Tooling Technician

Summary

The Tooling Technician is responsible for the sharpening, maintenance, and setup of tooling for CNC punch machines and CNC press brakes, ensuring that tooling is available, properly maintained, and ready for production. This role also coordinates tooling inventory, inspection, and repair while partnering with Production, Maintenance, Quality, and Manufacturing Engineering to improve tooling reliability, reduce setup time, and minimize downtime.

Essential Functions include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Prepare, stage, and organize punches, dies, strippers, and toolholders for CNC punch machines, along with punches, dies, and tooling accessories for CNC press brakes, to support production schedules and changeovers.
• Perform sharpening and maintenance of CNC punch machine and CNC press brake tooling as specified by approved tooling requirements and manufacturer guidelines. Inspect tooling for wear, damage, and dimensional accuracy.
• Maintain accurate tooling records, storage locations, identification, usage history, and minimum stocking levels for critical and frequently used items.
• Perform tooling setup, installation, and changeovers for CNC punch machines and CNC press brakes within assigned training and authorization. Prepare and stage complete tooling packages, verify tooling identification, condition, and setup requirements against approved setup sheets, and assemble tooling offline when practical to reduce machine downtime.
• Assist with tooling-related punching and bending issues on CNC punch machines and CNC press brakes affecting part quality, tool life, setup repeatability, and equipment availability; escalate issues requiring engineering or maintenance support.
• Maintain tooling lists, setup sheets, inspection records, and revision history. Create or update basic CAD drawings and sketches to support tooling identification and fabrication.
• Work with Engineering and suppliers to identify tooling requirements, support trials, and document approved tooling for new or revised products.
• Identify opportunities to standardize tooling, improve storage and organization, extend tool life, reduce cost, and simplify changeovers.
• Follow established procedures for tool handling, equipment use, and hazardous-energy control. Perform work only within assigned training and authorization.

 Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

• Practical experience in tool sharpening, maintenance, and tooling setup for CNC punch machines and CNC press brakes, or related toolroom operations.
• Working knowledge of CNC punch machine tooling, including punches, dies, strippers, and toolholders, and CNC press brake tooling, including punches, dies, and tooling accessories.
• Ability to read technical drawings, interpret dimensions and tolerances, and use precision measuring instruments such as calipers and micrometers.
• Technical training or certification in machining, tool and die, manufacturing technology, or a related discipline.
• Previous tool and die experience, including tooling inspection, maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting, is preferred.
• Hands-on experience sharpening and maintaining tooling and performing tooling setups and changeovers for CNC punch machines and CNC press brakes.
• Familiarity with automated production cells and the tooling and fixture requirements associated with robotic or gantry-loaded equipment.
• Basic CAD drafting skills and experience with offline tooling preparation and setup documentation for CNC punch machines and CNC press brakes.
• Experience coordinating outside sharpening or repair services and supplier lead times.
• Familiarity with 5S, standardized work, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement practices.

Language Skills

Ability to read and understand blueprints, CNC press brake programs, bend sequences, setup instructions, safety procedures, and quality documentation. Ability to clearly communicate machine status, tooling and material concerns, equipment alarms, part-quality issues, and production updates to supervisors, maintenance, quality, and engineering personnel.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to perform shop math using decimals, fractions, tolerances, angles, material thicknesses, bend dimensions, and basic production calculations. Ability to read measuring instruments and compare measured bend angles and linear dimensions with blueprint specifications.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those required to safely set up, operate, inspect, and support CNC press brake equipment and associated material-handling equipment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.While performing this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, reach, use hands to handle material and controls, and maintain awareness around CNC press brakes, tooling, and material-handling equipment. The employee may occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, and lift or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus for setup, machine operation, and inspection work.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of a CNC press brake and metal-forming area. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.While performing the duties of this job, the employee works around moving mechanical parts, press brake tooling, sheet material, sharp edges, and material-handling equipment. Metal-forming operations involve pinch points and may generate noise. Required personal protective equipment, machine guarding and safeguarding devices, lockout/tagout procedures, and approved tooling and material-handling safety practices must be followed. The noise level is typically moderate but may vary by operation.

Three D Metals Compensation Philosophy

At Three D Metals, we believe our employees should share in our success. We are committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation that recognizes each employee’s experience, skills, and contributions. Our compensation approach considers market competitiveness, geographic differences, internal equity, and individual impact, with the goal of attracting, rewarding, and retaining talented people who help our customers and our company succeed