Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Onet SOC Code 51-4035.00 Career Description: Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces. Related Clusters: Programs of Study Milling and Planning Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Career Summary:

• Experience- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
• Education- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.
• Job Training- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
• Examples- These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.

• Remove workpieces from machines, and check to ensure that they conform to specifications, using measuring instruments such as microscopes, gauges, calipers, and micrometers.
• Observe milling or planing machine operation and adjust controls to ensure conformance with specified tolerances.
• Mount attachments and tools such as pantographs, engravers, or routers to perform other operations such as drilling or boring.
• Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists.
• Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of operations.
• Move controls to set cutting specifications, to position cutting tools and workpieces in relation to each other, and to start machines.
• Compute dimensions, tolerances, and angles of workpieces or machines, according to specifications and knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
• Verify alignment of workpieces on machines, using measuring instruments such as rules, gauges, or calipers.
• Select cutting speeds, feed rates, and depths of cuts, applying knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
• Move cutters or material manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to mill workpieces to specifications.
• Replace worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpen dull tools, using bench grinders.
• Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools.
• Record production output.
• Turn valves or pull levers to start and regulate the flow of coolant or lubricant to work areas.
• Make templates or cutting tools.

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

• Equipment Selection - Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

• Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Second Interest High-Point - Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
• Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
• Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

• Moral Values - Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
• Independence - Workers on this job do their work alone.
• Activity - Workers on this job are busy all the time.
• Company Policies and Practices - Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.
• Support-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
• Supervision, Human Relations - Workers on this job have supervisors who back up their workers with management.
• Supervision, Technical - Workers on this job have supervisors who train their workers well.
• Security - Workers on this job have steady employment.
• Advancement - Workers on this job have opportunities for advancement.
• Working Conditions-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Wage and salary data provided by:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee Department of Labor website
• TN Department of Labor & Workforce Development website
• Bureau of Economic Analysis website