Injection Mold Toolmaker/Mold Technician

Grote•Madison, IN

About The Position

The Injection Mold Toolmaker / Senior Mold Technician maintains, troubleshoots, repairs, and improves production injection molds in a high-volume manufacturing environment. The position supports molding operations through preventive maintenance, diagnosis of tooling-related issues, implementation of engineering changes, and restoration of molds to production-ready condition. This is not a mold-building position; the primary focus is maintaining and improving existing production molds while supporting operations and minimizing downtime. The successful candidate has knowledge of injection mold construction, hot runner systems, mold maintenance, precision measurement, and root-cause troubleshooting in plastic injection molding. The role includes mold repair and production support, equipment operation, documentation, tooling control, housekeeping, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Minimum of four years of experience maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing injection molds in a manufacturing environment is preferred.
Experience supporting high-volume plastic injection molding operations.
Experience troubleshooting mold-related production and quality issues.
Knowledge of injection mold construction and function, injection molding processes and mold-function relationships, and mold preventive maintenance practices.
Knowledge of hot runner systems, valve gate systems, mold heaters and thermocouples, hydraulic systems and cylinders, and mold cooling systems and water circuits.
Ability to interpret blueprints and tooling prints and apply root-cause problem-solving techniques.
Skill in mold disassembly and assembly, troubleshooting and repair, polishing and fitting, basic TIG welding and mold repair, precision measurement and inspection, tooling modifications, engineering changes, mold preventive maintenance execution and documentation, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and fixture fabrication and repair.
Ability to safely operate manual milling machines, lathes, surface grinders, drill presses, band saws, forklifts, overhead cranes, chain hoists, mold-spotting and mold-handling equipment, and hand and power tools.
Proficiency using calipers, micrometers, depth gauges, dial indicators, gauge blocks, and thread gauges.
Ability to diagnose and resolve mold-related quality concerns, part sticking and hanging issues, hot runner and heater or thermocouple failures, mold component wear and damage, cooling circuit restrictions, hydraulic system issues, and tooling-related production downtime.
Competencies include safety awareness, quality focus, problem solving, mechanical aptitude, attention to detail, teamwork, accountability, effective communication, customer focus, continuous improvement, initiative, reliability, adaptability, process improvement, leadership and mentoring, and a sense of urgency.
Ability to stand, walk, bend, twist, and perform physical work for extended periods; lift up to 40 pounds; operate tooling and maintenance equipment safely; and work in a manufacturing environment with varying temperatures.
Ability to work overtime and flexible schedules as business needs require.

Nice To Haves

Journeyman Toolmaker certification or equivalent experience.
Experience with automotive or high-volume injection molding operations.
Experience with Mold-Masters, Husky, Synventive, Yudo, Incoe, HRS, or similar hot runner systems.
Experience with Maintenance Connection, CMMS, or other maintenance tracking software.
Forklift and overhead crane certification.
Experience supporting scientific molding and process optimization efforts.

Responsibilities

Follow company safety procedures, operate tooling and equipment safely, use lockout/tagout procedures when required, and maintain an organized work environment.
Inspect mold components for wear, damage, and functionality; ensure molds meet quality and customer requirements and are production-ready before release.
Perform preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance on production injection molds.
Disassemble, inspect, clean, repair, and reassemble molds.
Repair or replace cavities, cores, slides, lifters, ejector systems, cooling circuits, and hydraulic components.
Troubleshoot mold-related quality and processing issues, including hot runner systems, heaters, thermocouples, valve gates, mold electrical components, hydraulic cylinders, and mechanisms.
Safely remove stuck plastic and restore molds to operating condition.
Perform mold polishing, spotting, fitting, minor welding, tool-change support, and startup assistance.
Respond to mold-related downtime and support rapid recovery efforts.
Work with Process Technicians, Engineers, Maintenance, and Production personnel to resolve tooling issues and identify root causes of defects such as flash, short shots, burn marks, drag marks, sticking parts, dimensional variation, and cosmetic defects.
Recommend and implement improvements to mold performance, part quality, and equipment uptime.
Support mold startups, process adjustments, production troubleshooting, sampling, validation activities, and new production launches.
Implement engineering changes, tooling modifications, and process-driven mold improvements.
Fabricate and modify mold details, repair components, fixtures, and tooling aids as needed.
Participate in continuous improvement and problem-solving initiatives and support tooling projects focused on quality, uptime, productivity, and safety.
Maintain accurate records of mold repairs, preventive maintenance, and engineering changes.
Assist with tooling inventories and spare component management; ensure proper storage, handling, transportation, and protection of production tooling.
Support preventive-maintenance tracking and maintenance management systems.
Maintain 5S standards in the tooling area.
Assist in training and mentoring less experienced toolmakers and technicians, support cross-functional tooling activities, and perform other duties as assigned.