What does a molding technician do?
A Molding Technician specializes in molding materials such as plastic or metal. They are responsible for operating and calibrating machinery, adhering to product guidelines, conducting quality inspections on finished products, lifting heavy materials, and training new workforce members. There are also instances where they must troubleshoot equipment problems, perform basic repairs, coordinate with managers or engineers, and conduct regular maintenance checks. Molding Technicians must maintain an active communication line with staff while adhering to its safety policies and regulations.
Molding technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real molding technician resumes:
- Manage utilization of LOTO procedures, GMP standards and OSHA safety standards.
- Operate overhead cranes and forklifts and perform die-setter duties.
- Operate and set-up CNC mills to make tire molds.
- Work within the parameters of QS-9000 , 9001 and ISO 14000 certification requirements.
- Track and maintain various SPC and quality control documentation to adhere to FDA requirements.
- Use of milling machines, lathes, drill presses, sanders, grinders and polishers.
- Hook up DME heat runners, yudos, hydraulic cores and knock out rods if need.
- Complete mold and die maintenance and repair utilizing lathes, mills, surface grinders and drill presses.
- Pull and set molds in small to medium size injection molding presses using hi-lo and overhead crane.
- Perform maintenance on the injection unit, tip and body and heater bands, or replace the entire unit if necessary.
- Suit up in proper PPE to run analysis on the chemicals already in process and check that the recipe are accurate.
- Process materials using straightheads and crossheads, vacuum and non-contact sizers and various downstream pullers, cutters, winders and conveyers.
- Maintain equipment cleanliness and perform basic trouble shooting
- Maintain cleanliness of workstation to provide organization and safety.
- Assist quality management in creating operating instructions in implementing ISO.
Molding technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Molding Technicians are proficient in Preventative Maintenance, Hand Tools, and Auxiliary Equipment. They’re also known for soft skills such as Computer skills, Dexterity, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Molding Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Preventative Maintenance, 9%
Administer preventative maintenance to warehouse equipment ensuring proper functioning and safety practices for warehouse operations.
- Hand Tools, 7%
Manipulate shop and hand tools to fabricate or correct deficiencies in industrial equipment, some tolerances at .0005.
- Auxiliary Equipment, 7%
Performed all necessary maintenance to mold machines and auxiliary equipment.
- Math, 6%
Use math and computer skills, heavy lifting with lots of climbing around.
- Quality Checks, 6%
Coordinate production, including daily and hourly Quality checks to meet customer specifications.
- Basic Math, 5%
Complete basic mathematical calculations and follow standard work instructions.
"preventative maintenance," "hand tools," and "auxiliary equipment" are among the most common skills that molding technicians use at work. You can find even more molding technician responsibilities below, including:
Computer skills. One of the key soft skills for a molding technician to have is computer skills. You can see how this relates to what molding technicians do because "metal and plastic machine workers must be able to use programmable devices, computers, and robots on the factory floor." Additionally, a molding technician resume shows how molding technicians use computer skills: "perform start-up and troubleshooting of the molding machines and verify corrections and quality by processing data sheets and computer spc's. "
Physical strength. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of molding technicians is physical strength. This skill is critical to many everyday molding technician duties, as "metal and plastic machine workers must be able to secure and tighten heavy fixtures into place." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "use of micrometers, dial calipers, and other precision measuring instruments to perform dimensional and physical inspections. "
Mechanical skills. For certain molding technician responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "mechanical skills." The day-to-day duties of a molding technician rely on this skill, as "these workers must be comfortable with machines and have a good understanding of how all the parts work." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what molding technicians do: "operated and performed preventative maintenance on mechanical wheels, bottle molds, air pressure lines and water-cooling lines. "
The three companies that hire the most molding technicians are:
- Berry Global27 molding technicians jobs
- Plastipak22 molding technicians jobs
- BD18 molding technicians jobs
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Compare different molding technicians
Molding technician vs. Die cast operator
In manufacturing facilities, a die setter is primarily in charge of setting up machines and equipment, selecting and utilizing various tools, preparing molds, gathering measurements and analyzing data, keeping records, monitoring the operations of machinery, and processing products according to protocols. They may also conduct regular maintenance checks, troubleshoot errors, perform basic repairs or adjustments, and produce regular reports for managers. Moreover, a die setter usually works in a team setting, which requires an open and transparent communication line for an efficient workflow.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, molding technician responsibilities require skills like "preventative maintenance," "auxiliary equipment," "lean manufacturing," and "grinders." Meanwhile a typical die cast operator has skills in areas such as "trim press," "die cast machine," "tip," and "aluminum castings." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Die cast operators earn the highest salaries when working in the automotive industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,164. On the other hand, molding technicians are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $44,313.die cast operators tend to reach similar levels of education than molding technicians. In fact, die cast operators are 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Molding technician vs. Caster operator
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, molding technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "preventative maintenance," "auxiliary equipment," "math," and "lean manufacturing." Meanwhile, a caster operator has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety procedures," "skim," "ppe," and "molten aluminum." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Caster operators tend to reach similar levels of education than molding technicians. In fact, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Molding technician vs. Die setter
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, molding technicians are more likely to have skills like "auxiliary equipment," "math," "basic math," and "lean manufacturing." But a die setter is more likely to have skills like "die-setter," "calipers," "cranes," and "safety glasses."
Die setters earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $39,473. Molding technicians earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $44,313.die setters typically earn similar educational levels compared to molding technicians. Specifically, they're 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Molding technician vs. Injection molder
Even though a few skill sets overlap between molding technicians and injection molders, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a molding technician might have more use for skills like "preventative maintenance," "hand tools," "auxiliary equipment," and "math." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of injection molders require skills like "injection molds," "plastic injection," "machine operation," and "secondary operations. "
In general, injection molders earn the most working in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $34,963. The highest-paying industry for a molding technician is the health care industry.injection molders reach similar levels of education compared to molding technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 2.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of molding technician
Updated January 8, 2025
