Tool Specialist (Mold Maintenance & Repair Technician)

Edge-Plastics; Mansfield (OH); On-site; USD 41,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

401K with company matching

Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays

Boot Allowance and uniforms

Job summary

Edge Plastics, Inc. in Mansfield, Ohio, seeks a Tool Specialist (Mold Maintenance & Repair) to maintain and repair injection molds. The role involves scheduled preventive maintenance, in-press and bench repairs, and supporting production with fast fixes to minimize downtime.

The position requires 3–5 years of hands-on mold maintenance experience, with the ability to read drawings, use precision metrology tools, and operate manual machining equipment. Shifts are 1st shift, with overtime as needed.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of hands-on mold maintenance and repair experience in an injection molding plant.

Responsibilities

• Perform preventive maintenance on molds per schedule and cycle counts; clean, inspect, and reassemble tools to standards.
• Diagnose tooling issues and communicate findings to production teams; repair/replace pins, sleeves, cores, lifters, and inserts.
• Repair mold components via welding, milling, grinding, and polishing to restore surface and dimension.
• Assist with mold changes, start-ups, and first-article checks; participate in tool qualification and engineering changes.
• Record PM and repair activity in the maintenance system; maintain mold history and spare-part inventories.

Education

Journeyman card / Apprenticeship (preferred)

Tools

Mold maintenance tools

Precision measuring tools (micrometers, calipers)

Manual machine tools (mill, lathe, surface grinder)

GD&T interpretation

Job description

Tool Specialist (Mold Maintenance & Repair Technician)

Req Number OPE-26-00015

Position Tool Specialist (Mold Maintenance & Repair Technician)

Category Operations

Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

Shift -not applicable-

Location Mansfield Ohio

About the Organization Edge Plastics Inc. is an injection molding manufacturing company located in Mansfield, Ohio. We manufacture household, commercial, recreational, and industrial storage containers for large and small retailers across the United States and Canada. It's an exciting time at Edge! Our company is growing and reinvesting in high-efficient machinery and automation equipment while expanding product lines as we continue to capture market share. At Edge, we strive to develop and foster a culture that is welcoming, collaborative, and performance based. Our people are our core and we are passionate about their success!

Description

Location

Mansfield, Ohio — on site

Department

Operations

Reports To

Process Manager

Shift

1st shift, Monday - Friday, with overtime and occasional weekend coverage as production requires

Status

Full time, hourly, non-exempt

Pay Range

$30/hr. to $33 hr. based on experience

ABOUT EDGE PLASTICS

Edge Plastics, Inc. is a polypropylene injection molding manufacturer headquartered in Mansfield, Ohio. We mold and ship storage totes and related housewares for some of the largest retailers in North America, running 37 injection molding machines from 260 to 1,500 tons around the clock. Our tooling is the heart of the business — when a mold runs clean, we ship on time. That is why this role matters.

We are a hands-on, no-bureaucracy shop. Decisions get made on the floor, good ideas get implemented quickly, and the people who keep our tooling running are recognized for it.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Tool Specialist is responsible for the condition, performance, and service life of Edge Plastics’ injection molds. This is a working tool room position: you will perform scheduled preventive maintenance, diagnose and repair molds both in the press and on the bench, and support production with fast, correct fixes when a tool goes down. You will work directly with process technicians, mold setters, and the plant leadership to sustain rated cycle times and part quality.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Preventive Maintenance

• Scheduled PM: Perform preventive maintenance on molds per the PM schedule and cycle-count intervals — disassemble, clean, inspect, and reassemble tools to established standards.
• Clean and degrease cavities, cores, slides, and ejector systems; remove gas residue, mold release build-up, and plate-out from polypropylene.
• Inspect and clear vents, gates, runners, and sub-gates to maintain fill and pack.
• Lubricate and service leader pins, bushings, slides, wear plates, cam actions, and ejector components.
• Flush, descale, and pressure-test cooling lines and manifolds; locate and correct restrictions and water leaks.
• Inspect hot runner systems — nozzle tips, heater bands, thermocouples, valve gates — and check circuits for continuity and proper control.
• Apply rust preventative and stage tools properly for storage; maintain mold storage racks and the tool crib.

Mold Repair & Troubleshooting

• Diagnose tooling issues: Determine whether a defect is tool related or process related and communicate findings clearly to the process and production teams.
• Repair and replace ejector pins, sleeves, core pins, lifters, slides, springs, dowels, wear components, and inserts.
• Repair parting line damage, mismatch, flash conditions, and pinched or hobbed steel.
• Weld, machine, stone, polish, and blend mold steel to restore surface, texture, and dimension.
• Machine replacement components using manual mill, lathe, surface grinder, and bench equipment; perform basic fitting and spotting.
• Perform in-press repairs safely and efficiently to minimize downtime and make the call when a tool must come out.
• Support hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical connections on tooling — core pulls, unscrewing units, hot runner controllers, and safety interlocks.

Production & Project Support

• Support mold changes and start-ups; verify tool condition, water, and safety straps before a tool goes into the press.
• Assist with first-article and dimensional checks after repair to confirm the tool is producing acceptable parts.
• Participate in new tool qualification, tool transfers, and engineering changes, including evaluating incoming tooling condition.
• Recommend design or material improvements that extend tool life, shorten cycle time, or reduce scrap.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Record all PM and repair activity in the maintenance system — work performed, parts used, hours, and cycle counts.
• Maintain accurate mold history files, spare-part inventories, and reorder points for critical tooling components.
• Identify repeat failures and drive root-cause corrections rather than recurring patch repairs.
• Follow all lockout/tagout, hot work, and machine guarding procedures without exception, and help keep the tool room clean and organized.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Required
  • 3-5 years of hands-on mold maintenance and repair experience in an injection molding plant, or equivalent tool-and-die experience in a production environment. A journeyman card or completed apprenticeship is welcome but not required — we care what you can do at the bench.
  • Proven ability to disassemble, troubleshoot, repair, and reassemble injection molds independently.
  • Working knowledge of mold construction: cold runner and hot runner systems, slides and lifters, ejection systems, cooling circuits, and mold base components.
  • Ability to read and work from mold drawings, assembly prints, and GD&T basics.
  • Proficiency with precision measuring tools — micrometers, calipers, height gauge, indicators, pin and thread gauges.
  • Competence on manual machine tools: mill, lathe, surface grinder, drill press, band saw.
  • Ability to polish and stone mold surfaces to required finish without damaging texture or dimension.
  • Ability and willingness to perform mold changes and machine processing when needed.
  • Strong safety mindset, including LOTO, overhead crane and rigging awareness, and safe handling of tools weighing several tons.
  • Dependable attendance and the flexibility to stay when a tool is down.
• Preferred
  • Experience with large tonnage tooling (500-1,500-ton presses) and multi-cavity, family, or stack molds.
  • Polypropylene or other commodity resin high-volume experience; familiarity with thin-wall and housewares tooling.
  • TIG / micro welding on mold steels (P-20, H-13, stainless, beryllium copper) and laser welding exposure.
  • EDM (sinker or wire) setup and operation.
  • Experience with hot runner controllers and troubleshooting heater / thermocouple circuits.
  • Use of a CMMS or computerized mold history and PM tracking system.
  • Forklift and overhead crane certification.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work is performed in a manufacturing plant and tool room. Conditions include noise, heat near the press floor, and exposure to oils, greases, and cleaning solvents; required PPE is provided.
• Frequent standing, walking, bending, kneeling, reaching, and climbing on and around presses and tooling.
• Regularly lift and carry up to 50 lbs.; move heavier components with hoists, cranes, and carts.
• Close visual work on small components, including the ability to detect fine surface defects and read precision instruments.

SCHEDULE, PAY & BENEFITS

Schedule: 1st shift, Monday through Friday, 6am-2:30pm with overtime and occasional weekend coverage as production requires.

Pay: $30 to $33 per hour, commensurate with experience.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Company paid life insurance and voluntary life, std and ltd policies offered
• 401K Retirement with company matching
• Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays
• Boot Allowance and uniforms

WHY EDGE PLASTICS

• Steady, year-round work with a manufacturer that has long-standing programs with national retailers — not seasonal or project-based employment.
• A large, varied tooling portfolio across 37 presses, so the work stays interesting and your skills keep growing.
• Direct access to plant leadership. Your recommendations on tooling get heard and acted on.
• A well-equipped tool room and the support to do a repair right rather than just fast.

Edge Plastics, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Employment is contingent on successful completion of a pre-employment screening. This job description describes the general nature of the work performed and is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or requirements.

This position is currently accepting applications.