According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws. | 89% |
| Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. | 89% |
| Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes. | 89% |
| Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data. | 86% |
| Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material. | 86% |
| Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools. | 85% |
| 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. | 85% |
| Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances. | 85% |
| Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices. | 84% |
| Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies. | 84% |
| Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. | 83% |
| Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools. | 82% |
| Clean and lubricate machines. | 81% |
| Mark identifying data on workpieces. | 80% |
| Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications. | 78% |
| Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations. | 78% |
| Clean work area. | 77% |
| Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges. | 76% |
| Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials. | 76% |
| Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs. | 76% |
| Thread ends of metal coils from reels through slitters and secure ends on recoilers. | 75% |
| Operate forklifts to deliver materials. | 75% |
| Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks. | 75% |
| Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings. | 75% |
| Lubricate workpieces with oil. | 74% |
| Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools. | 74% |
| Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches. | 73% |
| Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors. | 71% |
| Hand-form, cut, or finish workpieces, using tools such as table saws, hand sledges, or anvils. | 71% |
| Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches. | 70% |
| Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes. | 68% |
| Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks. | 67% |
