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.

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Personality Type

  • Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

  • 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.

  • 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.

Skills

  • 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.

  • Wear appropriate protective gear

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Ensure equipment availability

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

  • 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.

  • Smooth burred surfaces

    Inspect and smooth burred surfaces of steel and metal parts.

  • Monitor gauge

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

  • 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.

  • 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

provide advice to technicians manufacturing of metal household articles manufacturing of steam generators mechanics manufacturing of steel drums and similar containers manufacturing of metal structures operate precision measuring equipment manufacturing of heating equipment manufacturing of light metal packaging consult technical resources inspect quality of products types of metal manufacturing processes perform test run manufacturing of door furniture from metal manufacturing of weapons and ammunition cutting technologies measure flatness of a surface manufacturing of tools maintain mechanical equipment keep records of work progress manufacturing of metal assembly products abrasive machining processes manufacturing of metal containers monitor automated machines manufacturing of doors from metal manufacturing of cutlery operate grinding hand tools metal smoothing technologies ferrous metal processing supply machine with appropriate tools

Common job titles

  • Machine operator
  • Machine operator x
  • Cnc machine operator id/od/surface grinder
  • Grind operator
  • Control room operator
  • External grinder operator