions for new part numbers and engineering changes, supporting new product introduction from quote through first article inspection (FAI)
• Select tool materials (carbide grades, tool steels), heat treatments, and coatings based on part material, forming loads, and wear requirements
• Work with internal toolrooms and outside tooling vendors to fabricate, inspect, and qualify new and custom tooling

• Analyze tool wear, breakage, and failure modes; lead root-cause analysis and corrective action to extend tool life and reduce scrap
• Run tool life studies and trials, using data to drive design changes, standardize tooling, and lower tooling cost per part
• Partner with Production to optimize machine setups, reduce changeover times, and increase heading throughput
• Support Lean, 5S, and continuous improvement initiatives within the heading department

• Work with Quality to make sure manufactured and purchased tooling meets dimensional and tolerance requirements
• Support nonconformance investigations, MRB, and corrective actions related to tooling
• Make sure tooling documentation and processes comply with AS9100 and customer requirements

• Lead the implementation and use of a tool management system to track tool life, usage, and inventory, integrated with ERP/MRP where applicable
• Maintain tooling drawings, revision control, tool lists, and setup documentation
• Write standard operating procedures (SOPs) for tool setup, handling, inspection, and maintenance
• Give technical direction and training to tool technicians and setup personnel

• Help with tooling budgets, capital equipment recommendations, and department goals
• Serve as the technical point of contact for tooling between Production, Quality, and Engineering

Location:

City of Industry, CA (on-site, 5 days a week)