Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.

Job Task

• Moves controls to set cutting speeds and depths, and feed rates and to position tool in relation to workplace.
• Cranks machine through cycle, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls, to ensure specified timing, clearance, and tolerances.
• Installs holding fixtures, cams, gears, and stops to control stock and tool movement, using hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments.
• Selects cutting tools and tooling instructions, according to knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics, or written specifications.
• Observes operation and stops machine to inspect finished workpiece and verify conformance with specifications of first-run, using measuring instruments.
• Studies blueprint, layout, or chart, to visualize work and determine materials needed, sequence of operations, dimensions, and tooling instructions.
• Lifts metal stock or workpiece manually or using hoist, and positions and secures it in machine, using fasteners and hand tools.
• Replaces worn tools and sharpens dull cutting tools and dies.
• Computes unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
• Mounts attachments, such as relieving or tracing attachments, to perform operations, such as duplicating contours of template or trimming workpiece.
• Positions, secures, and aligns cutting tools in toolholders on machine, using hand tools, and verifies their position with measuring instruments.
• Moves toolholder manually or by turning handwheel, or engages automatic feeding mechanism, to feed tools to and along workpiece.
• Starts machine, and turns valve handle to direct flow of coolant on work area or coats disk with spinning compound.

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