Tool & Die Technician

Help Protect the Heart of Our Manufacturing Operation

American Wire Works and Ace Metal Works are growing manufacturers of custom wire products, fabricated metal products, and material handling solutions serving industrial customers throughout North America.

We're seeking an experienced Tool & Die Technician to become the technical expert responsible for maintaining, repairing, and continuously improving the tooling that powers our stamping operation.

This is more than a traditional tool room position.

You'll play a critical role in minimizing downtime, extending tool life, documenting tribal knowledge, and helping build a world-class manufacturing operation.

Position Summary

The Tool & Die Technician is responsible for maintaining the reliability and performance of all production tooling used within our press department.

This individual will troubleshoot tooling problems, perform preventive maintenance, repair dies, and work closely with production to minimize downtime.

In addition, this role will lead the effort to document, organize, and digitize our tooling assets, creating a permanent knowledge base that supports future growth.

Primary Responsibilities

Tool & Die Maintenance & Repair

• Troubleshoot and repair progressive, compound, and secondary dies

• Diagnose tooling-related production issues

• Perform preventive maintenance on production tooling

• Rework tooling to improve quality and productivity

• Fabricate replacement tooling components when required

• Assist with die setup and startup during production runs

• Recommend tooling improvements that increase reliability and reduce downtime

Tooling Reliability

• Develop preventive maintenance schedules for all production tooling

• Track tooling maintenance history

• Monitor tool wear and identify recurring issues

• Recommend spare tooling components and critical inventory

• Work closely with production to minimize equipment downtime

Tooling Documentation & Knowledge Management

• Build and maintain a complete tooling library

• Create and maintain tooling documentation and repair procedures

• Support the digitization of existing tooling into CAD drawings and electronic records

• Work with engineering students and interns to document legacy tooling

• Capture best practices and standard repair procedures

• Ensure tooling knowledge becomes company knowledge rather than individual knowledge

Continuous Improvement

• Improve tooling performance and life expectancy

• Reduce setup time

• Reduce scrap associated with tooling

• Improve die reliability

• Participate in root cause analysis of tooling failures

• Support manufacturing process improvements

Collaboration

• Work closely with the Press Shop Supervisor

• Support Operations during production issues

• Coordinate with outside tooling vendors when needed

• Collaborate with Quality on tooling-related quality issues

• Mentor operators on proper tooling handling and maintenance

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of Tool & Die experience in a stamping or metal forming environment

• Surface grinder, mill, and lathe experience

• Strong troubleshooting skills

• Experience repairing transfer and compound dies

• Ability to read engineering drawings and blueprints

• Experience with precision measuring equipment

• Strong mechanical aptitude

• Excellent problem-solving skills

Preferred

• Metal fabrication experience

• CNC machining experience

• Welding and fabrication skills

• CAD experience

• Experience implementing preventive maintenance systems

Success Measures

You'll be successful when you:

• Reduce tooling-related downtime

• Increase tooling reliability

• Improve die life

• Reduce emergency tooling repairs

• Build a complete digital tooling library

• Successfully transfer tooling knowledge into documented systems

• Improve press uptime and productivity

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience

• 401(k)

• Health insurance

• Paid Time Off

• Stable, growing manufacturing environment

• Opportunity to make a lasting impact on the business

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to become one of the most important technical leaders in our manufacturing operation.

You'll work directly with company leadership to improve equipment reliability, modernize our tooling systems, and help build a scalable manufacturing business where technical knowledge is documented, shared, and continuously improved.

If you're passionate about solving technical problems, improving manufacturing processes, and taking ownership of tooling excellence, we'd love to hear from you.