About This Career

Sets up, operates, or tends milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Removes workpieces from machines, and checks to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers.
• Verifies alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers.
• Moves controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines.
• Observes milling or planing machine operation, and adjusts controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances.
• Selects and installs cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.
• Positions and secures workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists.
• Replaces worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpens dull tools, using bench grinders.
• Studies blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of operations.
• Computes dimensions, tolerances, and angles of workpieces or machines according to specifications and knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
• Mounts attachments and tools, such as pantographs, engravers, or routers, to perform other operations, such as drilling or boring.

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
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work