What does a Press Machine Operator do?

According to people in this career, the main tasks are...

TaskImportance
Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
93%
Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
91%
Lubricate workpieces with oil.
90%
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.
89%
Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
89%
Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
89%
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
88%
Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
87%
Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.
85%
Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
84%
Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
84%
Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
83%
Clean and lubricate machines.
82%
Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices.
80%
Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
79%
Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges.
78%
Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools.
78%
Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials.
78%
Clean work area.
77%
Mark identifying data on workpieces.
76%
Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs.
76%
Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks.
76%
Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings.
74%
Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes.
73%
Operate forklifts to deliver materials.
71%
Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors.
71%
Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.
71%
Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks.
68%
Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches.
68%
Use equipment designed to join sheet metal, such as spot welders.
67%
Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches.
64%