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Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
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Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
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Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials.
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Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors.
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Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools.
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Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks.
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Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches.
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Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.
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Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
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Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
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Clean work area.
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Use equipment designed to join sheet metal, such as spot welders.
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Clean and lubricate machines.
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Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
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Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices.
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Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes.
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Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.
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Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
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Lubricate workpieces with oil.
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Mark identifying data on workpieces.
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Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs.
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Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
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Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
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Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
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Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges.
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Operate forklifts to deliver materials.
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Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks.
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Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches.
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Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings.
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Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools.
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Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.