Manager – Rubber Moulding Line

Company: Garware Fulflex Group
Location: Wai, Maharashtra
Department: Production – Plant B
Reports to: Head of Production – Plant B

Role Purpose

The Rubber Moulding Line Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day performance of the rubber moulding production line. This is a hands-on shop-floor role accountable for meeting daily production targets while maintaining product quality, safety, productivity and process discipline.

The position will manage supervisors, operators and support personnel across shifts and coordinate closely with Quality, Maintenance, Tool Room, Planning, R&D; and Stores.

Key Responsibilities

Production Management

- Execute the daily and weekly production plan for the rubber moulding line.
- Ensure achievement of shift-wise targets for output, quality and on-time completion.
- Allocate manpower, machines, moulds and materials according to the production schedule.
- Conduct daily shop-floor meetings and review previous-shift performance.
- Monitor hourly production against targets and take immediate corrective action for deviations.
- Ensure smooth shift handovers and continuity of production.
- Escalate significant production, quality or equipment issues to the Head of Production.

Process Control

- Ensure that approved process parameters are followed for every product.
- Monitor moulding temperature, pressure, curing time, cycle time and other critical parameters.
- Ensure correct identification and use of rubber compounds, moulds and process materials.
- Prevent unauthorized changes to compounds, moulds or production parameters.
- Maintain accurate batch, machine, mould and production records.
- Support trials and validation of new products, moulds, compounds and processes.
- Ensure stable transfer of newly developed products into regular production.

Quality

- Ensure that products meet approved specifications and quality standards.
- Control defects such as short moulding, air traps, flashing, poor bonding, surface marks, incorrect curing and dimensional variation.
- Monitor first-piece approval and in-process inspection.
- Stop production where there is a serious quality risk.
- Lead shop-floor root-cause analysis for rejection, rework and customer complaints.
- Implement and verify corrective and preventive actions.
- Ensure complete product traceability and compliance with change-control requirements.

Productivity and Cost Control





- Improve machine utilization, cycle time, labour productivity and line efficiency.
- Reduce rejection, rework, compound waste and material variance.
- Monitor actual material consumption against standards.
- Control overtime and ensure efficient deployment of manpower.
- Identify and implement practical improvements in tooling, layout, material flow and working methods.
- Track and report daily production losses with clear reasons and recovery plans.

Machine and Mould Management

- Ensure that machines, moulds and auxiliary equipment are maintained in proper operating condition.
- Coordinate preventive and breakdown maintenance with the Maintenance team.
- Monitor mould condition and arrange timely cleaning, repair and preventive maintenance.
- Minimize downtime due to machine, mould or utility failures.
- Ensure that only approved and serviceable moulds are released for production.
- Maintain proper storage, identification and handling of moulds.

Manpower and Shift Management

- Manage production supervisors, operators and line personnel across shifts.
- Assign responsibilities and ensure discipline, attendance and punctuality.
- Train operators on standard operating procedures, quality requirements and secure working practices.
- Assess operator skills and maintain a training and skill matrix.
- Develop multi-skilled operators to improve flexibility and reduce dependency on individuals.
- Maintain constructive employee relations and promptly escalate serious people-related issues.

Safety and Housekeeping

- Ensure strict compliance with all environmental, health and safety requirements.
- Enforce the correct use of personal protective equipment.
- Identify and eliminate unsafe conditions and unsafe working practices.
- Ensure safe operation of moulding presses, heating systems and material-handling equipment.
- Maintain high standards of 5S and housekeeping across the production area.
- Report and investigate accidents, near misses and safety violations.

Coordination and Reporting





- Coordinate with Planning to confirm priorities and production schedules.
- Work with Stores to ensure timely availability of compounds, consumables and packing materials.
- Coordinate with Quality for inspections, approvals and disposition of non-conforming products.
- Work with Maintenance and Tool Room to address breakdowns and mould-related issues.
- Provide the Head of Production with accurate daily reports covering output, rejection, downtime, manpower and pending issues.
- Participate in production, quality and continuous-improvement reviews.

Qualifications

- Diploma or bachelor’s degree in Rubber Technology, Polymer Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering or a related field.
- Candidates with strong practical rubber moulding experience and an appropriate technical qualification may also be considered.

Experience

- Approximately 8–12 years of shop-floor manufacturing experience, including at least three years managing a rubber moulding production line.
- Hands-on experience in compression, transfer and/or injection moulding of rubber products.
- Experience managing production across multiple shifts.
- Knowledge of rubber compounds, curing behaviour, moulds and common moulding defects.
- Experience in medical, healthcare or other quality-sensitive manufacturing would be advantageous.

Key Competencies

- Strong shop-floor presence and hands-on problem-solving ability.
- Production planning and shift-management skills.
- Understanding of rubber moulding processes and process parameters.
- Ability to interpret drawings, specifications and production instructions.
- Knowledge of root-cause analysis, 5S, Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement.
- Ability to manage operators firmly and fairly.
- Basic proficiency in ERP systems, production reporting and Microsoft Excel.
- Strong focus on safety, quality, output and discipline.

Key Performance Indicators

- Achievement of daily and monthly production targets.
- Production-plan adherence.
- On-time completion of orders.
- Rejection, rework and scrap levels.
- Machine utilization and overall equipment effectiveness.
- Cycle-time and productivity improvements.
- Machine and mould downtime.
- Material consumption and yield variance.
- Labour productivity and overtime.
- Safety incidents and 5S performance.
- Accuracy and timeliness of production reporting.

📌 Manager - Production (Molding) (Wai)
🏢 Garware Fulflex I
📍 Wai