Time is money, we all know that. When it comes to injection molding, even fractions of a second saved in cycle time ultimately translate into cost savings. At Rion, we are required to perform numerous setups every day, so it is of utmost importance for us to carry out this process in the fastest, but also the highest quality and best way possible, to ensure that the quality and integrity of the injected product are not compromised. To achieve this, there’s a need to train a skilled team of setup technicians who thoroughly understand the process.

Building a Winning Team

The department for Setup Technicians, or injection molding technicians, at Rion consists of about 15 team members who have gained extensive experience on the job. Some have been working with us for 20 years. “The training to become a setup technician can’t be acquired at a college or a school,” says Ofir Kimchi, Production Manager at Rion. “The theoretical course provides the foundation, but the experience comes from the hands-on experience, and the ‘unwritten knowledge’. We identify production workers with potential for success and offer them the opportunity to undergo a lengthy process, including internal tests, learning while working shoulder to shoulder with an experienced and professional worker, and a lot of On-the-Job Training.”

At Rion, unlike other places, the role of the setup technician is broad. They need to choose and connect the right mold, adjust the robot, input the correct injection parameters, and achieve a quality product. Since we have a wide variety of equipment – both injection molding machines and automation – they need to specialize in different types of equipment, including injection molding machines with complex multi-component molds.

“We understood that to achieve a process that is both fast and high-quality, this is the solution – to train people who can handle a variety of challenges, and perform the process from start to finish, not just deal with basic procedures such as assembling a mold or changing materials,” explains Ido Romano, manager of the Setup Technicians department at Rion. “Beyond professionalism, we also look for people with good interpersonal skills, a well-developed technical sense, and good English. The interfaces in this work are numerous – quality control, shift managers, and workers on the production floor. Also, it’s important for us that the team is cohesive, and that people can back each other when needed. These are professional people who deal with technical problems that arise during production, and they need to exercise judgment and independent thinking, especially during afternoon and night shifts, when they are solely responsible for operating the machines and solving problems.”

Each setup technician has a work plan for their shift, in which they know the type and number of setups they will need to perform during it. There are simple and short setups that involve changing the color or raw material, and there are more complex processes that also include changing molds. The training takes about three months until the setup technician can independently manage a simple process without the help of an instructor. Usually, it takes about a year until the beginner setup technician can work afternoon and night shifts and assume responsibility for all production halls.

A School for Professionalism

The department is one of the outstanding examples where most workers started as ordinary production workers, and over the years progressed professionally and climbed the ladder of responsibility and technological and managerial knowledge. One example of this is Dima Tchainikov, who started as a production worker and after several years specialized and became a setup technician. He continued to progress professionally and today he is our Chief Injection Technologist, responsible for determining the injection process conditions for all Rion products. Ido, the department manager, also has considerable seniority with us. “I started working in production after the army and then worked as a warehouse worker. After a long trip abroad and while studying to be a practical engineer, I rejoined the injection molding department and was trained as a setup technician, and filled this role for several years until I was promoted to department manager,” Ido recounts.

“In order to retain people in the team for so many years and create a sought-after department that production workers ask to join and start training as setup technicians, we invest a lot of thought in maintaining interest and variety and ensuring that everyone feels equal without status differences,” explains Ofir. “Both the veterans and the trainees share the entire workload together, no matter the task. All employees in the department deal with new or challenging products. The department itself is diverse and the employees support each other. To such an extent that we’ve had people start with us who didn’t know a word of Hebrew, but when we identified their potential, we gave them support including courses in Hebrew, so they could specialize and grow. In the end, the team runs together for a long time and manages to provide quick and quality technical solutions, and that, in my opinion, is the beauty and the secret of our success.”