Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.
What you’d do
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
- Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
- Lift and position workpieces, manually or with hoists, and secure them in hoppers or on machine tables, faceplates, or chucks, using clamps.
- Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings.
Skills that matter
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Complex Problem Solving
How to get there
Little to some preparation: usually a high school diploma or GED, though some jobs do not need one
Also called
- Deburrer
- Grinder
- Grinder Operator
- Process Equipment Operator
- Cell Operator
- Centerless Grinder Operator
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