Advanced Manufacturing Technician

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A manufacturing technician could...

Overview Listen to this section

Have you ever seen an assembly line in a factory on TV? Or have you ever gone on a factory tour? Did you notice all of the conveyor belts and machines working so quickly together? Advanced manufacturing technicians make sure all of these machines keep running. They maintain and repair the electrical and mechanical parts of these machines. They know how fluid systems, like pumps, and gas systems work. Gas systems use compressed air to power machines to clamp, stack, and move items. Technicians can even program machines and make parts for them. In short, they make sure that factories continue making all the products that we need: from complicated products like cars and aircraft engines to simpler products like candy bars.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of an Advanced Manufacturing Technician?

1. Equipment Maintenance: ? Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
2. Repairing: ? Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
3. Operation Monitoring: ? Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
4. Troubleshooting: ? Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
5. Quality Control Analysis: ? Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

6. Operation and Control: ? Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
7. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
8. Equipment Selection: ? Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
9. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
10. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks an Advanced Manufacturing Technician might do:

• Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
• Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
• Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
• Observe and test the operation of machinery or equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using voltmeters or other testing devices.
• Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
• Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
• Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.
• Operate newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs.
• Analyze test results, machine error messages, or information obtained from operators to diagnose equipment problems.
• Record parts or materials used and order or requisition new parts or materials, as necessary.
• Record repairs and maintenance performed.
• Study blueprints or manufacturers' manuals to determine correct installation or operation of machinery.
• Cut and weld metal to repair broken metal parts, fabricate new parts, or assemble new equipment.
• Enter codes and instructions to program computer-controlled machinery.
• Demonstrate equipment functions and features to machine operators.