Motor vehicle body assembler

Motor vehicle body assemblers fasten motor vehicle body parts and components together such as frames, doors, chassis and hoods. They use hand tools, power tools and other equipment such as CNC machines or robots. They read technical plans and use automated assembling equipment to build motor vehicle bodies. They inspect individual parts for malfunctions and check the quality of assemblies to make sure the standards are met and the specifications respected. Motor vehicle body assemblers report any assembly issues to their supervisor.

Motor vehicle body assemblers typically do the following:

• Read and understand schematics and blueprints
• Position or align components and parts either manually or with hoists
• Use handtools or machines to assemble parts
• Conduct quality control checks
• Clean and maintain work area and equipment, including tools

Industrial machinery assemblers work in manufacturing plants, and working conditions vary by plant and by industry. Many physically difficult tasks, such as tightening massive bolts or moving heavy parts into position, have been automated or made easier through the use of power tools. Assembly work, however, may still involve long periods of standing, sitting, or working on ladders.

Some industrial machinery assemblers come into contact with potentially dangerous chemicals or fumes, but ventilation systems usually minimize any harmful effects. Other assemblers come into contact with oil and grease, and their work areas may be noisy. Fiberglass laminators and fabricators are exposed to fiberglass, which may irritate the skin; these workers must wear protective gear, such as gloves and long sleeves, and must use respirators for safety.

Most industrial machinery assemblers work full time. Some assemblers work in shifts, which may require evening, weekend, and night work.

The following job titles also refer to motor vehicle body assembler:

car body assembler
lorry body assembler
truck body assembler
vehicle production body assembler
motorcycle body assembler
coach body assembler
bus body assembler

A high school diploma is typically required to work as an industrial machinery assembler. Employers usually provide on-the-job training.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Motor vehicle body assembler is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to motor vehicle body assembler.

aircraft assembler
motor vehicle parts assembler
rolling stock assembler
aircraft de-icer installer
electromechanical equipment assembler

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of motor vehicle body assembler. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of motor vehicle body assembler with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

motor vehicle assembly supervisor
aircraft assembly supervisor
vessel assembly supervisor
aircraft maintenance engineer
electromechanical engineering technician

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of motor vehicle body assembler.

• Mechanics of motor vehicles: The way energy forces interact and affect components in motor vehicles such as cars, buses, invalid carriages and other motorised vehicles. 
• Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
• Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.

These skills are necessary for the role of motor vehicle body assembler.

• Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
• Assemble metal parts: Align and arrange steel and metal parts in order to assemble complete products; use the appropriate hand tools and gauges.
• Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
• Align components: Align and lay out components in order to put them together correctly according to blueprints and technical plans.
• Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
• Read standard blueprints: Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.
• Work in assembly line teams: Manufacture products on a moving assembly line. Work in a team where everyone has an assigned task.
• Mark processed workpiece: Inspect and mark parts of the workpiece to indicate how they will fit into the finished product.
• Read engineering drawings: Read the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.
• Fasten components: Fasten components together according to blueprints and technical plans in order to create subassemblies or finished products.
• Use technical documentation: Understand and use technical documentation in the overall technical process.
• Apply health and safety standards: Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of motor vehicle body assembler. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
• Rivet types: The various types of rivets used in manufacturing, such as solid head rivets, blind rivets, drive rivets, semi-tubular rivets, oscar rivets, flush rivets, and others.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of motor vehicle body assembler. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Prepare pieces for joining: Prepare metal or other material workpieces for joining processes by cleaning the workpieces, checking their measurements with the technical plan and marking on the pieces where they’ll be joined.
• Apply arc welding techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of arc welding, such as shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding, flux-cored arc welding, and others.
• Apply preliminary treatment to workpieces: Apply preparatory treatment, through mechanical or chemical processes, to the workpiece preceding the main operation.
• Use welding equipment: Operate welding equipment in a safe manner; use welding techniques such as shielded metal arc welding or flux-cored arc welding.
• Manipulate metal: Manipulate the properties, shape and size of metal.
• Apply spot welding techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of welding metal workpieces under pressure exercised by electrodes, such as projection welding, radius style electrodes spot welding, eecentric electrodes spot welding, and others.
• Install windshields: Install replacement glass in motor vehicles by using hand and power tools.
• Operate precision measuring equipment: Measure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, and a measuring gauge.
• Tend CNC milling machine: Tend a computer numerical controlled (CNC) milling machine designed for cutting manufacturing processes on metal, wooden, plastic materials and others, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
• Tend CNC metal punch press: Monitor and operate a computer numerical controlled (CNC) metal punch press according to regulations.
• Use power tools: Operate power driven pumps. Use hand tools or power tools. Use vehicle repair tools or safety equipment.
• Tend CNC grinding machine: Tend a computer numerical controlled (CNC) grinding machine designed for manufacturing processes on metal, wooden, plastic materials and others, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
• Use testing equipment: Use equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.
• Use CAM software: Use computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.
• Tend CNC drilling machine: Tend a computer numerical controlled (CNC) drilling machine designed for cutting manufacturing processes on metal, wooden, plastic materials and others, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
• Operate drill press: Operate a semi-automated, semi-manual drill press to drill holes in a work piece, safely and according to regulations.
• Apply flux: Apply a chemical cleaning agent, such as ammonium chloride, rosin, hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride, borax, and others, that removes the oxidation from metals being joined during soldering, brazing, and welding processes.
• Cut metal products: Operate cutting and measuring instruments in order to cut/shape pieces of metal into given dimensions.
• Tend CNC laser cutting machine: Monitor and operate a computer numerical controlled (CNC) laser cutting machine according to regulations.
• Operate lifting equipment: Transport heavy objects using lifting equipment such as cranes, forklifts etc.
• Tend computer numerical control lathe machine: Tend a computer numerical controlled (CNC) lathe and turn machine designed for cutting manufacturing processes on metal, wooden, plastic materials and others, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
• Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
• Tend riveting machine: Tend a metalworking machine designed to join metal pieces by automatically shooting mechanical fasteners, rivets, into them, monitor and operate it according to regulations.
• Set up automotive robot: Set up and programme an automotive robot working on machine processes and substituting or collaboratively supporting human labour, such as the six-axis automotive robot.
• Operate soldering equipment: Use soldering equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, such as a soldering gun, soldering torch, gas-powered iron, and others.

8211 – Mechanical machinery assemblers

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References

1. ESCO
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Featured image: By Siyuwj – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0