Profession metal polisher

Metal polishers use metal working equipment and machinery to polish and buff almost finished metal workpieces in order to enhance their smoothness and appearance and to remove oxidisation, tarnishing the metal after the other fabrication processes. They may operate equipment using diamond solutions, silicon-made polishing pads, or working wheels with a leather polishing strop, and tend to these materials ensuring their effectiveness.

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Personality Type

  • Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

  • 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.

  • Buffing motions

    The different processes, or motions, used in polishing, depending on the desired end result concerning the level of smoothness and shininess of the metal workpiece: cut motion or colour motion.

  • 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.

Skills

  • Spot metal imperfections

    Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.

  • Troubleshoot

    Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Apply polishing lubricants

    Apply the appropriate lubricant matching the kind of metal of the processed metal workpiece during polishing processes, such as was or kerosene.

  • 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.

  • Ensure equipment availability

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

Optional knowledge and skills

non-ferrous metal processing measure flatness of a surface manufacturing of door furniture from metal abrasive machining processes precious metal processing manufacturing of weapons and ammunition consult technical resources metal polishing machine parts supply machine with appropriate tools manufacturing of metal assembly products manufacturing of metal household articles ferrous metal processing provide advice to technicians tend metal polishing machine record production data for quality control manufacturing of small metal parts operate metal polishing equipment manufacturing of cutlery smooth burred surfaces monitor automated machines apply precision metalworking techniques inspect quality of products operate sandblaster manufacturing of light metal packaging perform machine maintenance types of metal manufacturing processes metal smoothing technologies keep records of work progress mark processed workpiece

Common job titles

  • Custodian
  • Metal finisher
  • Metal polisher
  • Sheet metal worker shop / installer ($15-$36/hr doe)
  • Hand polisher position
  • Jewelry polisher
  • Stainless steel polisher
  • Detail specialist