About the Role
Celestix Industries is expanding its manufacturing capabilities for copper cable lugs, electrical terminals, connectors and precision sheet metal components. We are looking for a strong, hands-on Progressive Die / Press Tool specialist who can independently design tooling and solve practical problems in the Tool Room and Press Shop.
This role is suitable for an experienced Senior Tool Design Engineer, Assistant Manager, Deputy Manager or Tool Design Manager with strong technical capability. People-management experience is not mandatory; hands-on tooling expertise is the primary requirement.
Products / Areas You May Work On
The role will involve designing tooling for:
- Progressive dies
- Compound dies
- Piercing tools
- Blanking tools
- Bending tools
- Forming tools
- Press tools
- Copper terminals
- Cable lugs
- Precision sheet metal components
Key Responsibilities
- Independently develop progressive die and press tool concepts.
- Determine tooling stages and the appropriate manufacturing sequence.
- Prepare detailed tool designs and manufacturing drawings.
- Create accurate 2D drawings and 3D tool assemblies.
- Conduct design reviews before tooling is released for manufacturing.
Strip Layout & Material Utilisation
- Develop strip layouts for progressive tooling.
- Optimise strip progression and material utilisation.
- Consider production efficiency, tooling performance and component requirements while developing the strip layout.
- Perform press tonnage and force calculations.
- Apply appropriate punch and die clearances.
- Consider bend allowances and springback during tool design.
- Select suitable tool steels, punches, dies, springs and standard tooling components.
- Prepare complete tooling BOMs.
- Develop detailed manufacturing drawings for tool-room execution.
- Ensure drawings clearly communicate dimensions, tolerances, materials and tooling requirements.
- Work closely with the Tool Room during tool manufacturing.
- Provide technical clarification during machining, assembly and tool build.
- Participate personally in tool assembly and development where required.
- Participate directly in tool trials.
- Diagnose and resolve tooling issues during trials and production.
- Troubleshoot problems including:
- Burrs
- Dimensional variation
- Tool breakage
- Misfeeds
- Forming defects
- Implement practical corrective actions to achieve stable production.
- Improve tool life and production speed.
- Optimise tooling for reliable high-volume manufacturing.
- Identify opportunities to improve strip design and material utilisation.
- Modify existing tools for engineering changes or productivity improvements.
New Product Development
- Support new product development activities.
- Develop or modify prototype tooling where required.
- Work with manufacturing and engineering teams during product introduction.
Production Support
- Support high-volume stamping production.
- Resolve tooling-related production issues on the shop floor.
- Work directly with Press Shop and Tool Room teams to improve tool performance and component quality.
Technical Guidance
- Mentor junior tool designers where required.
- Support technical reviews and share practical tooling knowledge with the broader engineering team.
Required Experience
- 5–10 years of relevant experience.
- Significant hands-on experience in progressive die design.
- Experience with sheet metal press tooling and stamping operations.
- Practical experience developing strip layouts.
- Hands-on exposure to tool trials and tooling troubleshooting.
- Understanding of tool maintenance principles.
- Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing.
- Experience designing tools for copper, brass or other non-ferrous components is highly desirable.
Preferred Technical Knowledge
Strong engineering understanding of:
- GD&T
- Tool tolerances
- Punch and die clearances
- Press tonnage calculations
- Bend allowances
- Springback
- Strip progression
- Material utilisation
- Tool steel selection
- Tool life
- Press shop operations
- Manufacturing drawings
Software
Strong hands-on capability in:
Candidates with experience in Creo, CATIA, NX or equivalent tooling CAD software are also encouraged to apply.
Qualifications
Diploma / B.E. / B.Tech in:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Tool Engineering
- Production Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
Tool & Die Making qualifications are strongly valued.
Candidate Background
Relevant industry experience may include:
- Electrical terminals
- Automotive stampings
- Connector manufacturing
- Cable lugs
- Precision sheet metal
- Switchgear components
- Appliance components
- Electrical contacts
- Pressed metal components
- Tool and die manufacturing
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a hands-on tooling engineer who can take ownership from initial die concept and strip layout through detailed design, tool manufacturing, assembly, trials, troubleshooting and production improvement.
The candidate should be equally comfortable working on CAD and walking into the Tool Room or Press Shop to diagnose why a progressive die is not producing the required component correctly.
The emphasis is on practical engineering capability rather than job title or people-management experience.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means developing robust progressive dies and press tools that consistently produce accurate components at high production volumes.
The successful candidate will improve tool reliability, tool life, material utilisation and production speed while quickly resolving issues such as burrs, dimensional variation, misfeeds, tool breakage and forming defects.
The role should contribute directly to reliable high-volume manufacturing of copper terminals, cable lugs, connectors and precision stamped components.
