What does a tool design engineer do?
Tool Design Engineers are responsible for the design of new tools as well as making improvements to existing ones. They are responsible for drafting schematics and blueprints, determining tool specifications and production as well as carrying out calculations to establish tools cost, materials, and dimensions. Other duties include communicating with suppliers to implement tool modifications, tracking performance targets, and conducting cost budgeting. A good Tool Design Engineer aims to reduce tool breakdowns and minimize maintenance costs.
Tool design engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real tool design engineer resumes:
- Manage automation projects including purchasing, scheduling fabrication and assembly, debugging, and delivery to customer.
- Design, document and procure prototype and production ready tooling using AutoCad, ProE and SolidWorks.
- Draft and revise new and current drawings using computer aid programs such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
- Used both manual drafting techniques and CAD/CAM systems.
- Compile programs for use with wire EDM operations.
- Compose CNC manual code for turning operations and grinding template for finish machining of gear tooth profile.
- Use CatiaV4 to design prototype tooling, power tools, ergonomic equipment and measuring laser adapter equipment.
- Provide all programming of Mitsubishi wire EDM machine tool paths for die-impression templates, tooth-form dies, and other configurations.
- Use of an AutoCAD system are required to layout laser flat patterns prior to bending to form the sheet metal parts.
- Develop sophisticated spreadsheets such as lightning protection calculations and BOM creator.
- Generate detailed installation specifications including BOM's, and AutoCAD drawings.
- Assist in the supervision and fabrication of prototype equipment including conveyors, robotics, and pharmaceutical equipment and automate beverage systems.
- Project lead for design projects in Puerto Rico pharmaceutical API manufacturing facility.
Tool design engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Tool Design Engineers are proficient in Solidworks, Jigs, and GD. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Listening skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Tool Design Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Solidworks, 8%
Draft and revise new and current drawings using computer aided programs such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
- Jigs, 8%
Developed conceptual and detailed designs with structural analysis of transportation devices and jig fixtures.
- GD, 6%
Applied GD & T for form, fit and function, performing tolerance stack-ups using MicroCAD.
- Engineering Drawings, 6%
Evaluate accuracy of production & engineering drawings to formulate corrective action plan.
- Aerospace, 5%
Group Tooling Engineer responsible for the daily activities of 15 Tool Designers for Aerospace Components and Assemblies.
- NX, 5%
Designed key components of and assemblies of vacuums Designed, modeled, and programmed all in house molds using NX CAD/CAM.
"solidworks," "jigs," and "gd" are among the most common skills that tool design engineers use at work. You can find even more tool design engineer responsibilities below, including:
Creativity. One of the key soft skills for a tool design engineer to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what tool design engineers do because "mechanical engineers design and build complex pieces of equipment and machinery." Additionally, a tool design engineer resume shows how tool design engineers use creativity: "designed and detailed tooling assemblies using autocad inventor, solidworks, and proe wildfire. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform tool design engineer duties is listening skills. Tool design engineers responsibilities require that "mechanical engineers often work on projects with others, such as architects and computer scientists." Tool design engineers also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "configure the wireless hotspot ip to communicated with the network. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of tool design engineers is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday tool design engineer duties, as "mechanical engineers use the principles of calculus, statistics, and other advanced subjects in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "verified iges and step content imported to nx from pro-e wildfire5 for data transfer integrity, geometry and material density. "
Problem-solving skills. For certain tool design engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a tool design engineer rely on this skill, as "mechanical engineers need good problem-solving skills to take scientific principles and discoveries and use them to design and build useful products." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what tool design engineers do: "provided solutions for production tooling for all hexcel structures programs using catia v5r20. "
Mechanical skills. A commonly-found skill in tool design engineer job descriptions, "mechanical skills" is essential to what tool design engineers do. Tool design engineer responsibilities rely on this skill because "mechanical skills allow engineers to apply basic engineering concepts and mechanical processes to the design of new devices and systems." You can also see how tool design engineer duties rely on mechanical skills in this resume example: "3d-modeled and prepared detail drawings for part production using pro-e, solid edge, mechanical desktop and autocad. "
The three companies that hire the most tool design engineers are:
- Amazon12 tool design engineers jobs
- Apple4 tool design engineers jobs
- General Electric4 tool design engineers jobs
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Compare different tool design engineers
Tool design engineer vs. Mechanical engineer
Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues. They are often in designated offices, but they can also work on-site and travel if necessary. Furthermore, Mechanical Engineers usually function in a group or team setting, often supervised by personnel in higher positions.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, tool design engineer responsibilities require skills like "aerospace," "nx," "autocad," and "assembly fixtures." Meanwhile a typical mechanical engineer has skills in areas such as "cad," "mechanical systems," "mechanical design," and "hvac." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Mechanical engineers really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $84,748. Comparatively, tool design engineers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $82,551.The education levels that mechanical engineers earn slightly differ from tool design engineers. In particular, mechanical engineers are 5.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a tool design engineer. Additionally, they're 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Tool design engineer vs. Staff engineer
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real tool design engineer resumes. While tool design engineer responsibilities can utilize skills like "solidworks," "gd," "engineering drawings," and "aerospace," staff engineers use skills like "java," "python," "architecture," and "software development."
Staff engineers earn a higher average salary than tool design engineers. But staff engineers earn the highest pay in the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $119,079. Additionally, tool design engineers earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $82,551 annually.In general, staff engineers achieve higher levels of education than tool design engineers. They're 9.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for tool design engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Richard Onyancha
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Department Head, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Tool design engineer vs. Integration engineer
An integration engineer specializes in developing programs and projects to improve business systems for optimal processes. Their responsibilities revolve around meeting with clients to determine their needs, coordinating with analysts to identify the company's strengths and weaknesses, implementing various solutions for business processes, and performing corrective measures as needed. They must also respond to any issues or inquiries, resolving them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, an integration manager may perform clerical tasks such as processing and preparing documentation, performing presentations, and updating clients.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from tool design engineer resumes include skills like "solidworks," "jigs," "gd," and "engineering drawings," whereas an integration engineer is more likely to list skills in "python," "java," "data analysis," and "project management. "
Integration engineers make a very good living in the telecommunication industry with an average annual salary of $103,429. On the other hand, tool design engineers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $82,551.Most integration engineers achieve a higher degree level compared to tool design engineers. For example, they're 10.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Tool design engineer vs. Product engineer
A product engineer specializes in designing and developing commercial materials and services. They are primarily responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis of the latest trends and marketing conditions to come up with new ideas and products for the public. Moreover, they are also responsible for producing reports and presentations, coordinating with the development team of their company. Product engineers also reach out to vendors and suppliers for the raw materials, set regulations and standards for the product, and even conduct a rigorous and regular quality check.
Types of tool design engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
