Will “Etchers and Engravers” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

98% Chance of Automation

“Etchers and Engravers” will almost certainly be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #682 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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Job Description

Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-9194.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 34,390.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 16.00
Currently, there are 9,520 people on this job

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Etchers and Engravers”

Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.
Carve designs and letters onto metal for transfer to other surfaces.
Guide stylus over template, causing cutting tool to duplicate design or letters on workpiece.
Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns.
Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.
Select and mount wheels and miters on lathes, and equip lathes with water to cool wheels and prevent dust when grinding glass.
Remove wax or tape from etched glassware by using a stylus or knife, or by immersing ware in hot water.
Fill etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability.
Reduce artwork to be used, using reduction cameras.
Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.
Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
Brush or smear abrasives on cutting wheels.
Cut outlines of impressions with gravers, and remove excess material with knives.
Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.
Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.
Observe actions of cutting tools through microscopes and adjust stylus movement to ensure accurate reproduction.
Clean and polish engraved areas.
Brush or wipe acid over engraving to darken or highlight inscriptions.
Sketch, trace, or scribe layout lines and designs on workpieces, plates, dies, or rollers, using compasses, scribers, gravers, or pencils.
Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays.
Select and insert required templates into pattern frames beneath the stylus of a machine cutting tool or router.
Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad.
Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges.
Print proofs or examine designs to verify accuracy of engraving, and rework engraving as required.
Position and clamp workpieces, plates, or rollers in holding fixtures.
Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns.
Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines.
Set reduction scales to attain specified sizes of reproduction on workpieces, and set pantograph controls for required heights, depths, and widths of cuts.
Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
Determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates.
Insert cutting tools or bits into machines and secure them with wrenches.

Related Technology & Tools

Magnifying lenses
Drafting compasses
Sandblasting spray guns
Applicator brushes
Hand arbors
Stamp pads
Silkscreen printing devices
Polishing machines
Curing ovens
Precision rulers
Sheet metal shears
Power routers
Bench grinders
Automatic feeding eyelet machines
Personal computers
Ultraviolet UV lamps
Adjustable wrenches
Rotary engraving machines
Burnishing tools
Precision file sets
Work tables
Bench vises
Benchtop drill presses
Reduction cameras
Chasing hammers
Mechanical engraving systems
Engraving lathes
Pantograph engraving machines
Magnifying lamps
Laser engraving systems
Flat cold chisels
Contact printers
Binocular benchtop microscopes
Whirler machines
Protective glasses
Scriber markers
Gravers
Utility knives

Gravograph GravoStyle
Western Engravers Supply Vision EXPERT
Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing CAD/CAM engraving software
Data entry software
Delcam ArtCAM Express
Microsoft Windows