Metal and Plastic Machine Workers

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Duties

The following tasks are frequently performed by metal and plastic machine workers:

• In accordance with the plans, set up and adjust machinery.
• Check the status of machines to make sure they are working properly.
• Manually or with the use of material handling equipment, feed materials into the machinery.
• Operate forming and shaping equipment (such as molds and core machines) such as metal or plastic molding and casting.
• Remove material from a workpiece using a lathe or mill.
• Adapt the machine's temperature, cycle time, and speed and feed rate parameters as necessary.
• Remove finished goods and record the results in a database.
• Test and verify final workpieces in accordance with the specifications provided by the blueprints.
• Keep an eye out for worn-out or broken cutting tools and make necessary adjustments or replacements.

Workers in the metal and plastic manufacturing industries use machinery to produce the components of consumer goods. Machine operators and those who set up the machinery for production are the two main types of workers in this industry. Many employees, though, do both.

When it comes to setting up and operating machinery, certain individuals specialize in one or the other role.

Preparation of the machines, test runs and minor repairs before and during operation are the responsibilities of machine setters or setup employees. CNC setters are machines that use computers to upload control codes.

Initial batches of items are generally produced and inspected by setup employees before being handed over to an operator.

During manufacturing, machine operators and tenders keep an eye on the machinery.

A setter sets a machine for production before an operator views the machine and the goods it creates. 

Operators may have to load the machine with materials for manufacturing or alter the machine's speed while it is being used in production. Equipment repairs and maintenance are both a regular aspect of their job, as is the inspection of the parts that a machine generates. The cutting tool within a machine, for example, may display faults if it is dull or worn after prolonged usage. Tool and die manufacturers are often called in to replace a worn-out tool when this occurs. An industrial equipment mechanic may be called in to solve more significant issues that can't be fixed by the operator.

The sort of machine that a setter, operator, or tender uses is often used to identify them. Depending on the size of the company and the type of machine being handled, job responsibilities might vary widely. While some employees specialize in a few pieces of equipment, others are taught to run or set up a wide range of them. Multiple machines may typically be controlled simultaneously by machine operators thanks to automation.

The use of "lean" manufacturing approaches, such as those centered on a collaborative team, necessitates the rotation of machine operators between different types of equipment. As a result of the assignment rotation, workers are required to have a diverse set of abilities.

Examples of metal and plastic machine workers include the following:

Workpieces made of metal and plastic can be machined using computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools or robots.

A device controlled by a computer algorithm Automated machine tools, equipment, and systems use computer programs developed by programmers to control the milling and processing of metals and plastics.

Those who work with cutting, punching and press machines put up or run machines that cut, shear, notch or bend metal or plastic.

Metal or plastic objects are drilled, drilled or countersunk using drilling machines set up and operated by operators and tenders.

Machines for extruding and drawing Setting, operating, and tendering machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural forms are the primary duties of setters and operators.

Metal and plastic forming machines are set up and operated by forging machine operators, setters, and tenders.

For the manufacturing of metal castings at foundries, mold and coremakers create wax or sand cores or molds.

Workers who set up or run the grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tools remove material from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff or polish metal or plastic workpieces. They are also known as grinders.

Equipment for heating Metal or plastic products may be hardened, hardened, annealed, or tempered with the use of a variety of heat-treating equipment such as heat-treatment furnaces and flame-hardening machines as well as induction and soaking pits and vacuum equipment.

Setting up and operating lathes and turning machines for turning, boring, threading, or forming metals or plastics such as rods and castings are the responsibilities of lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders.

Operating and tending furnaces such as gas, oil, coal, electric arc or electric induction, and oxygen furnaces are responsibilities of metal refining furnace operators and tenders. Metal may be melted and refined in these furnaces prior to casting.

A machine for milling and plowing Setting, operating, and tendering milling and planning machines form, groove, or profile metal and plastic workpieces in a variety of ways.

Milling and engraving equipment are used by model builders to create functioning replicas of metal and plastic things. 3D printing may also be used.

They are the people who set up or run equipment that mold or cast thermoplastic and/or metal items, as well as the people who serve as tenders for these machines.

Two or more cutting or shaping machine tool setters, operators, and tenders operate or set up the machines.

Patternmakers create metal or plastic foundry patterns and core molds, then lay out, manufacture, fit, and assemble castings and parts according to those patterns.

Machine for plating for the purpose of enhancing the appearance or protecting the surface of metals or plastics, setters, operators, and tenders install and run plating equipment and conduct chemical tests.

Workers in the metal casting industry pour and manage the flow of molten metal into molds in order to manufacture castings or ingots, using either computer- or hand-operated machinery.

Setting up or operating rolling machines to roll steel or plastic or to flatten, temper, or reduce the thickness of materials is the job of rolling machine setters, operators and tenders.

Machine setters, operators, and tenders (including laser cutters or laser-beam machines) set up or run welding, brazing, soldering, or heat-treating machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal components, assemblies, or products.

Education

A high school graduation is normally required for metal and plastic machine operators, while a college degree is frequently required for CNC tool programmers. Metal and plastics machine operation, including CNC programming, is taught at several community colleges and other educational institutions.

Computer programming, arithmetic, and practical technology studies in high school may be valuable for metal and plastic machine workers.

Training

Watching and aiding experienced workers on the job is generally the first step for new machine operator trainees. They have the ability to provide raw materials, start and stop machinery, and remove produced goods while being closely supervised. On to the more challenging jobs for the operators, such changing feeds and speeds, replacing tools and checking the completed products for compliance. After a certain amount of time, some operators learn how to set up machinery.

An operator's training duration is often dictated by the equipment's complexity. Some machine operators and tenders are taught in just a few months on the fundamentals of equipment operation and function. Others, such as CNC operators, may require up to a year of training.

Computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and CNC equipment training may be beneficial in production because of the popularity of computerized machinery.

Registration, Certification, and Licensing

Certification is a good way to demonstrate expertise and can help you move forward in your career. Certification in a variety of metalworking specialties is available from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS).

Advancement

Workers can rise through the ranks to jobs with more responsibility and a better salary if they have the necessary skills and experience. It is not uncommon for former machine operators to go on to work in the fields of setup or maintenance. Industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers, machinists, and tool and die makers are all possible career paths for setup workers.

Supervisory jobs may be gained by professionals with strong interpersonal and analytical abilities.

Qualities that are essential

Knowledge of how to use a computer. Robots and programmable devices must be used by metal and plastic machine employees on the manufacturing floor.

Abilities to work with their hands. Employees in this position should feel at ease around machinery and be familiar with how each component functions.

Stamina in the physical sense. They must be able to stand for extended periods of time and do repetitive operations in order to work in the metal and plastics industries.

Strength of body. Mechanics who work with metal and plastic must have the ability to secure and tighten hefty fixtures.

Pay

For metal and plastic machine employees, the May 2020 median annual wage was $38,270. When half of an occupation's workforce earns more than the median wage, the wage is referred to as the "median wage." The bottom 10% made less than $26,460, and the top 10% earned more than $60,010.

Job Projections

Metal and plastic machine workers' employment is expected to fall by 2% between 2020 and 2030.