Plastics Technician

Key responsibilities

• Perform mould changes, machine setups, and production changeovers safely and efficiently
• Install and remove moulds, dies, blow pins, inserts, cooling circuits, and ancillary equipment
• Set and optimise machine parameters including barrel, die, and mould temperatures, injection and extrusion profiles, blow pressures and timings, cooling and cycle times, clamp settings, material feed systems, and parison programming and alignment
• Conduct machine start-ups and shutdowns in accordance with standard operating procedures
• Monitor and optimise machine performance, productivity, and product quality
• Identify opportunities to reduce scrap and rework, cycle times, downtime, and material consumption
• Develop and document best-practice machine settings and process standards
• Diagnose and resolve moulding and processing issues including black specks, contamination, flash, short shots, weight variation, surface defects, sink marks, warpage, and dimensional inconsistencies
• Perform first-off approvals and process verification checks
• Provide technical guidance and support to machine operators and production staff

About you

• Minimum 3 years' experience in plastics manufacturing
• Proven experience in extrusion blow moulding process setup and optimisation
• Strong troubleshooting and fault-finding ability
• Experience performing mould changes independently
• Sound understanding of plastics materials including HDPE, LDPE, PP, and other common polymers
• Strong mechanical aptitude and technical problem-solving skills
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, specifications, and production documentation
• Strong commitment to quality, safety, and continuous improvement
• Desirable: Mechanical Engineering qualification, trade qualification, or equivalent industry experience
• Desirable: Experience with Bekum, Uniloy, Kautex, Jomar, Aoki, or similar moulding equipment