Responsibilities
I. Process Development and Solution Design
Product and Material Analysis: Receive product drawings (2D/3D), BOM lists, and customer technical requirements; conduct in-depth analysis of product structure, dimensional accuracy, appearance requirements, and usage environment; based on product characteristics (e.g., food packaging, electronic trays, automotive door panel liners), select appropriate thermoforming materials (such as PVC, PET, PP, PS, ABS, HIPS, etc.), and evaluate the thermoforming performance of materials (e.g., elongation, thermal shrinkage, forming temperature range).
Process Solution Development: Develop a reasonable thermoforming process solution based on product requirements, production volume, forming equipment parameters, and cost budget.
Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Evaluation: Participate in new product design reviews and propose product structure optimization suggestions from a thermoforming process perspective, such as corner radius, draft angle, wall thickness uniformity, and rib design, to reduce production risks and costs.
II. Production Process Control
Process Parameter Setting and Optimization: Based on the process solution, set and debug key process parameters on production equipment; for product defects occurring during production (such as uneven wall thickness, wrinkling, bubbles, scratches, deformation, dimensional deviation, poor transparency, etc.), adjust process parameters (such as heating temperature, heating time, vacuum level, forming speed, cooling time, mold temperature, etc.) through experimental verification and data analysis to optimize the forming solution and improve product yield and production efficiency; Design of Experiments (DOE) methods may be applied to develop robust process windows.
Process Execution Supervision: Supervise the execution of thermoforming process parameters during workshop production, check whether operators strictly follow the work instructions, and promptly correct non-compliant operations; conduct regular process inspections of products during production to confirm product quality compliance and promptly identify and address process fluctuations.
Production Exception Handling: For process-related anomalies during production (such as recurring product dimensional deviations, appearance defects, or process instability caused by equipment failures), respond quickly and develop solutions to minimize production downtime; lead non-conforming product analysis meetings to drive issue closure.
Process Stability Maintenance: Establish a process parameter monitoring mechanism, record key process data, and analyze process fluctuation patterns; collaborate with the quality department to implement SPC (Statistical Process Control) and use control charts and other tools to identify abnormal parameter fluctuations, taking preventive measures to ensure stable production processes; conduct regular process parameter audits to ensure strict compliance with process specifications.
III. Mold and Equipment Management
Mold Process Adaptation: Select or design suitable thermoforming molds based on product process requirements, participate in mold design reviews, and propose mold structure optimization suggestions from a process perspective (such as mold surface roughness, vent hole design, cooling water channel layout, etc.) to improve mold forming stability and production efficiency.
Equipment Process Adaptation: Be familiar with the working principles and operating specifications of mainstream thermoforming equipment (such as semi-automatic thermoforming machines, fully automatic high-speed thermoforming machines, thick-sheet thermoforming machines, positive-negative pressure thermoforming machines, etc.), and select appropriate equipment based on product process requirements.
IV. Quality Improvement and Problem Solving
Quality Defect Analysis: For thermoforming product quality issues found through customer complaints or inspections, use tools such as the Seven QC Tools, Pareto charts, fishbone diagrams, and 8D reports to analyze the process causes of defects, and develop and implement corrective and preventive measures; lead non-conforming product analysis meetings to drive issue closure.
Quality Improvement Project Advancement: Lead or participate in thermoforming product quality improvement projects, work with quality, production, and other departments to implement process optimization measures, and continuously improve product quality stability; monitor industry quality standards and special customer requirements to ensure product quality complies with relevant specifications.
V. Process Documentation Preparation and Management
Technical Documentation Preparation: Prepare standardized technical documents such as thermoforming process cards, work instructions (SOP), first-article inspection standards, and process parameter tables; for products in industries such as automotive, additionally prepare PPAP-related documents such as process flow diagrams (PFD), Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), and control plans (CP) to ensure document content is accurate, clear, and operable, meeting system audit and customer requirements.
Document Update and Maintenance: Timely update relevant technical documents based on process optimization results, product design changes, and material replacements to ensure documents remain consistent with actual production processes.
Requirements
1. Over 5 years of work experience, familiar with the automotive electronics industry;
2. Proficient in thermoforming process principles, familiar with the characteristics and forming process requirements of different thermoforming materials (PVC, PET, PP, PS, ABS, HIPS, etc.); understand relevant knowledge of polymer rheology, and able to precisely match materials with process parameters.
3. Rich experience in thermoforming process debugging and optimization, able to quickly resolve process issues and product defects during production (such as uneven wall thickness, wrinkling, bubbles, scratches, deformation, etc.); master full-process trial production management skills, able to independently complete new product process development.
4. Familiar with the working principles and process adaptation requirements of thermoforming machines, molds, and auxiliary equipment, understand mainstream thermoforming machine brand operating systems, able to assist in equipment debugging, maintenance, and automation integration; possess basic knowledge of mold structure, able to propose mold optimization suggestions from a process perspective.
5. Familiar with relevant industry standards and quality management systems (such as ISO9001, IATF 16949);
6. Strong quality awareness and cost control awareness.
7. Familiar with the use of 2D/3D design software.
