Tool and Die Designers work on creating the tooling and fixturing needed to manufacture a product. They will analyze specifications and design a tool that will efficiently manufacture the product.  The tooling can be designed for several different manufacturing processes such as forging, die casting, plastic injection, forming or bending.

The tools they design can be forging dies, core and cavity molds, progressive dies, jigs or fixtures.  Based on the Tool and Die Designers recommendations, a product may need to be redesigned to make it manufacturable.

A Tool and Die Designer can identify opportunities or implement changes to improve products or reduce costs using knowledge of fabrication processes, tooling and production equipment, assembly methods, quality control standards, or product design, materials and parts. They will review product designs for manufacturability and completeness. By incorporating new methods and processes to improve existing operations they can reduce costs and time-to-market while also producing a higher quality product.

One of the goals of a Tool and Die Designer is to reduce tooling cost.  Part design plays a critical role in determining tooling, and subsequently, manufacturing cost.  Since 85% of a product's cost is determined during the first 15% of a product's lifecycle, it is extremely important to collaborate with the Tool and Die Designer during the initial phases of the Product Development process.

The majority of the Tool and Die Designers work is completed during the Production phase of Product Development.

To learn more about the profession of a Tool and Die Designer, you can click on the links below to access the O*NET Resource Center, the nation's primary source of occupational information. 

Tool and Die Maker, Manufacturing Engineer, Mechanical Engineer