Press Operator

Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.

Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.

Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.

Clean work area.

Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools.

Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.

Lubricate workpieces with oil.

Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.

Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.

Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks.

Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs.

Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches.

Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.

Clean and lubricate machines.

Operate forklifts to deliver materials.

Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.

Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes.

Thread ends of metal coils from reels through slitters and secure ends on recoilers.

Mark identifying data on workpieces.

Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.

Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.

Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges.

Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.

Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks.

Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings.

Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices.

Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials.

Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors.

Hand-form, cut, or finish workpieces, using tools such as table saws, hand sledges, or anvils.

Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches.

Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools.