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

No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as augmentable (94%).

• Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
• Program computer numerical control machines.
• Turn valve handles to direct the flow of coolant onto work areas or to coat disks with spinning compounds.
• Install holding fixtures, cams, gears, and stops to control stock and tool movement, using hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments.
• Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.
• Select cutting tools and tooling instructions, according to written specifications or knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
• Clean work area.
• Refill, change, and monitor the level of fluids, such as oil and coolant, in machines.
• Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments.
• Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.
• Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
• Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.
• Mount attachments, such as relieving or tracing attachments, to perform operations, such as duplicating contours of templates or trimming workpieces.
• Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
• Lift metal stock or workpieces manually or using hoists, and position and secure them in machines, using fasteners and hand tools.
• Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
• Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.

• Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.