Machinists grind and cut metals and other materials with machines like lathes, grinders, and boring mills to create precise parts for other machinery or projects. Skilled craftsmanship, attention to detail, a talent for reading blueprints and charts, the ability to work independently, and a spatial reasoning aptitude are all required for machinist jobs. Apprenticeship programs, on-the-job training, vocational high school programs, and community and technical colleges can all help you develop or learn these skills.
Depending on the type of machinist job an applicant is looking for, different skills should be developed. Production machinists make large quantities of a single part. These machinists frequently collaborate with computer control programmers to determine how to set up a machine to machine a part. The machinist determines the cutting path, cut speed, and feed rate, which are then entered into the machine instructions the programmer. By listening for sounds, checking temperatures, adjusting speeds, and gauging the accuracy of cuts, production machinists monitor the production of the specific part and ensure the machine is operating properly.
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) processes would be beneficial to production machinists. Machinist jobs involving mass production necessitate a machinist to focus on manufacturing time, tool wear, and appropriate automation use. These machinists excel at producing large quantities of precisely cut pieces in a short period of time.
Maintenance machinist jobs necessitate a different set of skills. These machinists create new parts for machinery or repair old ones. Maintenance machinists must carefully follow blueprints and specifications used to manufacture the original parts in order to repair them correctly. Maintenance machinists become experts in many industries and produce just one or two of many different parts, whereas production machinists become experts in one or two industries and efficiently produce mass quantities of just a few different parts.
Production machinist jobs can be found in any manufacturing environment, and maintenance machinist jobs can be found in almost any environment that uses machines of any kind. Machinists can enroll in a variety of training programs, and the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) has developed national skill standards, though certification is not required. Obtaining Journeyworker certification from a state apprenticeship board, on the other hand, would undoubtedly improve job prospects. Being mechanically inclined with a strong focus on accuracy is the first sign that you’d be a good fit for machinist jobs.