Tool Room Fitter job description
A Tool Room Fitter assembles, fits and repairs press tools, dies, jigs and fixtures used to make automotive components. Good fitting keeps production lines running and parts within drawing limits.
Why the role exists
Automotive component plants run on tools that wear every day. The fitter builds new tools from machined parts, adjusts and maintains running tools and fixes breakdowns fast. In a typical Indian plant the fitter reports to the tool room incharge and works closely with the press shop, production and quality teams.
What the person does
- Assemble press tools, dies, jigs and fixtures from machined parts as per the drawing and the tool design.
- Fit, scrape and match mating surfaces, check clearances and adjust the tool until it makes good parts.
- Take tools back from the press shop for planned maintenance, strip them, clean them and replace worn parts.
- Sharpen or regrind punches and die inserts, and refit them with the correct shut height and alignment.
- Attend tool breakdowns on the line, find the cause and repair or replace the damaged element.
- Try out new and repaired tools at the press with the operator and the quality inspector, and record the trial.
- Keep tool history cards updated with hit counts, repairs and spare parts used.
- Follow safe practices at the bench, grinder and press, including lifting with cranes and tool handling.
Skills and tools
- Bench fitting with files, scrapers, hand grinders and surface plates
- Reading assembly and part drawings, tolerances and heat treatment notes
- Setting clearances in blanking, piercing, forming and progressive tools
- Use of micrometers, height gauges, dial indicators and feeler gauges
- Basic operation of a surface grinder, drilling machine and milling machine
- Understanding tool steels, hardness and wear patterns on dies
- Safe use of cranes, slings, press tryout procedures and lock-out of machines
- Clear communication with press operators and the quality inspector during trials
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- ITI in fitter, tool and die making or a diploma in tool engineering preferred, or equivalent experience in a tool room
- Experience in a press tool or automotive component tool room is useful
- Training in crane use and workshop safety preferred; confirm any licence needs with your own safety adviser
- Ability to work from drawings and assemble a tool with little supervision, or equivalent experience
How the work is judged
- Time taken to restore a tool after a line breakdown
- Quality of parts produced at first trial of a new or repaired tool
- Tool life between planned maintenance, as shown in the tool history cards
- Accuracy and completeness of repair records and spare use
- Safe working practice at the bench and during press trials
Where the role can lead
- Senior Tool Room Fitter or Tool Room Incharge
- Tool Designer or Tool Maintenance Engineer after a diploma or degree
- Die maintenance supervisor across several press shops or plants
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- A progressive die is producing burrs on one edge. How do you find the cause and correct it?
- How do you check and set the clearance between a punch and a die before sending a tool to trial?
- Describe a tool you built or rebuilt from drawings. Where did you need to scrape or adjust the fit?
- The line is stopped because a tool has cracked. What do you do in the first hour?
- How do you decide whether a worn die insert can be reground or needs replacing?
- What safety steps do you follow when lifting a heavy die and mounting it on a press?
Hiring tips for this role
- Give a bench fitting task with a drawing and a time limit. Look at finish, accuracy and how safely the candidate works rather than the speed alone.
- Ask what kinds of tools they have actually built. A fitter who only did maintenance may struggle with new tool assembly, and the reverse can also be true.
- Check for experience with the press tonnage and part type you run. A sheet metal fitter and a forging die fitter bring different skills.
- Do not rely on a certificate alone. Verify a trial run result from a former employer or a work sample before making the offer.
Questions about hiring a tool room fitter
The fitter builds and assembles press tools, dies and fixtures, maintains them in running condition, repairs breakdowns and records tool history. Their work keeps production tools accurate and available to the line.
The roles overlap. A tool and die maker often does more machining and design work, while a fitter focuses on assembly, fitting and repair. Plants use both titles, so define the duties in your job description.
Crane and sling use, heavy die handling, grinding and press trials all carry risk. Requirements for training and licences depend on your plant and state, so confirm them with your own safety adviser.
GullyHR supports permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, screen candidates against it and support the offer. You run the bench test in your tool room and make the final choice.
Hiring a tool room fitter?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.