Profession metal planer operator

Metal planer operators set up and operate a planer, which is a metalworking machine designed to cut excess material from a metal workpiece using linear relative motion between the planer's cutting tool and the workpiece in order to create a linear toolpath and cut.

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Personality Type

  • Realistic / Conventional
  • Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

  • 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.

  • Quality and cycle time optimisation

    The most optimal rotation or cycle time and over-all quality of a tool or a machine's processes.

  • Types of metal

    Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.

  • Types of planing cutters

    Types of cutters used in the planing process of a workpiece, such as carbide tipped cutters, hydro planing cutters and others.

Skills

  • Ensure equipment availability

    Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.

  • Operate metal sheet shaker

    Operate shaker by opening up an air valve allowing for slugs, the parts of the workpiece punched out, to fall into the shaker and be mixed and shaken before they're either recycled and reused or discarded, depending on the material.

  • Measure flatness of a surface

    Measure the evenness of a workpiece's surface after it has been processed by checking for deviations from the desired perpendicular state.

  • Dispose of cutting waste material

    Dispose of possibly hazardous waste material created in the cutting process, such as swarf, scrap and slugs, sort according to regulations, and clean up workplace.

  • Monitor moving workpiece in a machine

    Monitor the processing of a workpiece in motion, such as a piece of metal or wood moved linearly over a static manufacturing machine.

  • Perform test run

    Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

  • Consult technical resources

    Read and interpret such technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.

  • Monitor automated machines

    Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

  • Supply machine with appropriate tools

    Supply the machine with the necessary tools and items for a particular production purpose.

  • Remove processed workpiece

    Remove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.

  • Set up the controller of a machine

    Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

  • Remove inadequate workpieces

    Evaluate which deficient processed workpieces do not meet the set-up standard and should be removed and sort the waste according to regulations.

  • Tend metal planer

    Tend a planer machine designed to cut excess material from a workpiece in order to create a flat surface, monitor and operate it according to regulations.

  • Supply machine

    Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

Optional knowledge and skills

apply cross-reference tools for product identification replace machines provide advice to technicians perform product testing manufacturing of heating equipment monitor conveyor belt ferrous metal processing mark processed workpiece cutting technologies manufacturing of weapons and ammunition inspect quality of products operate lifting equipment perform machine maintenance smooth burred surfaces operate scrap vibratory feeder operate manual planer manufacturing of metal containers record production data for quality control

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