Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also called Machine Operator, Press Operator, Saw Operator, or Setup Operator
What Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
What you'd actually do
- Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
- 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.
- Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
- Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
- Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
- Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
What you'll need to know
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Machine Tool Technology 299 colleges
- Sheet Metal Technology 35 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 51-4031.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.