Tool and Die Maker Red Seal Occupational Standard (RSOS)

The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) recognizes this Red Seal Occupational Standard (RSOS) as the Red Seal standard for the Tool and Die Maker trade.

Table of Contents

• RSOS Products for Download
• General Information
• Description of the Trade
• Essential Skills Summary
• Trends
• Acknowledgements

General Information

• Foreword
• Structure

Description of the Tool and Die Maker Trade

“Tool and Die Maker” is this trade's official Red Seal occupational title approved by the CCDA. This standard covers tasks performed by Tool and Die Makers whose occupational title has been identified by some provinces and territories of Canada under the following names:

Tool and Die Makers design, create, repair and test prototypes and production tools such as dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and specialty tools using various metals, alloys and plastics. In some jurisdictions, they also build and repair moulds. They produce tooling used to manufacture and stamp out parts and they supply tooling and dies for the automotive, aerospace, transportation, consumer goods, forestry, mining, farming, medical and electronics industries. Tool and Die Makers usually work indoors in tool rooms, machine shops and manufacturing environment. They lay out, set up, machine, fit and finish metal, alloys and plastic components. They design and make items to meet exacting standards in dimensions, strength and hardness.

Tool and Die Makers use machining tools such as lathes, mills, saws, grinders, drills, computer numerical control (CNC) machines, coordinate-measuring machines (CMM) and electrical discharge machines (EDM). They also use hand tools and measuring equipment to ensure accuracy and close tolerances. They may use 3D printers. They work from sketches, drawings, computer-aided designs/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), specifications and their own concepts to calculate dimensions, tolerances and types of fit. They should be knowledgeable about the properties of metal and non-metallic materials such as plastic, rubber and composite materials.

Some Tool and Die Makers may specialize in design, prototyping, automation equipment fabrication, tool and cutter making, heat treating, test equipment, gauge making, jig and fixture making, die making, mould making, assembly, inspection and programming. They may be involved in research and development for the industries mentioned above.

Safety is important at all times. There are risks of personal injury working with moving machine parts, flying chips, sharp edges and extreme heat from heated materials. Tool and Die Makers may be lifting and moving heavy components. Precautions are required while working with manufacturing chemicals, airborne irritants, compressed gasses, toxic lubricants and cleaners.

Some attributes for people entering this trade are: communication skills, mechanical aptitude, attention to details, hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, ability to troubleshoot and to work independently and in teams, logical reasoning ability, advanced knowledge of mathematics and applied science, creativity, resourcefulness, above average spatial ability and ability to plan and think sequentially. The work often requires considerable physical activity and stamina as tool and die makers spend long periods of time on their feet. Tool and Die Makers may work with other professionals such as machinists, mould makers, industrial mechanics (millwrights), designers, programmers and engineers.

Experienced Tool and Die Makers may become team leaders, supervisors, managers, instructors or business owners. With additional training, they may transfer their skills to design and engineering responsibilities. Their skills are also transferable to related occupations such as machinist, mould maker, pattern maker, industrial mechanic (millwright) and CNC programmer.

Essential Skills Summary

Essential skills are needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.

Through extensive research, the Government of Canada and other national and international agencies have identified and validated nine essential skills. These skills are used in nearly every occupation and throughout daily life in different ways.

A series of CCDA-endorsed tools have been developed to support apprentices in their training and to be better prepared for a career in the trades. The tools can be used independently or with the assistance of a tradesperson, trainer, employer, teacher or mentor to:

• understand how essential skills are used in the trades;
• learn about individual essential skills strengths and areas for improvement; and
• improve essential skills and increase success in an apprenticeship program.

Tools are available online or for order at: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/essential-skills/tools.html.

The application of these skills may be described throughout this document within the skills and knowledge statements which support each subtask of the trade. The following are summaries of the requirements in each of the essential skills, taken from the essential skills profile.

• Reading

  Tool and Die Makers use reading skills to comprehend instructions and safety warnings on product and equipment labels. They also have to read reference material, product descriptions, work instructions on work orders and job files, policies and procedures applicable to the work they carry out and operating, safety and equipment manuals. Tool and Die Makers also need to read about new trends, technological developments, tooling practices and procedures in industry, and trade and safety publications.

• Document Use

  Tool and Die Makers need critical skills to locate data in charts and tables such as material composition sheets, specification tables and conversion tables. They also locate and complete information on tracking and quality control forms. Tool and Die Makers take data from and interpret a variety of graphs and graphical displays, and they locate dimensions and other features on complex shop drawings to fabricate parts and assemble production tools. Tool and Die Makers also require document use skills to examine perspective views and assembly drawings to understand and visualize the location, orientation and function of complex components and sub-assemblies.

• Writing

  Tool and Die Makers write comments in daily logbooks to create records and inform supervisors and co-workers. They may write e-mails and memos to clients, supervisors, engineers and technicians to provide and request information. Tool and Die Makers also write a variety of reports such as quality assurance and equipment repair logs. They also prepare estimating and work planning sheets.

• Numeracy

  Tool and Die Makers need advanced numeracy skills. They require skills to establish timelines, set sequence of operations, calculate the time required to complete each sub-assembly and determine project progress against timelines. Tool and Die Makers use measurement and calculation skills to take a variety of measurements to ensure conformance to specifications. These skills are also required to analyze the geometry of fabricated parts, to verify dimensions, distances and angles of design features, and to calculate cutting parameters such as speeds and feeds. Several trigonometric functions and mathematical formulas are used frequently in the day-to-day work of tool and die makers. Some calculations include speeds and feeds, and tolerance stack-up on machine parts and geometric interrelationships between parts features.

  Tool and Die Makers also use data analysis skills to compare instrument readings such as temperature, pressure and size to interpret fabrication process data and to analyze performance data for production tool sets under controlled and simulated conditions.

  Numerical estimation skills are used to estimate how much stock tool and die makers require to make components for production tools, to estimate the initial machine and equipment settings for testing production tool sets and producing prototypes, and to estimate the time required to complete jobs.

• Oral Communication

  Tool and Die Makers need good oral communication skills to communicate with supervisors and co-workers to coordinate tasks, in order to carry out activities correctly, safely and efficiently. They offer suggestions and advice on design features, materials and tooling procedures to improve quality and production efficiency. They also discuss design modifications with engineers and request technical information from them. They may give instructions, provide directions and offer explanations to apprentices and co-workers.

• Thinking

  Tool and Die Makers need strong thinking skills. Their problem solving skills are required when they discover that specifications are incorrect or need modifications, when they encounter problems with fabrication processes and when they find that malfunctioning equipment makes further fabrication impossible. The problem solving skills are then used to work with engineers, quality control personnel and co-workers to identify failures and corrective action requirements.

  Tool and Die Makers also use decision making skills to decide the sequence of operations such as assembly and machining of parts. The skill is also required to select the types of materials, supplies, tools, tooling paths and machines to use.

  Critical thinking skills are required to evaluate the quality and acceptability of fabricated production tools, to assess the suitability of specified materials and to evaluate the feasibility and technical soundness of production tool designs from both fabrication and quality perspectives.

  Tool and Die Makers need job task planning and organizing skills as they are responsible for setting the sequence of operations for the projects they are assigned.

• Working with Others

  Tool and Die Makers work as team members with engineers, designers, quality control personnel, co-workers and clients when designing production tools, and diagnosing and resolving faults in equipment, production tools and other products. They may work with technical experts to coordinate fabrication and assembly of parts and machines.

• Digital Technology

  Tool and Die Makers use databases to enter and retrieve information about current and past fabrication jobs. They also need computer skills when working with CAD and CAM software. These skills are also required to understand software and physical operation of CMM, CNC machine-tools and 3D printers. They may use electronic devices to communicate with others and perform Internet research.

• Continuous Learning

  Tool and Die Maker employers may offer training for skills development, new equipment, and health and safety training. However, much of their learning occurs day-to-day through the challenges and problems that arise during the course of each project and from discussions with experienced tool and die makers and other co-workers. They also read reference material to increase their trade knowledge, and industry publications to stay current on trends and new technologies.

Trends in the Tool and Die Maker Trade

Technology

The tool and die maker trade is changing rapidly throughout the various industries in Canada and worldwide. Technology is quickly changing the basic trade. Advances in CNC, robotics, laser, exotic materials, 3D printing and composites will continue to impact the trade in future years. Knowledge and skill levels continue to increase in this trade. The tool and die maker must be adaptable to technological changes.

The advancements made on tooling are significant. Many tool and die apprentices do not use or perhaps have never seen a dividing head or rotary table in use. Although these processes are important, methods have changed. All engineering design courses can be completed through CAD courses, mostly solid modelling, as this is how tools are being designed and part drawings generated.

There is new tooling, and new and faster machinery and processes, such as white light imaging data to CNC. Currently there are companies exploring the uses of augmented reality for assessing die designs before they go to production. Rapid prototyping (3D printing) is quickly becoming a common process within the industry. Rapid prototyping is a method of prototyping with polymers or powdered metal materials which take only a few hours, compared to other prototyping processes which can take a few weeks. Nanotechnology is more often being applied in the development of new materials to make them stronger and to optimize their durability. Other high-tech processes whose use is increasing include robotics, laser cutting, laser metrology and water jet cutting.

New materials, such as composites, and advanced coatings have been introduced. There is more high speed machining of hardened material for production tool manufacturing. There are different materials that are being used on tools now.

Tools now are becoming more complicated for example, new measurement technology (scanning) and video scanning.

Responsabilities

Experienced tool and die makers are becoming more accountable and responsible for steps or operations that they were not involved in previously. For example, tool and die makers are often project leaders and have the responsibility and authority for the different steps that lead to the final product. Therefore, there is an increased need to develop team working skills. Due to those new responsibilities, tool and die makers are engaged in the early stages of project development involving clients, engineers, and marketing teams.

Workplace

Safety standards are becoming more rigorous and require more thorough applications of practices. Safety officers and inspectors are becoming more common in the workplace.

More and more workplaces are recycling paper products, oils, packaging materials and steels to reduce environmental impact.

The implementation of shop floor management systems (software) is becoming more common. This software facilitates the planning and scheduling process.

In some workplaces, the continued increase in the use of CNC machines and new machining processes has resulted in tool and die makers being more focussed on planning, costing, final fitting, assembly, development and proving out of tooling.

Acknowledgements

The CCDA and ESDC wish to express sincere appreciation for the contribution of the many tradespersons, industrial establishments, professional associations, labour organizations, provincial and territorial government departments and agencies, and all others who contributed to this publication.

Special thanks are offered to the following representatives who contributed greatly to the original draft of the standard and provided expert advice throughout its development:

• Andrew Byers - British Columbia
• Nicholas R.J. Collins - Nova Scotia
• Jesse Jamison - Saskatchewan
• Richard Deveau - Manitoba
• Craig Hard - Nova Scotia
• Ronald Justason - New Brunswick
• Dan Lawson - Ontario
• Craig Mansell - Ontario
• Jean-Guy Ménard - Quebec
• Brian Naylor - Ontario
• Paul Ouellette - New Brunswick
• Carlton Pais - Ontario
• Wade Plyley - Ontario
• Ryan Spaling - Ontario
• Wolfgang Theiss - Ontario
• Joe VandenEnden - Ontario

This standard was prepared by the Apprenticeship and Sectoral Initiatives Directorate of ESDC. The coordinating, facilitating and processing of this standard was undertaken by employees of the standards development team of the Trades and Apprenticeship Division and of Ontario, the host jurisdiction for this trade.