How to become Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2024

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is Also Know as

In different settings, Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is titled as

  • Blacksmith
  • Cold Header Operator
  • Forge Operator
  • Forge Press Operator
  • Forger
  • Hammer Operator
  • Header Set-Up Operator
  • Machine Operator
  • Process Technician
  • Set Up Technician

Education and Training of Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is categorized in Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Education Required for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Degrees Related to Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Training Required for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in different industries are

What Do Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do?

  • Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications.
  • Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.
  • Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications.
  • Remove dies from machines when production runs are finished.
  • Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations.
  • Confer with other workers about machine setups and operational specifications.
  • Repair, maintain, and replace parts on dies.
  • Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal.
  • Position and move metal wires or workpieces through a series of dies that compress and shape stock to form die impressions.
  • Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools.
  • Select, align, and bolt positioning fixtures, stops, and specified dies to rams and anvils, forging rolls, or presses and hammers.
  • Trim and compress finished forgings to specified tolerances.
  • Sharpen cutting tools and drill bits, using bench grinders.

Qualities of Good Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

  • Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
  • Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
  • Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
  • Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
  • Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
  • Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
  • Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Tools Used by Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

  • Automatic conveyors
  • Automatic roll forging machines
  • Band cutters
  • Beam type torque wrenches
  • Bench grinders
  • Bevel protractors
  • Blanking presses
  • Digital micrometers
  • Disc grinders
  • Drill presses
  • Electric overhead traveling EOT cranes
  • Face shields
  • Flanging machines
  • Forging dies
  • Forging tongs
  • Gas furnaces
  • Hammer forging machinery
  • Hand mallets
  • Hoisting devices
  • Hydraulic drop forging hammers
  • Hydraulic forging presses
  • Hydraulic roll forging machines
  • Hydraulic trim presses
  • Layout squares
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Mechanical forging presses
  • Metal band sawing machines
  • Metal cutting routers
  • Oil furnaces
  • Planishing hammers
  • Pneumatic power drills
  • Portable anvils
  • Power nibblers
  • Power riveters
  • Power sanders
  • Precision rulers
  • Protective ear plugs
  • Protective shoes
  • Punch presses
  • Radial gauges
  • Safety gloves
  • Safety goggles
  • Shears
  • Sheet metal press brakes
  • Sheet metal rolls
  • Sheet metal shearing machines
  • Slotted screwdrivers
  • Stationary drill presses
  • Straight tinners snips
  • Tapered feeler gauges
  • Turret punches
  • Variable speed routers
  • Vernier calipers

Technology Skills required for Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

  • Email software
  • Inventory tracking software
  • Machine control software