Tooling Engineer – Injection Moulding

Aurolab · Madurai, India

Position Summary:

The Supplier Tooling Engineer manages the technical execution, timeline fidelity, and lifecycle maintenance of injection moulding tools manufactured by external global suppliers. This role serves as the primary engineering and project link between internal product development teams and external toolmakers, ensuring tools are delivered on time, within budget, and to precise quality standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design & Standards Review: Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and mold-flow analysis reviews with external suppliers. Enforce company standards for steel selection, gating, cooling layouts, and standard components (e.g., Hasco, DME).
• Timeline Procurement Management: Track supplier milestones from steel-cut to final tool approval. Conduct supplier shop audits to verify progress and proactively mitigate lead-time risks.
• Tool Trialling & Validation: Oversee T1 through Tx tool trials at supplier facilities. Troubleshoot dimensional and aesthetic part defects, driving root-cause corrections with the supplier before tool shipment.
• Lifecycle Support: Manage Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), coordinate major asset maintenance/refurbishments with external vendors, and secure critical spare parts packages upon tool handover.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

To evaluate the success of this role, track these five high-impact metrics:

1. On-Time Tool Delivery (OTD): Percentage of tools delivered to the production facility on or before the contractually agreed-upon date. Target: >90%
2. Number of Tool Trials to Release (T-Count): The average number of mold modifications and trial iterations (T1, T2, T3) required before the tool yields approved parts. Target: ≤3 trials (Approval by T2 or T3).
3. Supplier DFM Action Turnaround Time: The average time taken by the engineer to review, adjust, and approve a supplier's tooling design submission. Target: <3 business days.
4. First-Article Inspection (FAI) Pass Rate: Percentage of dimensions that meet the product specification print during the first formal quality inspection. Target: >95% on T2/T3.
5. Critical Spares Availability at Launch: Percentage of custom tooling spare parts (lifters, core pins, inserts) delivered simultaneously with the physical tool. Target: 100%.

Experience: Minimum 5 years.