What are the responsibilities and job description for the Tooling Engineer position at Orion Castings?
Position Summary
The Tooling Engineer is responsible for the development, engineering, maintenance, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of high-pressure die casting (HPDC) tooling. This position works closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Production, Quality, Maintenance, Product Engineering, and tooling suppliers to ensure dies and related tooling meet safety, quality, cost, productivity, and launch requirements.
Key Responsibilities- Design, develop, and manage HPDC dies and tooling from concept through production.
- Review product designs for die castability, manufacturability, and tooling feasibility.
- Review and improve die designs, including parting lines, slides, cores, ejectors, cooling, gating, runners, overflows, and venting.
- Support die trials, tooling launches, first-off inspections, and production start-ups.
- Troubleshoot tooling-related defects such as flash, porosity, cold shuts, soldering, erosion, cracking, and dimensional variation.
- Lead tooling improvements using root-cause analysis, 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, and DOE.
- Coordinate die repairs, modifications, and improvements with internal toolrooms and external suppliers.
- Develop tooling specifications, RFQs, and technical requirements for new projects.
- Monitor tooling performance, die life, downtime, repair history, and maintenance costs.
- Establish and improve preventive maintenance standards for dies and critical tooling.
- Partner with Quality and Manufacturing Engineering to resolve tooling-related quality issues.
- Support APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, and new product launches.
- Maintain tooling drawings, specifications, revisions, and technical documentation.
- Identify opportunities to reduce scrap, cycle time, tooling costs, and downtime while improving OEE and die life.
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Tooling Engineering, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
- 3 years of tooling, die casting, manufacturing engineering, or related experience.
- Experience with high-pressure aluminum or magnesium die casting preferred.
- Strong knowledge of die construction, die materials, cooling, gating, venting, ejection, and die failure mechanisms.
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and GD&T.
- Proficiency with CAD software such as NX, Creo, SolidWorks, CATIA, or AutoCAD.
- Strong problem-solving, analytical, communication, and project-management skills.
- Experience with tooling suppliers and toolroom operations preferred.
- Knowledge of casting simulation, vacuum die casting, CNC/EDM processes, and die coatings is a plus.
- Improved die life and tooling reliability
- Reduced tooling downtime and maintenance costs
- Reduced scrap and rework
- Improved casting quality and dimensional capability
- Improved cycle time and OEE
- Successful on-time tooling launches
Regular interaction with the manufacturing floor, toolroom, maintenance, production, and engineering teams. Exposure to heat, noise, moving equipment, molten metal, and machining operations may occur. Compliance with all safety procedures and PPE requirements is required.