Mold Technician - $26.15/hour

Westlake Pipe & Fittings, a Westlake company (NYSE:WLK), is the second-largest polyvinyl chloride pipe and fittings manufacturer in North America. The company supplies gasketed, solvent weld and restrained joint pipes and a wide range of fittings for a diverse list of markets including municipal water and sewer, plumbing, water well, pool and spa, and agricultural and turf irrigation. Westlake Pipe & Fittings is an industry leader in product development with Certa-Lok® spline-lock technology and product systems that are focused on building A Better Foundation. To learn more, visit the website at WestlakePipe.com

SO WHY WESTLAKE PIPE & FITTINGS?

We believe in creating a supportive and inclusive culture that empowers and encourages our associates to succeed through individual achievement and teamwork.  A career at Westlake Pipe & Fittings, is enriched with an innovative spirit, high work ethic, and rewarding experiences.  We foster a culture that supports professional development, personal growth, and opportunities for advancement. 

COMPETITIVE PAY & BENEFITS

• Benefits Effective Day 1
• Med, Den, Vision, 401k (4% match), Annual Retirement Contribution (2%), Life & AD&D
• Paid Vacation
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Fitness Reimbursement Program
• Opportunity for Advancement

Summary: Responsible for ensuring installation of proper tooling, mold base and process set-ups in order to obtain top-quality injection molded products, while satisfying manufacturing objectives in a cost-effective manner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

This position reports directly to the Acting Supervisor and will receive direction from the Production Supervisor or Injection Molding Manager in the absence of or in conjunction with the Acting Supervisor.

The primary responsibility of the Mold Technician is to safely and efficiently perform top-quality operational duties on a daily basis which include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Knowledge and recognition of plastic fittings by name, shape, and dimension.
• Knowledge of daily performance goals and working to achieve 100% of targeted output.
• Completion of production paperwork accurately and in real time.
  • Maintain necessary reporting documentation as to shots per hour (SPH), cycle time, and downtime reasons.
• Assist with or perform tooling, mold base, machine, and process changes (changeovers).
  • Ensuring proper line clearance and start-up with efficiency in mind.
  • Ensuring all pilots, lockdowns, extra cores, or any part(s) not being used are returned to their proper storage location(s).
  • Skilled in the removal and installation of mold bases and tooling for all products (A-Level Mold Tech).
• Assist with or perform tooling, mold base, machine, and process troubleshooting.
  • Skilled in tooling, machine and process troubleshooting for all products (A-Level Mold Tech).
• Make necessary machine/process adjustments to obtain quality product while maintaining standard SPH.
  • Routine inspection of parts at the molding machine and on the Operators belt to ensure parts being produced are remaining within quality specifications (aesthetics, sizing/dimension, etc.)
• Must be proficient in the use of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and pneumatic tools for general maintenance functions.
• Detection, segregation, and isolation of non-conforming quality defects and notifying Sr. Mold Technician, Supervisor, Manager, and/or QA Department
  • Able to identify various types of quality defects based on appearance, fit, form, and function (Ex: short shots, burn, weld lines, watermarks, defective threads, etc.).
• Ability to identify and correct tooling, machine or process problems as they arise.
• Assist with or perform the removal and installation of feed screws and nozzles.
• Assist the Acting Supervisor and Sr. Mold Technicians in the training of class B-D Mold Technicians (A-Level Mold Tech)
• Minimizing downtime by resolving or escalating to Maintenance and Supervision for machine-related problems.
• Proper organization and cleanliness of assigned work area to highest level of standards (5S).
  • Perform 5S Audit for each work area assigned on a daily basis
  • Inspection and cleaning of oil skimmers
• Performing the above-mentioned functions with minimum supervision.
• Any other duties as assigned by supervision or management.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Qualifications: Basic to advanced knowledge of the injection molding machine and its electrical, hydraulic, programmable logic controller (PLC) and safety controls. Basic operation of human machine interface (HMI), electrical and hydraulic systems. Ability to match tooling components using part numbers as identification.

Education and/or Experience: High School Diploma or equivalent is required. Additional post-secondary education is a plus (trade school/college). Previous work in a manufacturing environment strongly preferred; Basic PLC, electrical, and hydraulic systems training/experience or machine shop training and/or 1-2 years equivalent experience (entry level); up to 6-8 years equivalent experience (advanced level). Manufacturing experience in plastic injection molding with relevant knowledge of resins and plastic materials preferred.

Language Skills: Ability to read and comprehend sufficient English to interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all standard units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent.

Reasoning Ability: Must be able to take complex and diverse information or situations which have several probable correct paths and compile information in a manner that allows problems to be solved in a reasonable fashion.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Forklift (truck) certification required.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to bend, squat, twist, climb, push/pull, reach and lift up to 50 pounds on occasion.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. General factory. Exposed to heat, cold, noise, dust, oil/grease and traveling powered industrial vehicles.

Training Requirements:

• General Job Duties: Lock-out/Tag-out (LOTO), Lift Truck Certification, crane operation, tool usage, housekeeping, etc.
• Line Operation: Employees are cross-trained to be able to operate any of the molding machines within the department.
• Quality Control & Auditing: Employees are trained on defective parts and how to verify sizing and dimensions of parts.