Metal Working Machine Operatives
Metal working machine operatives operate machines to cut, shape, abrade and otherwise machine metal, use hand and power tools to remove surplus metal and rough surfaces from castings, forgings or other metal parts, and clean, smooth and polish metal workpieces.
More about this Career
Average Salary
£20388
New workers start around £14977. Normal pay is £20388 per year. Highly experienced workers can earn up to £33148.
Jobs
3392
Job counts include both employed and self-employed persons, and do not distinguish between full- and part-time jobs.
Daily Tasks
- Selects and secures polishing head to machine tool, prepares head with emery, grease or other substance, sets speed and angle of polishing head, and operates controls to feed polishing head to workpiece or vice versa.
- Smoothes rough surfaces with hand tools, abrasive belts and wheels, compressed air, jets of vapour, or blasting with shot, grit, sand or other abrasive material.
- Operates burning, chipping and grinding equipment to remove defects from metal parts, and files, chisels, burns and saws off surplus metal.
- Withdraws workpiece and examines accuracy using measuring instruments.
- Sets controls, starts machine and operates controls to feed tool to workpiece or vice versa and repositions workpiece during machining as required.
- Secures workpiece in drilling, boring, milling, planing, grinding, lapping, honing, electrochemical, or other shaping machines, or loads metal stock on to press.
Skills Employers are looking for
Soft skills
Soft skills are non-technical skills that include how you interact with colleagues, solve problems, and manage your work
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Learning Strategies
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Critical Thinking
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Active Learning
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Reading Comprehension
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Mathematics
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Active Listening
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Monitoring
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Writing
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Speaking
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Science