TOOL & DIE MAKER TRAINING

EFFECTIVE TOOL & DIE TECHNIQUES

Refining Skills with Our Tool & Die Training Program

Our Tool and Die Training is designed to help professionals excel in every aspect of die making and maintenance. This program covers essential skills like die design, fabrication, and repair, with a focus on selecting the right materials, mastering machining techniques, and ensuring precise measurements. Through hands-on exercises and on-the-job training, participants will learn how to create and maintain high-quality dies that stand up to the demands of modern manufacturing. Emphasizing problem-solving and continuous improvement, our training prepares teams to boost production efficiency, improve product consistency, and set a higher standard of excellence in die shop operations.
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TARGETED TRAINING FOR DIE SHOP EXCELLENCE

Phoenix Tool & Die Maker Training Format

  • Customized Training Approach:
    • Focus on creating standard processes and quality expectations for specific die repair activities
    • Training delivered on-the-job (OTJ) with small groups for safe instruction and personalized coaching
  • Applications:
    • Train new die makers skills they don’t have
    • Train existing team members in standardized approach to specific repair, which will create a better environment for handing off repair tasks from shift to shift
  • Topics:
    • Draw Die
    • Trim Die
    • Flange Die

Phoenix Tool & Die Maker Training Modules

Draw Die

Punch Finishing:

Focuses on the techniques for achieving precise punch surfaces and maintaining surface integrity to ensure optimal die performance.

Preparing Die for Surface Treatment:

Explains the essential steps for preparing dies for surface treatments, ensuring cleanliness and proper adhesion for enhanced durability.

Binder Spotting, Clearances, Setting Gaps:

Examines the process of binder spotting, adjusting clearances, and setting gaps to maintain smooth die operation.

Breakdown Panels:

Covers the creation, usage, and analysis of breakdown panels to improve precision and determine where die problems arise during the process.

Bead & Channel Maintenance & Repair:

Provides a deep understanding of bead and channel maintenance and repair techniques, ensuring efficient die operation.

Reading Panels:

Introduces the skills needed to read panels, identify scoring and hard marks, and make necessary corrections to optimize die functionality.

Trim Die

Trim Steels Repair & Scrap Cutter Maintenance

Explores essential repair techniques for trim steels and focuses on the maintenance and setup of scrap cutters, nesting, clearances, and efficient operation of scrap chutes and pad bearings to ensure reliability, precision, and optimal die performance.

Punch/Button Maintenance:

Covers maintenance procedures for punches and buttons, ensuring consistent performance and accuracy in die operations.

Flange Die

Flange Steel Set Up:

Examines the proper setup of flange steels to ensure correct alignment and secure positioning for efficient die functionality.

Cam Maintenance:

Explains the importance of cam maintenance in ensuring smooth motion and precise die operation.
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TESTIMONIALS

What Business Leaders Are Saying About Our Tool & Die Maker Training Program

The amount of information and level of knowledge of Wil was very impressive. He was very engaging which made the three days of class very interesting and made you want to learn the material being covered.

David Riley

Toyota Motor Manufacture Indiana

To give a solid level of technical understanding of the stamping and formability concepts to a mixed group of people, some of who had very little stamping knowledge, and others who were tool & die makers. Everyone in the class from the novice to experienced raved how much they learned. It is not an easy thing to teach technical information to that wide of an audience and keep them all engaged all week.

Tony DeGrand

Gestamp

OUR TEAM

Meet The Tool & Die Training Experts

John Deradoorian
USA

About  John Deradoorian

John brings over 8-years’ experience in the Tool & Die field. He has significant experience in machine shop processes and workflow optimization within die shops. In addition, he has worked extensively in implementing lean principles into die and tooling manufacturing to reduce man-hour costs. John has experience working with progressive dies, transfer dies, and specialty machines. He has also worked comprehensively in the manufacturing of perishable die tooling.

Education

  • Associates in Applied Science, Oakland Community College
  • Department of Labor Tool and Die Apprenticeship
  • Bachelor’s degree, Industrial Technology & Management, Ferris State University

Experience

  • 4-years in Die Shop Management
  • 4-years as a Graduated Tool & Die Maker
  • 8-years Machining

Skills

  • CAD/CAM systems
  • CNC Machining, Wire EDM, Surface Grinding, Hard Milling
  • Die Manufacturing and Try-out
  • Process Engineering
Jaime Hernandez
MX

About Jaime Hernandez

Bio

Jaime has been supporting the Phoenix Group since 2015 in multiple roles that have included; Die and Formability Engineer, Technical Customer Service Engineer and Sr. Application Engineer. Jaime has supported multiple Stampers, Mills, and Processors of aluminum/steel in their stamping process. A few of his roles included providing problem solving, TCS Support, launch support, forming solutions using formability science, training, assessments, and formability system implementations. Jaime took the lead of Mexico Operations for Phoenix in June of 2017.

Before coming to The Phoenix Group, Jaime invested more than 10+ years working in Magna Cosma International, first in Die Maker position, and then as a Die & Formability Engineer in charge of a formability team to solve forming issues and metal saving implementations.

 

Education

  • B.S Mechatronics Engineering- Kino University. Graduated with Honorable Mention.
  • B.S Electronic and Automation-Technological University of Hermosillo

Experience

  • 15+ Years of experience in the Stamping industry

Skills

  • Great understanding of Stamping Process (inputs and outputs)
  • Use of the formability science to solve forming issues, including die evaluations and the action plan elaboration
  • Management and Leadership
  • Technical Customer Services
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Die Optimization and Problem Solving

Key Projects

  • Ford CD3 Dies Maintenance
  • Ford CD4 Launch Support and Maintaneance
  • T1XX Project, Launch Support during 2018 & 2019
  • MP16 project Jeep Compas, Launch Support
Larry Przekora
USA

About Larry Przekora

Bio

Joining our team in 2015, Larry brought over forty years of manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, quality, production troubleshooting and cost reduction experience.  Before coming to work for The Phoenix Group he spent thirty eight years with General Motors on Manufacturing assignments including machining, press operations, assembly activities and testing of all finished products.  He was also instrumental in the startup of three new product lines and instituted Lean and Global Manufacturing Systems in several GM facilities.

Education

  • BA – Management of Human Resource, Spring Arbor University

Experience

  • 40 years Manufacturing (machining, assembly, stamping, heat treat and welding), Safety and Quality Management, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Project Management, Material Handling and Logistics Management, Labor Relations

Skills

  • Global Manufacturing System/Toyoda Production System Implementation
  • Principles of Lean Manufacturing
  • Statistical Process Control/6 sigma
  • Red X Problem Solving
  • Safety & Quality Management
  • Team Concept Implementation
  • Buffer and Constraint Management
  • Level 2 containment; 2nd party audits
  • Waste Reduction
  • Workplace Organization
  • Tooling Control

Certifications

  • Global Manufacturing System
  • Red X Problem Solving
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Team Concept Implementation
  • Six Sigma
  • Statistical Process Control

Key Projects

  • Formability Project Leader – Tier 1 Supplier, 2015 - 2016
  • Ford Tool Die Council, 2016 – 2018
  • AK Steel – Due Diligence Team, 2017
  • Quality Containments – Tier 2 Supplier, 2017 - 2019
  • Plant Assessments – Tier 2 Supplier, 2017 - 2019
  • Data Collection and Problem Solving, Tier 2 Supplier, 2019
Craig Jankowski
USA

About Craig Jankowski

Bio

Craig brings to us over twenty five years’ experience in the Tool & Die trade, working at Tier 1 & 2 and Chrysler Tool and Die facilities.  At Chrysler, Craig spent thirteen years as a die maker working on large steel and aluminum body panels with several of those years operating the Argus optical measuring system. He also worked as Manufacturing Engineering Operations Support Analyst and Formability Engineer for stamped aluminum parts, circle grid and thinning analysis, and support for material blanking.

Education

  • Associates Degree (General Studies) Baker College, Auburn Hills, MI
  • Bachelor’s Degree, Industrial Management, Baker College, Auburn Hills, MI
  • MBA, Baker College Center for Graduate Studies, Flint, MI

Experience

  • 22+ years Die Maker
  • 2 years, Manufacturing Engineering Operations support analyst
  • 1 year, Formability Engineer
  • 4 years, Director of Forming systems

Skills

  • Die Build, Die Tryout, Draw dies
  • Soft tooling binder development
  • CGA, TSA, Formability systems installation, GMAW, GTAW
Russ Balzer
USA

About Russ Balzer

Bio

Since 2007 Russ has provided expertise in various roles at The Phoenix Group. Russ began his career with Phoenix as a Lab Supervisor, then took on responsibility for Safety and Quality Compliance. In addition to supporting our Quality System services projects, Russ currently serves as Technical Director for WorldAutoSteel, a global consortium of steel producers serving the automotive market. As Technical Director, Russ manages a variety of engineering projects, and has tactical and strategic responsibilities in WorldAutoSteel’s efforts to use and promote Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Education

  • B.S.S. Environmental Compliance, Ohio University

Experience

  • 15+ years Mfg. Operations Management
  • Engineering Project Management
  • Safety & Quality Management Systems

Skills

  • Materials Testing
  • Project management
  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
  • Safety & Quality Management Systems
  • SQA - Level 2 containment
  • 2nd party audits

Certifications

  • Lead Auditor ISO9001:2015
  • Lead Auditor IATF16949:2016
  • Life Cycle Assessment Certified Professional

Key Projects

  • QMS Auditing:

Midwest Fabricating – internal audit
Hayes Performance Systems – internal audit
AK Steel (AW) – internal audit

  • Project Management:

WorldAutoSteel – manage global Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) policy project, including advocacy, and education, across a wide range of stakeholders (government, academia, industry).
WorldAutoSteel – manage modeling and engineering projects including component design, benchmarking, LCA and cost modeling.

READY TO GET STARTED WITH TOOL & DIE MAKER TRAINING?

If you’re interested in learning more about how The Phoenix Group can help your company, contact us today.

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