Tooling Engineer

Job Summary:

Tooling Engineer is responsible for leading and managing all activities required during the Design, Build, and Qualification of both production & prototype plastic injection molds to meet internal & external customer requirements.

A motivated engineer with knowledge and experience with injection mold tooling, plastic part design, 3D modeling, product design, machining, polymer materials, and project management will enable an applicant to excel in the role.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities: (Additional duties may be assigned)

Work with internal and external customers to understand needs relative to current tooling and new projects & create specifications, models, and drawings.
Obtains vendor quotes, reviews, and critiques submitted mold vendor design proposals and assures functional mold performance and adherence to established mold construction standards.
Reviews customer drawings, specifications, control drawings, and other applicable specifications to determine the requirements and/or feasibility of a component, device, assembly.
Maintains project budgets and timing schedules and reports to Project Management as needed.
Design studies, tolerance stack-ups, layouts, drawings, calculations, weight estimates, supporting documentation, solids & surfaces, etc., are to be completed on 2-D/3-D CAD or other fitting computer applications, and complies with ANSI & ISO standards, as required.
Keeps supervisor advised of work status, workload, concerns, and progress as related to work/project assignments. May provide direction to project teams on necessary next steps and/or updates to project action items.
Understands limits/fits, tolerance stack-up analysis. Understanding of Geometric Dimensional Tolerancing (GDT) and application for inspection setup and tolerancing allowances of molded components
Create and maintain detailed documentation, including specifications, drawings, and work instructions related to tooling and injection molding processes.
Schedule and Lead Mold Design Reviews, continually updating a standard document to follow.
Support tooling trials, validations, and troubleshooting to ensure optimal performance and quality of molded parts.
Provide technical expertise and guidance to manufacturing teams, assisting in the resolution of tooling-related issues and production challenges.
Collaborate with other departments (toolroom, scheduling, production) and/or sub-suppliers during the design, build, and sampling of new tooling projects Including refurbishment of existing molds.
Work with R&D and Operations Engineering, evaluate and interpret Quality Department part measurement results and develop & lead necessary tool grooming plan to achieve full part approval.
Collaborate with PD Engineers over the design of parts, components, and assemblies for use in production tooling and equipment including but not limited to:
- Analyze Mold flow & FEA results to ensure & include any modifications necessary to the mold.
- QC inspection gages and fixtures.
- Reverse engineer machine parts as needed to support production.
- Evaluation of mold production issues and offering of design solutions

Minimum Qualification Standards:

Strong knowledge of mold design principles – experience in tool design review activities. Supervisory experience in tooling related activities.
Strong analytical/troubleshooting skills, mechanical aptitude
Accurate and paying attention to detail.
Excellent oral and written communication abilities, including presentation skills.
Strong computer application skills.
Solid understanding of Plastic Part Design / Injection Molding Guidelines.
Knowledgeable in the use of 3D CAD packages & Data Analysis software (solid works preferred).
Team player

Contribute to the overall success of the company by performing all assigned duties in a professional, timely, and accurate manner.

Education:

3-5 years related experience or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
AAS or equivalent in a Product Design/Mechanical Engineering discipline and be experienced in product development.
3-5 years experience with Tool Designing, Part Design using SolidWorks® 3D CAD.
Plastics IM, EBM, ISBM, & IBM part design experience is desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Experience in medium/high volume Medical, Pharmaceutical, or Food Industry
Proven experience in Mechanical, Plastics/Materials Engineering, and tooling
Experience of plastic injection mold tooling and equipment troubleshooting
Experience of polymer parts design for quality molding (design for manufacture)

Equipment, Machines, and Software Used:

This position requires the regular use of general office equipment including, but not limited to, computer, printer, copier, fax machine, and telephone. Occasionally use measurement instruments and tools.
Computer Software: SolidWorks®, Office Professional, Microsoft Office.
Safety Equipment: Safety requirements for this position include, but are not limited to, eye protection when on the production floor and in the tool room. Employees must follow any additional safety requirements as posted in specific job areas.

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 30 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Ability to sit for extended periods of time.

Communication Skills:

Ability to read, analyze and interpret general reference periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or government regulations. Ability to write reports, correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of department heads and managers, and clients.

Environmental Conditions: