Recently, one can often see the vacancy "CNC Operator". What kind of profession this is, how much to study and what development prospects, we will describe below. This type of activity can feed a specialist all his life. All the necessary parts of machines and mechanisms of any industry are produced on the machines. Automated processing helps make work the easiest.
Main responsibilities
CNC operator - what is this profession? Let us consider in detail the specifics of the work.
The duties of the operator include monitoring the production process:
- measurement of the received parts according to the drawings;
- manipulations with the mechanisms for feeding blanks and unloading;
- documentation of finished products and marriage;
- identification of equipment failures and the call of technical services to resolve them;
- participation in writing management programs (for more experienced employees);
- other management tasks related to the production process.
The main responsibilities are the same for all types of industries. But there are differences in industries. For example, in metalworking and woodworking, the responsibilities of the CNC operator will differ slightly. What kind of profession is this? We describe the general processes for processing blanks:
- Preparation of the control program.
- Tool selection.
- Geometric tool binding directly in the work area.
- Measurement of the finished part parameters.
During processing, the specialist monitors the normal progress of the cutter and, if necessary, stops the process in order to clean the surface of stuck chips or to replace a worn tool. Programming errors, which the machine operator should notice in time, are also possible.
What do you need to know?
The subject "Fundamentals of material processing technology" directly relates to the profession "Operator of CNC machines." The training of the profession is carried out as part of a full technical secondary education course, if not similar. All basic items are included. Additionally, specialists from related technical specialties can be retrained. In this case, the period for obtaining a diploma will be much shorter - a few months.
It is advisable to determine the direction of the activity of the enterprise where the specialist will be employed before starting classes. In this case, teachers will be able to give a more complete picture of the responsibilities. In the process of preparation, an important role is given to the study of the concepts of accuracy, standards, markings, tolerances, landings.
During employment, skills and knowledge in the field of modes, methods for processing solid workpieces are evaluated. Here it is important to have an idea of how one tool differs from another and what methods of its approach and removal to the part are used. Processing modes are mainly designed for the use of coolant.
When automating the process of cutting wooden, metal or other sheets, or when drawing a picture on the surface of the workpiece, it is still impossible to completely exclude human participation. The machine cannot set its starting points for itself, measure all dimensions correctly.
A qualified CNC operator will be required. But what kind of profession is this if the machine is automatic and the machine is capable of producing as many as thousands of units of products after the press of a single button? Theoretically, all stages of manufacturing parts can be run in a cycle. But not all technologies can do without human intervention, especially if these are single complex deliveries.
Only a large batch process can be fully automated.However, here, at the beginning, the entire setup of the machine is carried out by the installer. It sets the dimensions of the workpiece, eliminates emergency situations, checks the correct operation of the programs, makes adjustments for tool wear.
Development prospects
The profession of a CNC machine operator is well paid. And, as in any field of activity, it is important to increase the level of skills and knowledge. With a competent development approach, a specialist is assigned a new rank at least once a year. Accordingly, material incentives are growing.
Increase is possible to:
- The next category (there can be many of them in production).
- Receive bonuses for professional excellence.
- Adjuster of CNC machines.
- Programmer and process engineer.
The introduction of new technologies is always interesting and informative. An experienced operator and adjuster is always in demand in any type of production. The level of material reward received depends only on the abilities of the specialist. There are details at a cost of several million rubles due to the long technological chain. Accordingly, the customer is interested in paying well for work so that there is no marriage. The CNC machine is just a tool, and it is important to use it correctly.
Nuances
Depends on the type of production, which makes the CNC operator. What kind of profession is this? Responsibilities depend on the type of machine. The nuances of the work on each of them are told at the interview. Machine tools with automation are very expensive, but do not have the maximum degree of protection against the "fool" due to the need for complex machining when the tool goes deep enough into the part.
Incorrect calculations in tool offsets lead to an accident. It is not possible to fix some machine breakdowns quickly due to unique spare parts. Downtime stretches for months, or even years. At the same time, the operator remains without work; his equipment is under repair. Therefore, special requirements are presented to the specialist: attentiveness, accuracy when setting parameters, timely shutdown of the machine in order to avoid accidents.
With all the responsibility, the operator of the CNC machine is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the working area of the machine and the part itself: cleaning chips, dirt, replacing coolant, removing scrap. Obligations are narrowed with increasing employee qualifications. However, the incentive procedure is decided individually.
Experience
The profession of an operator-adjuster of CNC machines becomes unique when a specialist is able to work on several types of equipment at once.
Also a huge plus is the knowledge of the basic systems:
- "Siemens".
- Fanuk
- Mitsubishi.
- Heidenhain.
- Schneider.
- "Fagor".
- Balt-System.
The undoubted trump card of the operator will be knowledge in the field of programming with G-codes. It is enough to master the work of one 5-axis CNC machine of any manufacturer, and the rest of the machine is easy to learn in a month's work. The world of automated systems is interesting and does not stand still. New developments appear annually. Already one can meet machines capable of manufacturing parts with an accuracy of 1 micrometer. Such technology creates space technology.
