Injection Mold Toolmaker/Mold Technician

Grote Industries; Madison (IN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Grote Industries, Inc. seeks a skilled Injection Mold Toolmaker / Senior Mold Technician to maintain, troubleshoot, repair, and improve production injection molds in a high-volume plastics operation.

You will focus on preventive maintenance, tooling changes, and rapid recovery during downtime, while supporting molding operations to minimize downtime. The role requires strong knowledge of mold construction, hot runner systems, precision measurement, and root-cause troubleshooting within a plastic

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum 4 years of experience maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing injection molds in a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Experience supporting high-volume plastic injection molding operations.
• Journeyman Toolmaker certification or equivalent experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Follow safety procedures and operate tooling and equipment safely.
• Inspect mold components for wear, damage, and functionality to ensure production readiness.
• Perform preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance on production injection molds.
• Disassemble, inspect, clean, repair, and reassemble molds; repair mold components as needed.
• Troubleshoot mold-related quality and processing issues; diagnose and repair hot runner systems and electrical components.
• Support mold startups, process adjustments, and troubleshooting during production to ensure quality and uptime.
• Implement engineering changes and assist in continuous improvement projects.

Skills

Root cause problem-solving

Safety Awareness

Teamwork

Leadership and Mentoring

Attention to Detail

Problem Solving

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Maintenance Connection

CMMS

Mold-Masters

Husky

Synventive

Yudo

Job description

Position Summary

The Injection Mold Toolmaker / Senior Mold Technician is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and improving production injection molds used in a high-volume manufacturing environment. This role supports molding operations by performing preventive maintenance, diagnosing tooling-related issues, implementing engineering changes, and restoring molds to production-ready condition.

This is not a mold-building position. The primary focus of this role is maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and improving existing production injection molds while supporting molding operations and minimizing downtime.

The successful candidate will possess strong knowledge of injection mold construction, hot runner systems, mold maintenance practices, precision measurement techniques, and root-cause troubleshooting within a plastic injection molding environment.

Essential Responsibilities

Safety

• Follow all company safety procedures and practices.
• Operate tooling, lifting devices, machines, and equipment in a safe manner.
• Utilize proper lockout/tagout procedures when required.
• Maintain a safe and organized work environment.

Quality

• Ensure quality standards, procedures, and customer requirements are consistently met.
• Inspect mold components for wear, damage, and functionality.
• Verify molds are production-ready prior to release to manufacturing.
• Support corrective actions related to tooling and mold performance issues.

Mold Maintenance & Repair

• Perform preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance on production injection molds.
• Disassemble, inspect, clean, repair, and reassemble molds.
• Repair and replace mold components including:
• Cavities
• Cores
• Slides
• Lifters
• Ejector systems
• Cooling circuits
• Hydraulic components
• Troubleshoot and repair mold-related quality and processing issues.
• Diagnose and repair hot runner systems, heaters, thermocouples, valve gate systems, and mold electrical components.
• Troubleshoot hydraulic cylinders and mold mechanisms.
• Safely remove stuck plastic and restore mold to operating condition.
• Perform mold polishing, spotting, fitting, and minor welding as required.
• Perform tool change support and startup assistance.

Production Support

• Respond to mold-related downtime events and support rapid recovery efforts.
• Work closely with Process Technicians, Engineers, Maintenance, and Production personnel to resolve tooling-related issues.
• Assist in identifying and correcting root causes of:
• Flash
• Short shots
• Burn marks
• Drag marks
• Sticking parts
• Dimensional variation
• Cosmetic defects
• Recommend and implement improvements that improve mold performance, part quality, and equipment uptime.
• Support mold startups, process adjustments, and troubleshooting efforts during production to ensure quality and efficiency targets are achieved.
• Support mold sampling, validation activities, and new production launches.

Engineering Changes & Continuous Improvement

• Implement engineering changes, tooling modifications, and process-driven mold improvements.
• Fabricate and modify mold details, repair components, fixtures, and tooling aids as required.
• Participate in continuous improvement and problem-solving initiatives.
• Support tooling improvement projects focused on quality, uptime, productivity, and safety.

Documentation & Tool Control

• Maintain accurate records of mold repairs, preventive maintenance activities, and engineering changes.
• Assist with tooling inventories and spare component management.
• Ensure proper storage, handling, transportation, and protection of production tooling.
• Support PM tracking and maintenance management systems.

Housekeeping & Teamwork

• Maintain 5S standards throughout the tooling area.
• Assist in training and mentoring less experienced toolmakers and technicians.
• Support cross-functional teams and tooling-related activities throughout the facility.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education

• High School Diploma or GED required.

Experience

• Minimum of four (4) years of experience maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing injection molds in a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Experience supporting high-volume plastic injection molding operations.
• Experience troubleshooting mold-related production and quality issues.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Technical Knowledge

• Injection mold construction and function.
• Injection molding processes and mold-function relationships.

Mold preventive maintenance practices

• Hot runner systems.
• Valve gate systems.
• Mold heaters and thermocouples.
• Hydraulic systems and cylinders.
• Mold cooling systems and water circuits.
• Blueprint and tooling print interpretation.
• Root cause problem-solving techniques.

Technical Skills

• Mold disassembly and assembly.
• Mold troubleshooting and repair.
• Mold polishing and fitting.
• Basic TIG welding and mold repair techniques.
• Precision measurement and inspection.
• Tooling modifications and engineering changes.
• Mold PM execution and documentation.
• Root cause analysis and corrective action implementation.
• Fixture fabrication and repair.

Equipment Experience

Ability to safely operate and utilize

• Manual milling machines.
• Lathes.
• Surface grinders.
• Drill presses.
• Band saws.
• Forklifts.
• Overhead cranes and chain hoists.
• Mold spotting
• Mold handling, and mold maintenance equipment.
• Hand and power tools.

Measurement Equipment

Proficient in the use of:

• Calipers.
• Micrometers.
• Depth gauges.
• Dial indicators.
• Gauge blocks.
• Thread gauges.

Troubleshooting Skills

Ability to diagnose and resolve:

• Mold-related quality concerns.
• Part sticking and hanging issues.
• Hot runner failures.
• Heater and thermocouple failures.
• Mold component wear and damage.
• Cooling circuit restrictions.
• Hydraulic system issues.
• Production downtime events related to tooling.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.

Competency

• Safety Awareness
• Quality Driven
• Problem Solving
• Mechanical Aptitude
• Attention to Detail
• Teamwork
• Accountability
• Effective Communication
• Customer Focus
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Initiative
• Reliability
• Adaptability
• Process Improvement
• Leadership and Mentoring
• Sense of Urgency

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, twist, and perform physical work for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to operate tooling and maintenance equipment safely.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with varying temperatures.
• Ability to work overtime and flexible schedules as business needs require.