What Is a Plastic Injection Mold Maker and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

As a plastic injection mold maker, your job is to operate and monitor mold machines. This involves setting the machine up, running it, testing molds to ensure they meet specifications, modifying molds as needed, and inspecting finished products. Plastic injection mold makers also use shop equipment and tools to finish molded polymers, perform maintenance on molding machines, select materials to use, and schedule jobs to meet quoted hours and delivery times. Mold makers often supervise assistants as needed, ensure the work area remains clean and free of obstructions, and report any problems to the supervisor. Some companies have plastic injection mold makers work in shifts with machines that are in use both day and night.

The primary qualifications for this job include several years of experience with plastics injection molding and experience with robotic loading and unloading, as well as packing equipment. Plastic injection mold makers usually get experience in this field by working as an assistant with the machines. If you are not getting promoted from your current position, expect your employer to conduct a skills evaluation test. Fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of this position requires maintaining records on topics like production counts and machine downtime, visually inspecting plastic products for problems, reporting any issues with the molding process, and using auxiliary equipment like resin dryers and drill presses. Helpful skills include familiarity with plastic injection molding machine software and familiarity with dimension measuring tools to ensure products meet specifications.