Manufacturing of weapons and ammunition

Description

The manufacture of heavy weapons (artillery, mobile guns, rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, heavy machine guns), small arms (revolvers, shotguns, light machine guns), air or gas guns and pistols, and war ammunition. Also the manufacture of hunting, sporting or protective firearms and ammunition and of explosive devices such as bombs, mines and torpedoes.

Alternative labels

firearms, bullets and cartridges manufacturing
fabrication of weapons and ammunition
manufacture of firearms, bullets and cartridges
weapons and ammunition manufacturing
fabrication of firearms, bullets and cartridges
production of weapons and ammunition
production of firearms, bullets and cartridges
manufacture of weapons and ammunition

Skill type

knowledge

Skill reusability level

sector-specific

Relationships with occupations

Essential knowledge

Manufacturing of weapons and ammunition is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Ammunition assembler: Ammunition assemblers put together explosives and other ammunition components. They perform this work in mass production in ammunition factories. The production itself focuses on the manufacturing of cartridges or projectiles.

Optional knowledge

Manufacturing of weapons and ammunition is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Metal drawing machine operator: Metal drawing machine operators set up and operate drawing machines for ferrous and non-ferrous metal products, designed to provide wires, bars, pipes, hollow profiles and tubes with their specific form by reducing its cross-section and by pulling the working materials through a series of drawing dies.
Coating machine operator: Coating machine operators set up and tend coating machines that coat metal products with a thin layer of covering of materials such as lacquer, enamel, copper, nickel, zinc, cadmium, chromium or other metal layering in order to protect or decorate the metal products’ surfaces. They run all coating machine stations on multiple coaters.
Boring machine operator: Boring machine operators prepare, operate, and maintain single or multiple spindle machines using a boring bar with a hardened, rotary, multipointed cutting tool in order to enlarge an existing hole in a fabricated workpiece. 
Plasma cutting machine operator: Plasma cutting machine operators set up and operate plasma cutting machines designed to cut and shape excess material from a metal workpiece using a plasma torch at a temperature hot enough to melt and cut the metal by burning it and works at a speed that blows away the molten metal from the clear cut.
Solderer: Solderers operate various equipment and machinery such as gas torches, soldering irons, welding machines, or electric-ultrasonic equipment in order to solder together two or more items (usually metals), by melting and forming a metal filler in between the joints, the filler metal has a lower melting point than the adjoining metal. 
Engraving machine operator: Engraving machine operators set up, programme, and tend engraving machines designed to precisely carve a design in the surface of a metal workpiece by a diamond stylus on the mechanical cutting machine that creates small, separate printing dots existing from cut cells. They read engraving machine blueprints and tooling instructions, perform regular machine maintenance, and make adjustments to the precise engraving controls, such as the depth of the incisions and the engraving speed.
Spark erosion machine operator: Spark erosion machine operators set up and tend spark erosion machines designed to cut excess material from a metal workpiece by the use of electrical discharges, or sparks, caused by electric voltage and separated by a dielectric liquid, which removes pieces of metal from the electrodes These applications can involve transmission and optical microscopy.
Grinding machine operator: Grinding machine operators set up, program and control grinding machines, designed to apply abrasive processes in order to remove small amounts of excess material and smoothen metal workpieces by using an abrasive wheel with diamond teeth as a cutting device for very precise and light cuts. They read grinding machine blueprints and tooling instructions, perform regular machine maintenance, and make adjustments to the grinding controls, such as the depth of cuts and the rotation speed.
Water jet cutter operator: Water jet cutter operators set up and operate a water jet cutter, designed to cut excess material from a metal workpiece by using a high-pressure jet of water, or an abrasive substance mixed with water.
Metal sawing machine operator: Metal sawing machine operators set up and operate metal sawing machines designed to cut excess metal from a metal workpiece by the use of a (or several) large toothed-edges blade(s). They also trim clean finished shapes out of metal using tin snips, metal shears or wire cutters.  They also smoothen and trim sharp or rough edges using various tools.
Surface grinding machine operator: Surface grinding machine operators set up and tend surface grinding machines designed to apply abrasive processes in order to remove small amounts of excess material and smoothen metal workpieces by an abrasive grinding wheel, or wash grinder, rotating on a horizontal or vertical axis.
Cylindrical grinder operator: Cylindrical grinding operators set up and tend cylindrical grinding machines designed to apply abrasive processes in order to remove small amounts of excess material and smoothen metal workpieces by multiple abrasive grinding wheels with diamond teeth as a cutting device for very precise and light cuts, as the workpiece is fed past it and formed into a cylinder.
Filing machine operator: Filing machine operators set up and tend filing machines such as band files, reciprocating files and bench filing machines in order to smoothen metal, wood or plastic surfaces by precisely cutting and removing small amounts of excess material.
Computer numerical control machine operator: Computer numerical control machine operators set-up, maintain and control a computer numerical control machine in order to execute the product orders. They are responsible for programming the machines, ensuring the required parameters and measurements are met while maintaining the quality and safety standards.
Oxy fuel burning machine operator: Oxy fuel burning machine operators set up and tend machines designed to cut, or rather burn off, excess material from the metal workpiece using a torch that heats the metal workpiece to its kindling temperature and subsequently burns it into a metal oxide upon its reaction with an emitted stream of oxygen, flowing out of the workpiece’s created kerf as slag.
Lathe and turning machine operator: Lathe and turning machine operators set up, program and tend lathe and turning machines designed to cut excess metal from a metal workpiece using a hardened cutting tool moved by computer-controlled motors. They read lathe and turning machine blueprints and tooling instructions, perform regular machine maintenance, and make adjustments to the lathe controls, such as the depth of cuts and the rotation speed.
Metal nibbling operator: Metal nibbling operators cut detailed patterns from metal surfaces by using manual or powered metal nibblers, such as a handheld nibbling drill or a nibbling machine.
Brazier: Braziers operate various equipment and machinery such as torches, soldering irons, fluxes and welding machines in order to join two metal pieces together, by heating, melting and forming a metal filler inbetween them, often brass or copper. Brazing can join metals such as aluminum, silver, copper, gold, and nickel. Brazing is a similar process to soldering but requires higher temperatures. 

 
Laser marking machine operator: Laser marking machine operators set up and tend laser marking or engraving machines designed to precisely carve a design in the surface of a metal workpiece by use of a moving controller and an engraving laser beam point attached to it that traces patterns on the metal workpiece’s surface. They make adjustments to the machine in terms of laser beam intensity, direction and speed of movement. They also ensure the laser table, used to perform laser machine engravings on and guides the laser beam, is properly set up.
Lacquer spray gun operator: Lacquer spray gun operators operate lacquer spray guns designed to provide otherwise finished metal, wooden or plastic workpieces with a hard, durable finishing coat, through lacquer coating or paint that is either matte, sheen or highly glossy, but is always meant for hard surfaces.
Welder:
Welders operate welding equipment in order to join metal workpieces together. They can use fusion welding processes based on different techniques and materials. They also perform simple visual inspection of welds.
Metalworking lathe operator: Metalworking lathe operators set up and tend a metalworking lathe manually, which is responsible for cutting metal to its desired size and shape by usage of a gear train or a swapping gear that propels the main lead-screw at a variable speed ratio, thus rotating the metal workpiece on its axis, facilitating the cutting process. They check the lathe equipment for wear and handle the metal workpieces as they have been cut by the lathe.
Deburring machine operator: Deburring machine operators set up and tend mechanical deburring machines designed to strip metal workpieces of their rough edges, or burrs, by hammering over their surfaces in order to smoothen them or to roll over their edges in case of uneven slits or sheers in order to flatten them into the surface.
Upsetting machine operator: Upsetting machine operators set up and tend upsetting machines, primarily crank presses, designed to form through forging processes metal workpieces, usually wires, rods, or bars, into their desired shape by having split dies with mulitiple cavities compress the workpieces’ length and hereby increasing their diameter.
Spot welder: Spot welders set up and tend spot welding machines designed to press and join metal workpieces together. The metal resistance to the passage of electrical current and the subsequent heat created in the process allows for the local melting and joining of the parts.  
Extrusion machine operator: Extrusion machine operators set up, monitor and maintain machines which heat or melt raw materials, and pull or push the heated material through a shaped die to form it into a continuous profile with a preset cross section such as tubes, pipes and sheeting. They may also clean and maintain the equipment.
Milling machine operator: Milling machine operators set up, program and control milling machines, designed to cut excess material from metal workpieces using a computer-controlled rotary-cutting, milling cutter. They read milling machine blueprints and tooling instructions, perform regular machine maintenance, and make adjustments to the milling controls, such as the depth of cuts or the rotation speed.
Metal planer operator: Metal planer operators set up and operate a planer, which is a metalworking machine designed to cut excess material from a metal workpiece using linear relative motion between the planer’s cutting tool and the workpiece in order to create a linear toolpath and cut.
Straightening machine operator: Straightening machine operators set up and tend straightening machines designed to form metal workpieces into their desired shape using pressing practices. They adjust the angle and the height of the straightening rolls and select the settings for the pressing force required to straighten the workpiece, taking into account the end product’s yield strenght and size, without excess work hardening.
Rustproofer: Rustproofers use the proper equipment and machinery to provide metal workpieces with a hard, durable finishing coat, composed of specific chemical formulas, that prevents or delays iron and steel pieces from rusting and protects against corrosion.
Electroplating machine operator: Electroplating machine operators set up and tend electroplating machines designed to finish and coat the metal workpieces’ (such as future pennies and jewelry) surface by using electric current to dissolve metal cations and to bond a thin layer of another metal, such as zinc, copper or silver, to produce a coherent metal coating to the workpiece’s surface.
Mechanical forging press worker: Mechanical forging press workers set up and tend mechanical forging presses, designed to shape ferrous and non-ferrous metal workpieces including pipes, tubes and hollow profiles and other products of the first processing of steel in their desired form by use of preset, compressive forces provided by cranks, cams and toggles at reproducible strokes.
Laser cutting machine operator: Laser cutting machine operators set up, program and tend laser cutting machines, designed to cut, or rather burn off and melt, excess material from a metal workpiece by directing a computer-motion-controlled powerful laser beam through laser optics. They read laser cutting machine blueprints and tooling instructions, perform regular machine maintenance, and make adjustments to the milling controls, such as the intensity of the laser beam and its positioning.
Ornamental metal worker: Ornamental metal workers use finishing equipment and machinery to shape and finish fabricated ornamental metal workpieces, often used for the installation process in construction, such as railings, staircases, open steel flooring, fences and gates, and others.
Laser beam welder: Laser beam welders set up and tend laser beam welding machines designed to join separate metal workpieces together through the use of a laser beam radiating a concentrated heat source that allows for precise welding.
Dip tank operator: Dip tank operators set up and tend dip tanks, which are coating machines, designed to provide otherwise finished work pieces with durable coating by dipping them in a tank of a specific sort of paint, preservative or molten zinc.
Metal polisher: Metal polishers use metal working equipment and machinery to polish and buff almost finished metal workpieces in order to enhance their smoothness and appearance and to remove oxidisation, tarnishing the metal after the other fabrication processes. They may operate equipment using diamond solutions, silicon-made polishing pads, or working wheels with a leather polishing strop, and tend to these materials ensuring their effectiveness.
Swaging machine operator: Swaging machine operators set up and tend rotary swaging machines, designed to alter round ferrous and non-ferrous metal workpieces into their desired shape by first hammering them into a smaller diameter through the compressive force of two or more dies and then tagging them using a rotary swager, a process through which no excess material is lost.
Electron beam welder: Electron beam welders set up and tend machines designed to join separate metal workpieces together through the use of a high-velocity electron beam. They monitor the machining processes providing an alteration in the kinetic energy of the electrons that allows for them to transform into heat for the metal to melt and join together in a process of precise welding.
Anodising machine operator: Anodising machine operators set up and tend anodising machines designed to provide otherwise finished metal workpieces, usually aluminum-based, with a durable, anodic oxide, corrosion-resistant finishing coat, by a electrolyctic passiviation process that increases the thickness of the natural oxide layer of the metal workpieces’ surface.
Drilling machine operator: Drilling machine operators set up, program and control drilling machines, designed to drill holes in workpieces using a computer-controlled, rotary-cutting, multipointed cutting tool, inserted into the workpiece axially. They read drilling machine blueprints and tooling instructions, perform regular machine maintenance, and make adjustments to the drilling controls, such as the depth of drills or the rotation speed.
Punch press operator: Punch press operators set up and tend punch presses designed to cut workpieces into their desired shape by propelling a hydraulic ram to punch holes into them with a single die set that pushes through the top dead centre, through the surface, and to the bottom dead centre of the workpiece.

 


 

References

  1. Manufacturing of weapons and ammunition – ESCO

 

Last updated on September 20, 2022