Profession ammunition assembler

Ammunition assemblers put together explosives and other ammunition components. They perform this work in mass production in ammunition factories. The production itself focuses on the manufacturing of cartridges or projectiles.

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Personality Type

  • Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

  • Types of cartridges

    Field of information wich distinguishes different types of cartridges based on size, shape, ignition type and the propellant. An example is the change in the diameter of the bullet, or caliber.

  • Materials of die

    This includes metal materials most often used for die such as magnesium, copper, and brass.

  • Types of propellants

    Field of information which distinguishes different types of propellants such as black gunpowder to forms of smokeless powder derived from nitrocellulose. These create an expanding gas which makes the bullet accelerate from the barrel. Other differences emerge from the expansion rate, size and shape of the powder.

  • Manufacturing of weapons and ammunition

    The manufacture of heavy weapons (artillery, mobile guns, rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, heavy machine guns), small arms (revolvers, shotguns, light machine guns), air or gas guns and pistols, and war ammunition. Also the manufacture of hunting, sporting or protective firearms and ammunition and of explosive devices such as bombs, mines and torpedoes.

  • Types of ammunition

    Types of small weapons, such as pistols and machine guns, their functionality, various types of ammunition and position on the market.

  • Explosives

    Behaviour of explosives, pyrotechnics and blasting techniques. Associated risks and legal requirements.

  • Quality standards

    The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

Skills

  • Extract products from moulds

    Remove finished products from moulds and examine them in detail for anomalies.

  • Check quality of raw materials

    Check the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.

  • Operate bullet press

    Handle the machinery which presses bullets through a lead core according to a uniform size and weight. Manually check the bullets for visual and dimensional characteristics.

  • Assemble bombs

    Tighten pierced and threaded plugs into the base of aerial bombs. Slip metal sleeves around the projectile, and pack the product in metal containers together with additional identification data.

  • Assemble ammunition

    Fabricate cartridges by greasing threads on fuses and inserting them in sockets. Place primers in cartridge cases and fill these with gunpowder propellants. Seal the cartridges by the use of adhesives.

  • Finish shells

    Gauge finished shells by using acceptance jigs. Use a stamping press to record the shell data on the cartridge as well as on the projectile. Finalize the tubes by dipping them in molted parrafin and packing the tubes in crates.

  • Perform product testing

    Test processed workpieces or products for basic faults.

Optional knowledge and skills

operate explosives production equipment tend stamping press quality assurance procedures cold forging send faulty equipment back to assembly line legal requirements related to ammunition tend punch press electroplating metal materials tend metal polishing machine alloys of precious metals store produced pyrotechnics maintenance of ammunition recognise signs of corrosion replace die heat metals record production data for quality control

Common job titles

  • Assembler
  • Electronic assembler - fmu/139
  • Mechanical assembler
  • Assembler operator spin prime
  • Ammunition assembly operator
  • Structures (honeycomb panel) assembly technician