Will “Computer Numerical Control Grinding Technician (CNC Grinding Technician)” be Automated?

Core Skills & Abilities

• Remove and replace worn or broken machine parts, using hand tools.

• Place workpieces in electroplating solutions or apply pigments to surfaces of workpieces to highlight ridges and grooves.

• File or finish surfaces of workpieces, using prescribed hand tools.

• Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.

• Set up and operate grinding or polishing machines to grind metal workpieces, such as dies, parts, and tools.

• Fit parts together in pre-assembly to ensure that dimensions are accurate.

• Turn valves to direct flow of coolant against cutting wheels and workpieces during grinding.

• Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.

• Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.

• Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.

• Duplicate workpiece contours, using tracer attachments.

• Dress grinding wheels, according to specifications.

• Inspect dies to detect defects, assess wear, and verify specifications, using micrometers, steel gauge pins, and loupes.

• Straighten workpieces and remove dents, using straightening presses and hammers.

• Attach workpieces to grinding machines and form specified sections and repair cracks, using welding or brazing equipment.

• Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.

• Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.

• Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.