Hoffer Plastics is hiring for "
Process Engineer", "
1st shift".
Starting Pay $85k - $115K (based on experience)ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:- NEW TOOL REVIEW
Participate in the review of new molds, transferred molds, engineering changes, and new product launches to ensure the tooling and manufacturing process are designed for successful production.
- Participate in new product and tooling review meetings throughout the development process.
- Review part and mold designs from an injection molding and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) perspective.
- Identify potential processing, tooling, material, quality, automation, and production risks before the mold reaches production.
- Review proposed gate locations, runner systems, hot runner systems, cooling requirements, venting, ejection, cavity layout, and other mold features that can affect process capability.
- Review available mold-flow or simulation information and provide processing input when appropriate.
- Evaluate projected cavity pressures, clamp-tonnage requirements, shot-size requirements, recovery requirements, expected cycle time, and other machine requirements.
- Determine whether the proposed mold is compatible with available injection molding machines and identify required auxiliary equipment.
- Review mold water requirements and verify that adequate water circuits, flow, pressure, and temperature control are available.
- Participate in tool trials and mold samplings as required and document processing or tooling concerns for the project team.
- Work with Engineering, Tooling, Quality, and Manufacturing to resolve identified concerns before production launch whenever possible.
- Support domestic and international tool shops as required during mold build, sampling, and debugging.
- PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
Develop a robust, repeatable, and documented injection molding process that can be successfully transferred to normal production.
- Coordinate and participate in mold samplings and process-development activities using scientific and decoupled molding principles.
- Establish a repeatable molding process based on actual process data rather than machine settings alone.
- Perform appropriate process-development studies to establish the molding window and understand the response of the process to normal manufacturing variation.
- Evaluate fill speed, transfer position, cavity balance, injection pressure, hold pressure, hold time, cooling time, melt temperature, mold temperature, clamp tonnage, recovery, and other critical process variables.
- Verify that the process operates within the capabilities of the selected injection molding machine and establish upper and lower limits for critical variables where appropriate.
- Verify that the developed process produces acceptable product under normal production conditions and identify critical process parameters and potential failure points.
- Work with Quality to verify dimensional and functional product requirements during process development.
- Develop and maintain clear process documentation covering mold setup, machine requirements, process settings and limits, material and drying requirements, auxiliary equipment, water, automation, and special instructions.
- Assist with the transition of newly developed processes from Engineering into Manufacturing and support the initial production startup.
- Verify that the developed process can be duplicated by plant personnel and train appropriate personnel on new processes and special processing requirements.
- PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Provide technical support to Manufacturing when production problems cannot be resolved through normal plant troubleshooting activities.
- Support manufacturing personnel with difficult, chronic, or recurring injection molding problems.
- Troubleshoot issues involving the process, machine, mold, material, hot runner system, temperature-control equipment, dryers, material handling, robots, automation, and other auxiliary equipment.
- Use a structured troubleshooting approach to identify the actual cause of production problems and separate process-related issues from tooling, equipment, material, and quality issues.
- Review actual process data and machine performance before recommending changes.
- Ensure process changes remain within the established process window whenever possible and avoid using processing changes to compensate for tooling or equipment conditions that should be corrected.
- Work with Plant Managers, Process Technicians, Maintenance, Tooling, Engineering, and Quality to resolve production issues.
- Assist plants with difficult mold startups, process transfers, and recurring production problems.
- Verify corrective actions are effective, document significant process changes, and update process documentation when approved permanent changes are made.
- Provide technical coaching and training to processing personnel as needed.
- SCRAP REDUCTION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Actively identify and pursue opportunities to reduce scrap, improve productivity, improve process capability, and eliminate recurring manufacturing problems.
- Review plant scrap and defect data to identify the largest processing-related opportunities and prioritize improvement projects based on measurable business impact.
- Work with Manufacturing and Quality to identify the true root causes of recurring defects using data-driven problem-solving rather than trial-and-error processing.
- Evaluate process capability and identify processes operating near or outside their established processing window.
- Identify molds or processes that require redevelopment or optimization and perform structured studies to determine the relationship between process variables and product quality.
- Lead or participate in corrective-action activities involving molding processes.
- Develop corrective actions that address root cause rather than simply adjusting machine settings to temporarily eliminate symptoms.
- Identify opportunities to reduce scrap, startup scrap, downtime, cycle time, material usage, colorant usage, energy consumption, and unplanned process adjustments.
- Work with Tooling and Maintenance when process data indicates mechanical or tooling conditions are contributing to scrap.
- Verify improvements through measurable before-and-after results and standardize successful improvements across similar molds, machines, or facilities when appropriate.
- Maintain documentation of significant improvements and lessons learned.
- TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT AND PROCESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Continuously advance the company's injection molding knowledge, process-development methods, and technical capabilities so new-tool qualification and launch strategies improve as technology and industry knowledge evolve.
- Stay current with advancements in injection molding technology, scientific molding, process-development strategies, mold technology, machine controls, process monitoring, automation, materials, and auxiliary equipment.
- Continuously evaluate industry best practices and determine whether they can improve the company's process-development methodology and new-tool launch process.
- Research new process-development studies and techniques that can provide a better understanding of mold, machine, material, and process capability before a tool is released to production.
- Identify opportunities to expand or improve standard process-development tests based on lessons learned from tool launches, production issues, scrap investigations, and industry advancements.
- Develop, test, and validate new process-development studies before incorporating them into the company's standard tool-launch process.
- Regularly review existing process-development tests to determine whether additional data, calculations, acceptance criteria, or testing methods could improve their effectiveness.
- Use mold sampling to develop a deeper understanding of mold capability, machine capability, material behavior, process sensitivity, cavity-to-cavity variation, cooling performance, pressure requirements, flow characteristics, process repeatability, process-window size, and potential production risks.
- Look beyond whether a mold can simply produce an acceptable part and determine how robust the overall molding system will be under normal production variation.
- Evaluate new methods for testing machine capability and determining whether a molding machine is appropriate for a particular mold and process.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Incumbent will:
- usually stand/walk most of the shift.
- frequently bend at waist, twist, kneel/crouch, climb ladders, and climb up on machinery with proper fall protection.
- occasionally push, pull, and lift up to 75 lbs. or more.
- occasionally lift above waist and/or shoulder up to 75 lbs. and over.
- sometimes perform hand/wrist/finger movements and foot movements for pedal controls on forklift.
- occasionally perform keyboarding and squeezing movements.
- frequently be exposed to odors, dust, oil/grease, heat, noise, and operating machinery.
QUALIFICATIONS:- Five or more years of direct injection molding processing experience or equivalent applicable experience.
- Strong understanding of scientific molding and decoupled molding principles.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and troubleshoot injection molding processes.
- Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to interpret molding-machine and process data.
- Ability to systematically troubleshoot mold, machine, material, process, and auxiliary-equipment problems.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, verbal, written, and technical documentation skills.
- Ability to work effectively with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Tooling, Maintenance, suppliers, and management.
- Computer proficient and able to use data-analysis and process-documentation tools.
- Ability to travel to manufacturing facilities, suppliers, and tool shops as required.
- Associate degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Plastics, Manufacturing, Mechanical, or related technical field preferred; Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline preferred. Equivalent direct injection molding experience may be considered in place of formal education.
- RJG, AIM, Paulson, or equivalent advanced injection molding training strongly preferred.
Benefits:- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical, Dental and VSP Vision Insurance
- Hoffer Plastics matches .50 per $1.00 dollar contributed each payroll period up to 6% plus a Safe Harbor contribution of an amount equal to 3% of employee's annual eligible earnings
- Paid Life Insurance in the amount of 1.5 times basic annual salary
- Short term and Long-term Disability
- 2 Weeks Paid Vacation and up to 5 Days of Illinois Paid Leave.
- 9 Paid Holidays
- Reimbursements (Tuition, Prescription Safety Glasses, Steel Toe Shoe, and Fitness)
Join an established, growing third generation U.S. company that goes "All In" for people, plastics and purpose.
Hoffer Plastics Corporation: There's a part of us in Every Piece.
