Engineering Technician: Injection Molding
Lego · Richmond Manufacturing, United States · hybrid
Job Description
Core Responsibilities
Advanced Injection Molding Diagnostics & Technical Problem Solving
- Serve as a primary technical escalation point for complex, chronic, or high-impact injection molding problems beyond standard production troubleshooting and routine process adjustments.
- Independently diagnose manufacturing problems across Process, Machine, Mold, Material, Controls, Automation, auxiliary equipment, and operating practices, including interactions between these systems.
- Analyze molding parameters, machine and process data, alarm histories, equipment behavior, production trends, and product defects to isolate technical failure modes and sources of manufacturing variation.
- Lead structured root cause investigations, develop evidence-based conclusions and corrective-action recommendations, and coordinate Engineering, Maintenance, Automation, Quality, and other specialized resources when required.
- Verify corrective-action effectiveness through process capability, quality, equipment, and sustained production results, emphasizing elimination of systemic causes rather than repeated correction of symptoms.
Scientific Molding & Advanced Process Analysis
- Apply advanced scientific molding principles to troubleshoot, develop, evaluate, and optimize injection molding processes and establish robust, repeatable processing windows.
- Execute and interpret advanced molding studies including fill, pressure-loss, gate-seal, viscosity, cooling, process-window, capability, and other structured technical studies.
- Analyze relationships between machine settings, actual process conditions, material behavior, mold performance, environmental conditions, automation, and finished-product quality.
- Apply statistical methods, process capability analysis, structured trials, and Design of Experiments (DOE), where applicable, to identify significant variables and develop technically supported recommendations.
- Optimize molding processes to improve cycle time, scrap, uptime, productivity, capability, and OEE while maintaining established safety, quality, and process-control requirements.
Molding Machine, Controls & Automation Diagnostics
- Utilize molding-machine controls, HMI diagnostics, alarm histories, process-monitoring systems, and manufacturing data to diagnose complex process and equipment abnormalities.
- Diagnose interactions among molding machines, molds, hot runner systems, auxiliary equipment, material-handling systems, automation, robotics, and downstream processes.
- Analyze PLC/HMI diagnostic information, sensors, I/O status, alarms, interlocks, machine sequences, and equipment feedback to distinguish process issues from controls, automation, electrical, or mechanical problems.
- Read and interpret technical drawings, mold documentation, control diagrams, electrical schematics, process specifications, and equipment documentation required for advanced diagnostics.
- Provide Engineering, Machine Maintenance, Mold Maintenance, and Automation teams with technical evidence and execute process verification and stabilization following repairs, modifications, controls changes, or significant maintenance events.
Qualification, Validation & Manufacturing Readiness
- Execute technical qualification and validation activities for injection molds, molding processes, equipment, materials, and associated manufacturing systems through structured studies, trials, data analysis, and capability evaluations.
- Evaluate mold and process performance following repairs, engineering modifications, transfers, equipment changes, and new production launches, identifying risks to stable and capable manufacturing.
- Execute technical test plans and validation protocols, analyze results against established acceptance criteria, and document findings, manufacturing risks, process capability, and recommendations.
- Support equipment commissioning, installation, startup, production acceptance, and manufacturing readiness, including participation in FAT/SAT activities where applicable.
- Evaluate and verify process capability and stability during production ramp-up and new product introduction using objective manufacturing data to confirm repeatable operation within approved processing windows and quality requirements.
Manufacturing Data, Technical Leadership & Continuous Improvement
- Analyze real-time and historical process, equipment, quality, cycle-time, downtime, scrap, capability, and OEE data to identify abnormal conditions, recurring failure modes, and technical relationships not evident through routine troubleshooting.
- Translate complex manufacturing information into documented technical findings, recommendations, corrective actions, and data-driven diagnostic or monitoring methods that support process optimization and prevention of manufacturing losses.
- Serve as an advanced injection molding technical resource for Process Technicians, Setters, Operators, Maintenance Technicians, Production Teams, and cross-functional technical partners.
- Provide technical direction and coaching in scientific molding, structured troubleshooting, process controls, root cause analysis, manufacturing data interpretation, and disciplined technical problem solving.
- Develop and improve troubleshooting standards, diagnostic methodologies, technical documentation, process-control practices, and injection molding best practices while supporting knowledge transfer and continuous improvement across local and global molding organizations.
Experience
- Minimum 5 years of progressively advanced technical experience in injection molding within a high-volume manufacturing environment, including responsibilities beyond routine machine setup, process adjustment, and standard production troubleshooting.
- Demonstrated advanced expertise in scientific molding, injection molding process development, complex diagnostics, process optimization, and establishment or evaluation of robust processing windows.
- Demonstrated experience independently executing advanced molding studies, technical trials, structured root cause investigations, process capability evaluations, and qualification or validation activities.
- Advanced understanding of interactions among molding machines, molds, materials, hot runner systems, process parameters, auxiliary equipment, controls, automation, and product quality, including the ability to diagnose multi-system manufacturing problems.
- Experience supporting mold qualifications, process validations, equipment commissioning/startups, production launches, manufacturing-readiness activities, and technical corrective actions while independently organizing complex technical investigations and engaging cross-functional resources.
Education & Technical Training
- Associate degree, technical diploma, apprenticeship, military technical training, recognized technical certification, or equivalent combination of technical education, training, and directly relevant advanced injection molding experience.
- Technical education or training in plastics technology, injection molding, manufacturing engineering technology, mechatronics, industrial technology, automation, controls, tooling, or a related technical discipline is preferred.
- Advanced Scientific Molding, RJG, AIM, Paulson, or equivalent injection molding training or certification is preferred.
- Technical training in industrial controls, automation, mechatronics, PLC-controlled equipment, robotics, or industrial electronics is preferred.
- A bachelor's degree in Engineering is not required.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Advanced technical knowledge of injection molding processes, scientific molding principles, process capability, process variation, and manufacturing stability.
- Advanced analytical and diagnostic capability with the ability to independently investigate complex interactions among Process, Machine, Mold, Material, Controls, Automation, and operational factors.
- Ability to execute and interpret adva