Press Machine Operator

About the Role

Operates one or more power presses equipped with progressive, compound, or single-station dies.

Responsibilities

• Position strip stock on tables for manual feed to dies.
• Lubricate raw material and dies with specified lubricants.
• Start and stop press appropriately.
• Check stamped parts visually for marks and distortion.
• Remove scrap from under machine and clean machine and surrounding area.
• Fill out production records.
• Inspect parts visually or with fixed gauges to verify conformance to specifications or detect fabrication defects.
• Communicate with co-workers and supervisor to receive instructions and coordinate activities.
• Inspect and measure parts to maintain statistical process control charts.
• Place parts into single-stroke presses, cycle press, and remove parts using special tongs (no hands in die area).

Requirements

• 3 to 6 months of trade school, vocational education, work experience, or apprenticeship.

Physical Demands

• Stand, walk, push, pull, reach overhead, and bend to the floor.
• Exert 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, 10 to 25 pounds frequently, and up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.

Working Conditions

• High noise levels from operating machines.
• Physical hazards from moving equipment and machine parts.
• Exposure to fumes, dust, mist, oils, and cutting fluid.

Sensory Requirements

• Near visual acuity and accommodation for reading machine dial gauges, blueprints, and precision measuring instruments.
• Ability to monitor machine sounds to identify and diagnose changes.