Injection Mold Toolmaker/Mold Technician

Grote Industries•Madison, IN

About The Position

The Injection Mold Toolmaker / Senior Mold Technician maintains, troubleshoots, repairs, and improves existing production injection molds in a high-volume manufacturing environment. This is not a mold-building position. The role supports molding operations through preventive maintenance, diagnosis of tooling-related issues, engineering changes, and restoration of molds to production-ready condition, with the goal of minimizing downtime and supporting quality and efficiency. The position requires knowledge of injection mold construction, hot runner systems, mold maintenance practices, precision measurement, and root-cause troubleshooting in plastic injection molding. The technician works with Process Technicians, Engineers, Maintenance, and Production personnel; supports mold startups, sampling, validation, and new production launches; and maintains repair, preventive-maintenance, and engineering-change records. The role also supports tooling inventories, 5S standards, continuous improvement, and training or mentoring less experienced team members.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least 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, preventive maintenance, hot runner and valve gate systems, 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.
Skills in mold disassembly, assembly, troubleshooting, repair, polishing, fitting, basic TIG welding, precision measurement and inspection, tooling modifications, engineering changes, PM execution and documentation, corrective action implementation, 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 mold-related quality concerns, part sticking or hanging, hot runner failures, heater and thermocouple failures, mold component wear or damage, cooling circuit restrictions, hydraulic issues, and tooling-related production downtime.
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.
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.

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, lifting devices, machines, and equipment safely; use lockout/tagout procedures when required; and maintain a safe, organized work environment.
Ensure quality standards, procedures, and customer requirements are met; inspect mold components; verify molds are production-ready; and support corrective actions for tooling and mold performance issues.
Perform preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance on production injection molds.
Disassemble, inspect, clean, repair, and reassemble molds, including replacing or repairing cavities, cores, slides, lifters, ejector systems, cooling circuits, and hydraulic components.
Troubleshoot mold-related quality and processing issues, hot runner systems, heaters, thermocouples, valve gate systems, mold electrical components, hydraulic cylinders, and mold mechanisms.
Safely remove stuck plastic and restore molds to operating condition; perform mold polishing, spotting, fitting, and minor welding as required.
Support tool changes, mold startups, production startup assistance, process adjustments, troubleshooting, sampling, validation, and new production launches.
Respond to mold-related downtime and support rapid recovery; work with Process Technicians, Engineers, Maintenance, and Production personnel to resolve tooling issues.
Help identify and correct root causes of flash, short shots, burn marks, drag marks, sticking parts, dimensional variation, and cosmetic defects.
Recommend and implement improvements to mold performance, part quality, equipment uptime, productivity, and safety; participate in continuous improvement and problem-solving initiatives.
Implement engineering changes, tooling modifications, and process-driven mold improvements; fabricate or modify mold details, repair components, fixtures, and tooling aids as required.
Maintain accurate records of mold repairs, preventive maintenance, and engineering changes; assist with tooling inventories and spare component management; support PM tracking and maintenance management systems.
Ensure proper storage, handling, transportation, and protection of production tooling.
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.