Section A Unit 1

Machine Tool Practices
Eleventh Edition
Section A Unit 1
Careers and the Machinist’s
Role in Process Plans
Copyright © 2020, 2015, 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Learning Objectives
1.1 Discuss various types of jobs that are available.
1.2 List some characteristics that employers look for in
potential employees.
1.3 Describe what is normally in a job packet.
1.4 What is a process plan?
Careers in Manufacturing
• There are tremendous opportunities in manufacturing
careers for those with work ethic and good attitude.
– They are in very short supply.
– Anyone with them will go far.
Careers in Machining
Helpers and Limited Machinists
• Assist the journeyperson by providing general help.
• Often fairly low skill, as the person does not have full
responsibility for the work at hand.
• Helpers and limited machinists may advance to
journeyperson status after a suitable training period.
Careers In Machining & Related
Areas (1 of 9)
Machine Operator
• Responsibilities are to operate
computer-driven (CNC) machine
tools such as turning centers or
machining centers.
• Machine operators can be trained in
trade schools, community college
programs, industrial training
programs, or learn on the job.
• The CNC operator will generally
work in a fast-paced production
environment in companies ranging
in size from very small to very large.
• Courtesy of Fox Valley Technical
College.
Careers (1 of 3)
General Machinist
• Has capability to set up & operate all common
conventional machine shop equipment.
• Much of the production work done by this individual can
now be routinely accomplished on CNC machine tools by
machine operators.
• May be trained via an industrial apprenticeship lasting
about four years, community college & trade school, or
several years of on-the-job experience.
Areas (2 of 9)
Apprentice Machinist
• Learns the trade in a formal training program sponsored by
private industry, trade union, or government entities.
• Training, typically four years, is a combination of on-the-
job experiences & formal classroom education.
• Curriculum standards represent collective inputs of all
levels of the trade from production through management.
• An apprenticeship represents one of the best and well-
established methods of learning a skilled trade.
Careers (2 of 3)
Tool, Die, and Mold Maker
• Essential in the machining industry, often considered to be the
upper end of the machining occupations.
• Usually an experienced general machinist with superior talents
developed by serving an apprenticeship & then gaining
additional years of experience.
• Tool and die makers receive training via industrial
apprenticeships and technical college apprenticeship classes.
• Or may also be selected for in-house training (without an
apprenticeship program) in companies large enough to have an
in-house tool & die shop.
Areas (3 of 9)
Tool, Die, and Mold Maker
• Essential in the machining industry, often considered to be the
upper end of the machining occupations.
• Usually an experienced general machinist with superior talents
developed by serving an apprenticeship & then gaining
additional years of experience.
• Tool and die makers receive training via industrial
apprenticeships and technical college apprenticeship classes.
• Or may also be selected for in-house training (without an
apprenticeship program) in companies large enough to have an
in-house tool & die shop.
Careers In Machining (1 of 2)
Quality Control Technician
• Handles dimensional measurement
and quality control functions.
• Many people become inspectors after
working as machine operators or
general machinists.
• An inspector requires a knowledge of
computerized measurement
equipment to check the complex
tolerances on many parts.
• Inspectors may be trained on the job
or through college programs.
• Courtesy of Fox Valley Technical
College.
Areas (4 of 9)
Supervisor
• Many shop supervisors began their careers as machinists.
A machinist that proves their capability might be chosen to
be a supervisor.
• A supervisor is responsible for a group of people and a
part of the production process.
• They may further their education by taking supervisory
management classes at a local technical college,
community college, or university.
Careers In Machining (2 of 2)
CNC Programmer
• Many shops centralize the programming of CNC
machines. Instead of having machinist write their own
programs they have specialized people doing the CNC
programming with special software.
• A machinist is very well prepared to be a CNC
programmer. A machinist has knowledge of tooling,
machining operations, feeds and speeds, and materials.
To become a CNC programmer a machinist would attend a
class on the software or be trained by another employee
on the software that the company uses for programming.
Areas (5 of 9)
Manufacturing Engineer
• The manufacturing engineer, industrial technologist, and
industrial engineer are often involved with the application
of manufacturing technology.
• These individuals may be involved with the design of
manufacturing tooling, setting up manufacturing systems,
applying computers to manufacturing requirements, new
product development, and improving efficiency.
Areas (6 of 9)
Estimator/Bidder
• Most machine shops do not make complete products. They produce
parts for larger companies that do produce products.
• Shops that produce parts for other companies are often called job
shops. Job shops must bid on work. An estimator/bidder looks at
potential parts that need to be made and develops an estimate of how
much it will cost to make. They consider costs such as: material,
tooling, machine time, special processes, labor, shipping, and so on.
• They then develop a quote that is sent to the company that is
requesting quotes on the parts. If the quote is accepted, the shop will
get an order for the parts. The estimator/bidder must be skilled at
developing the quotes. The quote price must be high enough to make
a profit, but low enough to beat bids from other shops.
Careers (3 of 3)
Shop Owner
• Most machine shops were started by machinists. Many
shop owners were machinists who learned the trade,
gained experience and then bought one or more CNC
machines and started their own company.
• Many manufacturing companies started this way and grew
very rapidly to become large, successful businesses.
Areas (7 of 9)
Automotive Machinist
• Typically found in engine rebuilding shops where engines
are overhauled.
• Specializes in engine work, including boring, milling, and
some types of grinding applications.
Areas (8 of 9)
Maintenance Machinist
• Involved in equipment maintenance, machine tool
rebuilding, or general mechanical repairs, including
welding and electrical, this person has broad
responsibilities.
• Often a vital member of the manufacturing support team in
industries of all sizes.
Areas (9 of 9)
A career in machining or a related area will depend on your
personal goals and how much effort you are willing to
expend in preparation.
If you are interested:
– Discuss the potential with an employment counselor at
your school.
– Search the employment ads to check on the demand
and pay in your area.
– Take any opportunities to visit local manufacturing
companies that employ machinists.
Job Shops
• A job shop produces parts for other companies. They bid
on jobs to get work for their shop.
• A larger manufacturer typically solicits bids on work they
need done. For example, imagine a manufacturer (ACME
Manufacturing) that makes and sells snow blowers. They
do much of the work themselves, especially the assembly
of the parts into the completed machine. But they have
other companies produce many of the component parts
that go into their final machine.
• These smaller machine shops are typically called job
shops. Job shops do not have their own products. They
make parts for other companies.
Bidding on Work
• Imagine ACME needs small axle-shafts made for their snow blowers. A CME
puts out bid requests to their list of suppliers. The bid request would include a
blueprint, material specifications, number of parts needed, due dates, any
special requirements for packing shipping etc.
• Imagine how one job shop (XYZ Machining) might evaluate the bid. XYZ
receives the bid request in an email. XYZ has a customer service
representative (CSR) who works with customers. The customer service
representative looks at the bid request to see how many parts and what type
of machining is required and decides if XYZ has the machining capability to
make the parts.
• The CSR must also determine if XYZ can produce the parts by the due date
while considering all of the other work XYZ already has to do. Assuming XYZ
has the machining capability and the time to make the parts, a price would
need to be calculated.
• The CSR might confer with their CNC turning center supervisor to determine
feasibility and the machining cost per part.
Bidding
• XYZ would also need to get a price on the steel that is required
and make sure it will be available in the needed timeframe.
• Tooling costs, machine times, packaging, and shipping would all
need to be considered.
• XYZ would also evaluate whether or not this is a customer they
want to work for. XYZ would evaluate based on past history, if
they have worked for them before. Did they pay their bills on
time? Were they difficult to work with, and so on?
• If everything looks good at this point the customer service
representative would put together a bid price for the parts. Note
that the price would need to be low enough to get the job, but
high enough to make a profit. When there is a lot of work,
companies tend to bid higher.
Job Packet and Process Planning
• Assume XYZ Machining is awarded the job. The order calls for 1,000 parts a
month from January through May.
• The CSR orders steel once the bid is awarded by A CME.
• The CSR begins to prepare a job packet and schedules the job. Assume the
parts must be shipped 3 days before the month end and it will take 38 hours of
setup and machine time to make them. The CSR must evaluate the shop
schedule and determine when the parts should be scheduled so these parts
and all others can be made and shipped on-time.
• The CSR then puts a job packet together. The job packet will include a current
revision of the blueprint with all of the part specifications. The packet may
include inspection sheets if special inspections are required. X YZ has a
person who does process plans. The process planner develops an operation
process sheet for the job. The process planner might also develop the C NC
program for the parts, although the machinists program their own parts in
many shops. If XYZ had run these parts before for A CME, the program would
have already been written and the program number and machine would be
specified on the operation process sheet.
Process Plans (1 of 2)
• A process plan details all of the things that need to be done to manufacture a
part. They are step-by-step instructions that are done by the machinist.
Process plans are also called routings or routers.
• The process plan also references the blueprint and correct revision level that
needs to be used. The process plan may list the CNC program to be used, the
machine, and any special setup instructions. The process plan would also
detail and special handling, packaging, and or shipping requirements. The
machinist must always check to make sure the blueprint is the current revision.
In this example the blueprint number is A-7564-Rev B. The blueprint number
must be the same exact number and revision level or the parts will be wrong.
• The work order number is an internal number. The company the machinist
works for assigns a work order number to each order it accepts from
customers. This number is used for internal tracking of all information about
this part run.
• The P.O. is the purchase number. This number ties the order to a particular
customer and order. It is the number the company will use to get paid by the
customer.
Process Plans (2 of 2)
• The material specification must match the material specified by
the blueprint.
• A machine shop must meet their customer’s requirements. One
of the most important is on-time-delivery. A customer must have
parts when they are needed. If a machine shop is not
consistently on time with deliveries, the customer will find a new
machine shop to work with.
• Operation is used to describe the operation that will be
performed in this step. Note that there may be several steps
and operations to be performed. In this example there are only
three operations. The first is to cut 25 blanks of 2” square 1018
CRS (cold roll steel) to a length of 4 1/8” to 4 ¼”. The note also
calls for an extra blank to be cut for a setup 1 st piece.
Job Packets
Job Packets and Process Planning
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