Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also called Mill Operator, Rolling Mill Operator, Roughing Mill Operator, or Tube Mill Operator
What Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of 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
- Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications.
- Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
- Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
- Examine, inspect, and measure raw materials and finished products to verify conformance to specifications.
- Read rolling orders, blueprints, and mill schedules to determine setup specifications, work sequences, product dimensions, and installation procedures.
- Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms.
- Set distance points between rolls, guides, meters, and stops, according to specifications.
- Calculate draft space and roll speed for each mill stand to plan rolling sequences and specified dimensions and tempers.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Listening
What you'll need to know
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
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 51-4023.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.