Plastic Injection Molding Setup Technician

Express Employment Professionals - La Crosse; Sparta (WI); On-site; USD 36,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Express Employment Professionals - La Crosse is seeking an experienced Plastic Injection Molding Setup Technician to join our manufacturing team. The Setup Technician handles mold changes, machine setup, startups, process adjustments, and troubleshooting of Niigata and Toyo injection molding equipment to ensure a stable, quality production run.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with plastic injection molding and be able to bring a job from setup through startup to production.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years experience in plastic injection molding.
• Hands-on mold changes and machine setup.
• Ability to bring a job from setup through startup to stable production.

Responsibilities

• Perform mold changes on injection molding machines safely and efficiently.
• Set up Niigata and Toyo machines for production.
• Verify machine parameters and process settings before production.
• Troubleshoot machines, molds, materials, and auxiliary equipment during startup and production.
• Monitor run quality and maintain documentation of settings and changes.

Skills

Mold changes

Machine setup

Troubleshooting

Production startup

Mechanical aptitude

Tools

Niigata equipment

Toyo equipment

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Plastic Injection Molding Setup Technician to join our manufacturing team. The Setup Technician is responsible for mold changes, machine setup, production startups, process adjustments, and troubleshooting injection molding equipment and processes.

The ideal candidate will have hands‑on experience with plastic injection molding machines, particularly Niigata and Toyo equipment, and be able to independently bring a job from setup through startup and into a stable, quality production run.

This is a hands‑on position requiring strong mechanical aptitude, attention to detail, problem‑solving skills, and the ability to respond quickly to production and equipment issues.

**Shift/Wage

**First Shift - 6AM - 4 PM Monday-Thursdays - OT as needed

$26-$30 per hour based on experience

**Key Responsibilities

**

**Mold & Machine Setup

**

• Perform mold changes on injection molding machines safely and efficiently.
• Set up and prepare Niigata and Toyo injection molding machines for production.
• Install and properly secure molds, including connecting water lines, hot runners, hydraulics, and other required connections.
• Set and verify machine parameters based on setup sheets, work instructions, and established process standards.
• Set barrel and mold temperatures, injection speeds, pressures, screw speeds, back pressure, cooling time, and other process parameters.
• Set up and verify auxiliary equipment including dryers, loaders, chillers, temperature controllers, granulators, robots, and material handling equipment.
• Verify the correct mold, material, color, inserts, and production components before starting a job.
• Ensure all machine, mold, and auxiliary equipment connections are properly installed before startup.

**Machine Startup & Process Setup

**

• Bring injection molding machines from startup to stable production conditions.
• Purge and prepare machines for production as required.
• Establish the proper molding process and make adjustments to achieve consistent, quality parts.
• Run initial samples after mold changes and make necessary process adjustments.
• Verify that parts meet established quality, dimensional, and appearance requirements before releasing the machine to production.
• Monitor machine operation during startup and throughout the production run.
• Ensure machine settings are documented and maintained according to company standards.

**Troubleshooting

**

• Troubleshoot injection molding machines, molds, materials, and auxiliary equipment.
• Diagnose and correct molding defects including:
• Determine whether problems are related to machine settings, mold conditions, material, temperature, cooling, or equipment.
• Make appropriate process adjustments to correct problems while maintaining part quality and cycle‑time requirements.
• Troubleshoot machine alarms and production interruptions.
• Identify mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical issues and determine when Maintenance support is required.
• Work with Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and Production to resolve recurring problems.
• Help identify root causes and implement solutions that prevent repeat issues.

**Production Support

**

• Support production operators after setup and ensure they have a properly running process.
• Respond to machine and process problems throughout the shift.
• Minimize machine downtime, scrap, and production interruptions.
• Monitor cycle times and process consistency.
• Assist with mold changes and job changes as production schedules require.
• Help maintain efficient production while meeting quality and safety requirements.
• Communicate machine, mold, material, and process issues to the appropriate Supervisor or Manager.

**Requirements

**

• Able to independently set up and run Niigata and Toyo machines
• Minimum of 2 years experience

You should be proficient in:

• Niigata and Toyo machines
• perform mold changes
• plastic injection molding
• set up machines
• troubleshooting of machines