Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.

Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.

Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.

Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.

Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels.

Operate cranes, or signal crane operators to position or remove stone from cars or saw beds.

Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes.

Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material.

Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment.

Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.

Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.

Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.

Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.

Start pumps to circulate water and abrasives onto blades or cables during cutting.

Position stock along cutting lines, or against stops on beds of scoring or cutting machines.

Move stock or scrap to and from machines manually, or by using carts, handtrucks, or lift trucks.

Type instructions on computer keyboards, push buttons to activate computer programs, or manually set cutting guides, clamps, and knives.

Change or replace saw blades, cables, cutter heads, and grinding wheels, using hand tools.

Position width gauge blocks between blades, and level blades and insert wedges into frames to secure blades to frames.

Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools.

Direct workers on cutting teams.

Sharpen cutting blades, knives, or saws, using files, bench grinders, or honing stones.

Turn cranks or press buttons to activate winches that move cars under sawing cables or saw frames.

Tighten pulleys or add abrasives to maintain cutting speeds.

Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels.

Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans.

Wash stones, using water hoses.