Injection Molding Process Technician

Key Responsibilities

Injection Molding Setup and Operation

· Set up, start, operate, stop, and monitor injection molding machines in accordance with approved setup sheets, work instructions, production schedules, and safety requirements.

· Verify the correct preparation of molds, raw materials, robots, dryers, temperature controllers, material handling systems, label-feeding systems, and other auxiliary equipment.

· Load and verify approved machine recipes and process parameters.

· Conduct production startups following mold, material, label, product, color, or recipe changes.

· Confirm that machine safety devices, mold protection settings, process conditions, and auxiliary equipment are functioning correctly before releasing the line for production.

Process Monitoring and Adjustment:

· Monitor process parameters, machine performance, cycle time, output, scrap, and process stability.

· Adjust process parameters within approved operating limits to maintain product quality and production performance.

· Identify process drift, abnormal machine behavior, and recurring process deviations.

· Record relevant parameter changes and escalate any adjustment required outside the approved process window.

Changeovers

· Perform or support mold, material, label, color, and product changeovers in accordance with approved procedures.

· Verify mold identification, utility connections, line clearance, material preparation, machine recipe, robot program, label setup, and auxiliary equipment configuration.

· Conduct startup trials and restore stable production within approved conditions.

· Obtain the required Quality approval before regular production release.

Process, Product, and IML Troubleshooting

· Diagnose and correct common injection molding defects affecting product appearance, dimensions, fit, sealing, functionality, and cavity-to-cavity consistency.

· Identify defects such as incomplete filling, flash, deformation, dimensional variation, gate defects, ejection marks, contamination, and recurring cavity-related variation.

· Identify IML defects, including missing, incorrect, doubled, misaligned, folded, damaged, poorly adhered, or visually non-conforming labels.

· Troubleshoot issues involving material feeding, process parameters, hot-runner performance, cooling, ejection, robotic handling, label feeding, positioning, static charging, presence detection, and cycle synchronization.

· Determine whether the probable cause is related to the process, material, mold, machine, robot, automation, label, or operating method.

· Restore stable production when the issue is within the position’s training and authorization.

· Escalate complex process, equipment, tooling, automation, or quality issues to the appropriate technical function.

Quality and Product Compliance

· Perform visual, dimensional, and functional checks in accordance with product specifications, control plans, and sampling requirements.

· Confirm product conformity during startups, changeovers, and regular production.

· Identify, segregate, and report non-conforming products.

· Stop or place production on hold when safety or product conformity cannot be ensured.

· Comply with food-grade manufacturing, hygiene, traceability, product safety, and quality requirements.

Equipment Care and Maintenance Support

· Conduct routine inspections of machines, molds, robots, label systems, and auxiliary equipment.

· Perform cleaning, lubrication, basic adjustments, and approved autonomous maintenance activities.

· Identify abnormal noise, vibration, leakage, temperature, wear, alarms, or equipment behavior.

· Support preventive maintenance and technical interventions.

· Do not perform specialized electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, automation, or tooling repairs unless trained and authorized.

Shift Technical Support

· Act as the primary injection molding technical resource during the assigned shift.

· Respond to startups, process interruptions, product defects, changeovers, and production instability.

· Determine whether production may continue, requires adjustment, must be placed on hold, or must be escalated.

· Provide a complete technical handover to the incoming shift.

· Support and coach Injection Molding Operators in machine operation, quality checks, process discipline, and standard procedures.