Profession wood router operator

Wood router operators work with industrial routers to cut wood into the desired shape. Routers have a routing head that moves over the wood, going up and down to regulate the depth of the incision. Contemporary industrial wood routers usually are computer controlled for extremely fine and consistent results.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Woodworking processes

  Steps in the processing of wood for the manufacturing of wooden articles and types of machines used for these processes such as drying, shaping, assembling and surface finishing.

• Sawing techniques

  Various sawing techniques for using manual as well as electric saws.

• Wood cuts

  Different ways of cutting wood, across the grain or parallel with it, and radial or tangential to the core. The behaviour of cuts of wood under different circumstances and the optimal cut for a given purpose. Influence of special attributes of the wood, like knots or defects.

• Cutting technologies

  The variety of cutting technologies, such as software or mechanics, guiding cutting processes through lasering, sawing, milling etc.

• Types of sawing blades

  Types of cutting blades used in the sawing process, such as band saw blades, crosscut blades, plytooth blades and others, made from tool steel, carbide, diamond or other materials.

Skills

• Set up the controller of a machine

  Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

• Dispose of cutting waste material

  Dispose of possibly hazardous waste material created in the cutting process, such as swarf, scrap and slugs, sort according to regulations, and clean up workplace.

• Adjust properties of cut

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

• Replace sawing blade on machine

  Replace the old blade of a sawing machine with a new one by removing the chip brush, taking away the front blade guide, loosening the blade tension and removing the blade. Assemble and install new blade by replacing the front blade guide, installing the chip brush, replacing the blade cover and adjusting blade tension.

• Remove inadequate workpieces

  Evaluate which deficient processed workpieces do not meet the set-up standard and should be removed and sort the waste according to regulations.

• Ensure equipment availability

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

• Supply machine

  Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

• Create cutting plan

  Draw up plans to show how the material will be cut into functional pieces to minimise loss of material.

• Wear appropriate protective gear

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

• Manipulate wood

  Manipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.

• Work safely with machines

  Check and safely operate machines and equipment required for your work according to manuals and instructions.

• Remove processed workpiece

  Remove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.

• Operate wood router

  Handle automated or non-automated industrial wood routers, which feature a routing head that moves over the wood, going up and down to regulate the depth of the incision.

• Troubleshoot

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

• 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