About This Career

Sets up, operates, or tends more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Inspects workpieces for defects, and measures workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
• Positions, adjusts, and secures stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
• Reads blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
• Selects, installs, and adjusts alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
• Observes machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
• Sets up and operates machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.
• Changes worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.
• Sets machine stops or guides to specified lengths as indicated by scales, rules, or templates.
• Selects the proper coolants and lubricants and starts their flow.
• Performs minor machine maintenance, such as oiling or cleaning machines, dies, or workpieces, or adding coolant to machine reservoirs.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Overtime work
• Rotating shift work