Metal working
machine operatives

Description

Metal working machine operatives operate machines to cut, shape, abrade and otherwise machine metal, use hand and power tools to remove surplus metal and rough surfaces from castings, forgings or other metal parts, and clean, smooth and polish metal workpieces.

Tasks

secures workpiece in drilling, boring, milling, planing, grinding, lapping, honing, electrochemical, or other shaping machines, or loads metal stock on to presssets controls, starts machine and operates controls to feed tool to workpiece or vice versa and repositions workpiece during machining as requiredwithdraws workpiece and examines accuracy using measuring instrumentsoperates burning, chipping and grinding equipment to remove defects from metal parts, and files, chisels, burns and saws off surplus metalsmoothes rough surfaces with hand tools, abrasive belts and wheels, compressed air, jets of vapour, or blasting with shot, grit, sand or other abrasive materialselects and secures polishing head to machine tool, prepares head with emery, grease or other substance, sets speed and angle of polishing head, and operates controls to feed polishing head to workpiece or vice versa.

Educational Requirements

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job. NVQs/SVQs in Engineering Machining are available.