About This Career

Lays out, machines, fits, and assembles castings and parts to metal or plastic foundry patterns, core boxes, or match plates.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Verifies conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
• Sets up and operates machine tools, such as milling machines, lathes, drill presses, and grinders, to machine castings or patterns.
• Repairs and reworks templates and patterns.
• Assembles pattern sections, using hand tools, bolts, screws, rivets, glue, or welding equipment.
• Reads and interprets blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, computes dimensions, and plans operational sequences.
• Constructs platforms, fixtures, and jigs for holding and placing patterns.
• Cleans and finishes patterns or templates, using emery cloths, files, scrapers, and power grinders.
• Marks identification numbers or symbols onto patterns or templates.
• Programs computerized numerical control machine tools.
• Creates computer models of patterns or parts, using modeling software.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel