Tooling Engineer

Job summary :

Tooling Engineer is responsible for the design, development, maintenance, optimization, and lifecycle management of molds and tooling systems supporting plastic injection molding and die casting operations. This role ensures tooling reliability, manufacturing efficiency, product quality, and cost competitiveness through effective engineering solutions, preventive maintenance strategies, continuous improvement initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration.

Job description :

Mold Maintenance & Reliability Management

• Develop, coordinate, and execute preventive and corrective mold maintenance programs to ensure maximum tooling uptime and reliability.
• Evaluate mold conditions, performance trends, and maintenance effectiveness to support production schedules and quality requirements.
• Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis of mold-related issues impacting safety, quality, delivery, and productivity.
• Ensure mold designs are maintenance-friendly and capable of meeting product dimensional, tolerance, cosmetic, and functional requirements.
• Drive improvements to extend mold life, reduce downtime, and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Establish and maintain mold health monitoring systems and maintenance KPIs.
• Manage mold spare parts inventory to ensure availability, traceability, and cost-effective utilization.
• Coordinate with suppliers and internal stakeholders for mold repair, modification, refurbishment, and validation activities.

Tooling Design & Development

• Lead the design, review, and development of complex precision molds and tooling systems for new product introductions and existing product enhancements.
• Support tooling concept development, mold flow considerations, DFM reviews, tolerance analysis, and manufacturability assessments.
• Review tooling designs to ensure compliance with quality, safety, maintenance, process capability, and productivity requirements.
• Recommend suitable tooling materials, coatings, and manufacturing methods to optimize durability, performance, and cost.
• Conduct Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design Review, FMEA, and risk assessments throughout project execution.
• Work closely with Product Design, Process Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to optimize part design and tooling performance.
• Support mold qualification activities including mold trials, capability studies, validation, and production ramp-up.

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve mold performance, process stability, yield, productivity, and product quality.
• Analyse tooling and process data to identify opportunities for efficiency improvement and cost reduction.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and scientific molding principles to reduce variation and improve process capability.
• Lead corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities related to tooling and molding processes.
• Optimize maintenance workflows, preventive maintenance frequencies, and tooling management systems.
• Support implementation of automation and Industry 4.0 initiatives related to tooling and manufacturing processes.
• Establish best practices, standards, and procedures for tooling management and maintenance activities.

Leadership & Technical Development

• Provide technical leadership, coaching, and mentorship to tool maker.
• Support technical training programs to enhance organizational tooling and molding tool maker expertise.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, teamwork, and operational excellence.
• Identify and implement Cost Saving Projects (CSP) to improve tooling efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation including:

o   Tooling specifications

o   Mold design records

o   Engineering drawings and revisions

o   Maintenance history

o   Process parameters

o   Validation reports

o   Quality and performance metrics

o   Machines/Equipment’s maintenance schedules

• Support internal and external audits related to tooling, maintenance, and manufacturing processes.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Tooling Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 2 to 5 years of relevant experience in Tooling Engineering, Mold Engineering, Process Engineering, or Tool Room operations within a manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience in plastic injection molding, die casting, mold maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting.
• Experience leading, supervising, or coordinating toolmakers and technical personnel is an added advantage.
• Exposure to tooling development, mold qualification, process optimization, and continuous improvement projects.
• Experience with scientific molding techniques and process validation activities is preferred.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of plastic injection molding, die casting processes, and tooling systems.
• Good understanding of plastic resins, die casting materials, and their processing characteristics.
• Knowledge of mold construction, maintenance practices, tooling components, and preventive maintenance methodologies.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Continuous Improvement tools.
• Understanding of Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and process capability concepts is an advantage.
• Proficient in interpreting engineering drawings, tooling specifications, and technical documentation.
• Experience with CAD software and tooling design review is an added advantage.