Profession tool and die maker

Tool and die makers operate a variety of equipment and machinery designed to create metal tools and dies, which are both needed in several areas of manufacturing, and produce these tools in all steps of the production process. They design the tools and dies, then cut and shape them to size and finish them by manually operated machine tools, power tools, hand tools, or programming and tending CNC tool and die making machines.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Machine tools

  The offered machine tools and products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.

• Dies

  The qualities and applications of various kinds of dies, the different components of a die (such as the die block, punch plate, pierce punch and others) and the types of die used in specialised manufacturing processes ( such as extrusion dies, drawing dies, forming dies, cutting dies, compound dies, and others).

• Mechanical tools

  Understand machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

• Quality standards

  The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

• Types of metal

  Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.

Skills

• Prepare pieces for joining

  Prepare metal or other material workpieces for joining processes by cleaning the workpieces, checking their measurements with the technical plan and marking on the pieces where they'll be joined.

• Maintain edged hand tools

  Identify and repair defects in a hand tool handle or shaft. Ensure the tool is in safe working condition. Identify defective and dull cutting edges in tools and use appropriate equipment to sharpen them. Store tools correctly to maintain condition and usage safety.

• Operate metal polishing equipment

  Operate equipment designed to buff and polish metal workpieces, such as diamond solutions, silicon-made polishing pads, or working wheels with a leather polishing strop, and others.

• Adjust properties of cut

  Adjust cut sizes and depths of cutting tools. Adjust heights of worktables and machine-arms.

• Smooth burred surfaces

  Inspect and smooth burred surfaces of steel and metal parts.

• Ensure equipment availability

  Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.

• Operate grinding hand tools

  Operate a variety of hand tools designed for grinding production materials, such as angle grinders, die grinders, grindstones, bench grinders, and others.

• Join metals

  Join together pieces of metal using soldering and welding materials.

• Perform product testing

  Test processed workpieces or products for basic faults.

• Apply precision metalworking techniques

  Comply with precision standards specific to an organisation or product in metalworking, involved in processes such as engraving, precise cutting, welding.

• Cut metal products

  Operate cutting and measuring instruments in order to cut/shape pieces of metal into given dimensions.

• Troubleshoot

  Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

• Wear appropriate protective gear

  Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.

• Read standard blueprints

  Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.

• Operate file for deburring

  Operate various sizes and types of files used for removing burrs from and smoothening the edges of a workpiece.

• Consult technical resources

  Read and interpret such technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.

• Perform test run

  Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB