Profession surface grinding machine operator

Surface grinding machine operators set up and tend surface grinding machines designed to apply abrasive processes in order to remove small amounts of excess material and smoothen metal workpieces by an abrasive grinding wheel, or wash grinder, rotating on a horizontal or vertical axis.

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.

• Quality and cycle time optimisation

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

• 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.

• Parts of a surface grinding machine

  The various compartments of machinery designed for grinding processes, such as the grinding wheel, wheel guard, table dog, saddle, table clamp, one-shot lubricator, and others.

Skills

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 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.

• 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 surface grinding machine

  Tend a metalworking machine designed to smoothen a metal surface by applying grinding, abrasive machine processes, monitor and operate it according to regulations.

• Monitor gauge

  Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.

• Smooth burred surfaces

  Inspect and smooth burred surfaces of steel and metal parts.

• Apply precision metalworking techniques

  Comply with precision standards specific to an organisation or product in metalworking, involved in processes such as engraving, precise cutting, welding.

• Ensure equipment availability

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

• 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.

• Wear appropriate protective gear

  Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB