Toolmaker Job Description
Toolmakers are highly skilled workers who create and repair tools. These tools power machinery that is used to produce clothing, furniture, aircraft parts and various other everyday products. Toolmakers may work in manufacturing facilities where they create tools in-house or for machine shops where they make tools upon request for other manufacturing companies. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 84,300 tool and die makers employed in the United States in 2008. Most worked in metalworking machinery, fabricated metal products, plastics and transportation equipment manufacturing facilities.
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Duties
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Toolmakers produce tools and machinery that cut and form metal or other materials. They also create jigs or fixtures, which are used to hold metal in place when it is stamped or drilled. Toolmakers produce gauges and measuring devices as well. They take a tool design and use the blueprints to plan the best method for creating the tool. They then measure the metal pieces for cutting, drilling or boring, and continually verify that the tool meets the specifications. Toolmakers put the pieces together and finish the tool by filing, grinding or polishing. Some toolmakers design tools themselves, while others use blueprints prepared by tool designers or engineers. Many utilize computer-aided design software to design tools as well.
Training
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Most toolmakers receive formal training that occurs either at community colleges or technical schools. Others enter apprenticeships, which teach them the necessary skills for toolmaking. Apprenticeships usually require a high school diploma or GED, and students should take courses in math and physics while in high school to prepare them for training in toolmaking. Apprentices must complete a certain number of professional and classroom hours, which may require as many as five years to complete. However, some apprenticeship programs are based on competency, so skilled students can move through them rapidly by passing the necessary exams. Toolmaking students must learn to operate the necessary machinery, such as milling machines, grinders and lathes, as well as hand tools. They also receive instruction in metalworking processes, and take classes in blueprint reading, tool design, tool programming, calculus and trigonometry. Toolmakers may also receive computer training since many of the machines that they work with are computerized.
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Working Conditions
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Toolmakers usually work in tool rooms or on production floors. They are surrounded by machinery that often becomes very hot, which may lead to an uncomfortably warm environment. Working with toolmaking machinery can be dangerous as well, so workers must wear protective gear, such as safety glasses, earplugs, gloves and masks. A career as a toolmaker is physically demanding, as you must spend most of the day standing and performing heavy lifting. Toolmakers usually work standard 40-hour weeks, but they are often required to work overtime and on weekends.
Salary
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median hourly wages for tool and die makers were $22.32 as of May 2008. The highest 10 percent were paid more than $34.76 hourly, while the lowest 10 percent were paid less than $14.69. The middle 50 percent were paid between $18.00 and $27.99.
Employment Outlook
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment for tool and die makers will decrease by 8 percent between 2008 and 2018. This is largely due to advances in automation, such as CNC machine tools and computer aided design, that allow workers to be more productive. Competition from foreign manufactures will also negatively impact job opportunities for toolmakers. There will be some opportunities, however, as experienced workers leave the field or retire. In addition, few new workers enter the occupation each year so there are more openings than qualified toolmakers to fill them.
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References
- Photo Credit Milling machine is cutting metal image by Andrei Merkulov from Fotolia.com
