Profession spark erosion machine operator

Spark erosion machine operators set up and tend spark erosion machines designed to cut excess material from a metal workpiece by the use of electrical discharges, or sparks, caused by electric voltage and separated by a dielectric liquid, which removes pieces of metal from the electrodes These applications can involve transmission and optical microscopy.

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.

• Electrical discharge

  Tthe qualities and applications of electrical discharge, including voltage and electrodes.

• Metal eroding technology

  The various eroding technology and techniques, automated or otherwise, such as electrical discharge machining, die sinking, wire eroding and others.

• 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.

Skills

• 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.

• 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 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.

• Troubleshoot

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

• Apply cross-reference tools for product identification

  Employ cross-reference tools and programmes, listing file names and line numbers, to identify part numbers, descriptions, and the vendor as source of origin.

• 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.

• Tend spark erosion machine

  Monitor and operate a spark erosion machine according to regulations.

• Operate precision measuring equipment

  Measure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, and a measuring gauge.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB