Ink Technician

Multi-Color Corporation Recruiting•Mason, OH

About The Position

The Ink Technician supports the ink department and production operations by preparing and adjusting inks to meet customer color specifications, maintaining ink-related equipment and inventory, and providing color support to press operators. The role also helps maintain department procedures, safety, quality, and continuous-improvement practices. Duties may change or additional duties may be assigned; reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The position is based in a manufacturing environment. Employees are required to work eight-hour shifts and may be scheduled to work weekends regularly or as needed. Schedules and hours may vary as operational needs require.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, or equivalent knowledge and experience.
Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and communication skills; ability to read, write, and comprehend instructions.
Ability to apply basic algebra and geometry, including fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions, to practical situations.
Ability to follow written, oral, or diagram-based instructions and address problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
Basic computer skills and knowledge of spreadsheet and word-processing software.
Strong initiative, problem-solving skills, and resourcefulness.
Ability to practice and sustain Lean Manufacturing and 6S procedures.
Ability to work eight-hour shifts and weekends as scheduled, regularly or as needed.
Ability to work varying schedules and hours as needed.
Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including prolonged standing; frequent stooping, bending, and kneeling; moderate to frequent walking; frequent lifting up to 40 pounds; and lifting 20 pounds while climbing stairs.
Vision abilities including close and distance vision, focus adjustment, color discrimination, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
Ability to wear hearing, foot, and/or other personal protective equipment in a manufacturing setting.

Nice To Haves

A one- to two-year degree in a printing-related field.

Responsibilities

Follow and support established ink department procedures.
Support production operators by ensuring correct job components are available at the point of use and delivered according to production needs.
Maintain work-center equipment, perform operator preventive maintenance according to schedule, report equipment problems, and complete work orders as needed.
Calibrate Brookfield instruments, spectrophotometers, and pH meters.
Review daily schedules and dispatch lists, prepare inks for upcoming jobs, and verify ink availability and usage against job tickets.
Prepare drawdowns for inks going to press and adjust inks to match customer color specifications.
Replace returned inks in appropriate storage units and supply color standards to press, filing them appropriately when returned.
Assist with color adjustments on press and routinely check press progress.
Order new and replacement Aniloxes and provide feedback on blade changes or additions to achieve color on press.
Fulfill drawdown and color-sample requests.
Create formulas to match customer samples and PMS colors, and enter formulas into the computer.
Assist with Safety Data Sheet (SDS) maintenance and enter new Vision ink codes into the system.
Approve consignment inventories monthly as required.
Reuse suitable unused or off-shade inks in new formulas where possible, and appropriately dispose of outdated water-based and UV inks and scents.
Receive and store supplies, rotate inventory, and date UV materials upon arrival.
Collaborate with purchasing on vendor supplies, estimate and order job materials, and proactively control inventory levels.
Investigate discrepancies between previous and new orders.
Enter spectral targets for specific jobs, generate targets for new jobs, and provide documentation to operators.
Maintain ink storage and coordinate waste pickups.
Recommend equipment enhancements, process improvements, and procedure changes for the ink department.
Request assistance from the Production TRP during peak periods and assist other departments during slow periods or as needed.
Organize unnecessary equipment and parts and store them in their proper locations.
Use sound judgment and business-focused approaches to troubleshoot problems and pursue opportunities.
Participate in Kaizen events, improvement activities, lean initiatives, and value-stream continuous-improvement efforts to reduce waste and costs and improve speed and on-time delivery.
Complete 6S visual scans and follow 6S standards through sustainment activities.
Participate in Root Cause Countermeasure activities to identify improvement needs and implement plans.
Report and participate in safety incident investigations and maintain a safe work environment.