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Mold Maintenance/Repair cleaner working on new tooling than you do while tearing down a gunked-up mold that was pulled out of production, but that���s not the glamour I���m referring to. All the education is focused on machining (new build territory). All the technology developments are in the areas of better, faster design (CAD) and machining (CAM). All the investment? New equipment to build molds faster and education to train workers to use the new technology. The PR? What little is being done anymore, you guessed it���new build. In fairness, the overwhelming majority of jobs in this field are offered by companies that build new tools. Still the fact remains that there is and always will be, a need (and therefore, jobs) for skilled craftsmen to maintain and repair injection molds. I know firsthand the frustration of repetitive repair work. The blas�� feeling of being so familiar with a mold that you can diagnose its condition over the phone. But, there is opportunity for those willing to approach their craft with a little zest and zeal; to rise above the drudgery of routine repairs; to be more than just tool fixers. Become tool improvers and problem solvers. Not to denigrate new tool build in any way, but contrast the two specialties. Obviously no two shops are set-up identically, but generally at least in larger moldmaking firms, you have a house full of specialists���CNC guys, EDM guys, polishers, component makers, assemblers, etc. These guys are skilled craftsmen, many of whom have knowledge far beyond their area of specialization. Learn more Visit our Mold Maintenance and Repair Zone for more information on a mold tryout, welding, cleaning and retro���tting. Go to moldmakingtechnology.com/zones for a complete list. In repair, generally there is often a small handful of guys working in a minimally-equipped toolroom who have to disassemble, analyze, clean, refurbish or rebuild, engineer, fabricate, fit, finish, and possibly even verify tools under the pressure of production deadlines. Pretty glamorous, huh? Coupled with all that glamour is the fact that in tool repair you get to see firsthand the effects of production wear-andtear on tooling, and come to understand the necessity of knowing something about plastic processing. The knowledge base of many disciplines informs tool repair���from metallurgy to rheology and from machining to troubleshooting. It can be overwhelming or inspiring; the choice is yours. Unfortunately the laws of supply and demand apply to more than just economics. Minimal demand for mold repair technicians results in sparse training resources. Some things require that you build your own curriculum and chart your own course toward the attainment of your chosen goal. Results of an internet search for ���injection mold repair, training��� will yield a few options to get you started. Mold repair is a challenge worth choosing; choose wisely. contributor James Bourne is a tooling supervisor for SRG Global at their Farmington Missouri facility. For more inFormation: SrG Global / (573) 701-9123 jbourne@srggi.com / srggi.com 34 MoldMaking Technology March 2013