Consumer products are made with many
metal and plastic parts.
Metal and plastic machine workers
set up the machines
that produce the parts,
and operate them during production.
Hundreds of thousands of machine workers
in the manufacturing industry
work in different phases of production:
following blueprints,
they set up the machinery
to produce the correct product.
Machine setters prepare the machines
before production and perform
test runs of the initial batches,
making repairs or adjustments as needed
to ensure quality control.
Then, operators take over,
and may have to load the machine
with metal or plastic materials
or adjust machine controls during production.
They periodically inspect the parts
and conduct minor maintenance.
At completion,
they remove and test finished products,
then document production numbers.
Metal and plastic machine operators
may specialize in a particular
type of machine, for example:
Computer-controlled machine tool operators
operate robots to perform functions
on workpieces.
Computer numerically controlled machine
tool programmers—called CNC workers—
develop computer programs
to control automated processes.
They require more training
than other machine workers.
Extruding and drawing machine workers
push out thermoplastic or metal materials
in the form of tubes, rods, or hoses.
Cutting, punching, and press machine workers
run machines to saw, bend,
or straighten materials.
Molding, coremaking,
and casting machine workers
run machines to form metal
or thermoplastic parts or products.
Multiple machine tool setters,
operators, and tenders
set up or operate more than one type of cutting
or forming machine tool or robot.
Manufacturing facilities
typically employ machine workers full time,
usually in shifts that include evenings,
weekends, and frequent overtime.
With automation, multiple machines may be
controlled at the same time,
so workers train on different machines
and gain a variety of skills.
Because these workers operate powerful,
high-speed machines,
most usually wear protective equipment,
such as safety glasses, earplugs,
and steel-toed boots.
Respirators are common for those
in the plastics industry
who work near materials
that emit dangerous fumes or dust.
Employers prefer to hire candidates
with high school education,
then train machine operators on the job.