Textile machinery technician

Textile machinery technicians set up, maintain, inspect and repair mechanical and computer-controlled machinery used in textile manufacturing such as weaving, dyeing and finishing machines.

Textile machinery technicians typically do the following:

• preparing and setting up equipment for textile workers
• responding to breakdowns during a production run
• identifying and fixing faults on site
• reassembling and testing machinery to make sure it’s safe to go back into production
• planning and carrying out maintenance
• reporting progress and problems to shift managers

The following job titles also refer to textile machinery technician:

textile machinery installer
textile machinery maintenance mechanic
textile machine operator
textile machine apprentice
fabric machine operator
textile value chain machine repairer
textile card mechanic
textile mechanic
textile machinery mechanic
textile card inspector
textile machine maintenance mechanic
textile card grinder
textile machine mechanic
textile machine installer
fabric material machine operator
textile machinery mecanic
textile machine inspector
card fixer
textile card fixer
assistant textile machinery installer
textile machinery repairer
textile machine repairer
textile machine operative
card grinder
textile machinery fixer
textile machinery installation assistant

Although no formal educational credential is required to work as a textile machinery technician, the most common route to this position is through a high school diploma or an associate’s degree in engineering, equipment maintenance engineering, or a related field. An apprenticeship is also a possible path.

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.

Textile machinery technician is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to textile machinery technician.

agricultural machinery technician
forge equipment technician
moulding machine technician
pneumatic systems technician
fluid power technician

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

textile operations manager
textile process controller
textile quality technician
pneumatic engineering technician
textile sourcing merchandiser

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of textile machinery technician.

• Electronics: The functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications. Apply this knowledge to ensure electronic equipment runs smoothly.
• Braiding technology: Development, manufacturing requirements, properties and evaluation of braided fabrics.
• Staple spinning machine technology: Technologies, operations, monitoring and maintenance of machines during the yarn spinning process.
• Textile printing technology: Addition of colour partially, according to the designed pattern, onto textile based materials. Processes for adding coloured patterns onto textile materials using printing machines and techniques (rotary of flat bed screen printing or others, heat transfer, inkjet, etc.).
• 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.
• Textile finishing technology: Processes used for changing the properties of textile materials. This includes operating, monitoring and maintaining textile finishing machines.

These skills are necessary for the role of textile machinery technician.

• Resolve equipment malfunctions: Identify, report and repair equipment damage and malfunctions; communicate with field representatives and manufacturers to obtain repair and replacement components.
• Use weft preparation technologies: Prepare bobbins to be used in textile processing.
• Operate welding equipment: Use welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel; wear protective eyewear during the working process.
• Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
• Maintain electrical equipment: Test electrical equipment for malfunctions. Take safety measures, company guidelines, and legislation concerning electrical equipment into account. Clean, repair and replace parts and connections as required.
• Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
• Maintain work standards: Maintaining standards of work in order to improve and acquire new skills and work methods.
• Conduct routine machinery checks: Check machinery and equipment to ensure reliable performance during use and operations in worksites.
• Use testing equipment: Use equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.
• Perform maintenance on installed equipment: Perform the maintenance on installed equipment on-site. Follow procedures to avoid uninstalling equipment from machinery or vehicles.
• Replace defect components: Remove defective parts and replace them with functioning components.
• Perform machine maintenance: Perform regular maintenance, possibly including corrections and alterations, on a machine or machine tool to ensure it remains in a proper productive state.
• Consult technical resources: Read and interpret such technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.
• Use weaving machine technologies: Operate machines that enable weaving processes turning threads into fabrics. Setup weaving machine programmes for the machine to produce fabrics with the adequate pattern, colour and fabric density.
• Maintain electronic equipment: Check and repair electronic equipment. Detect malfunction, locate faults and take measures to prevent damage.
• Maintain footwear assembling equipment: Produce plans for the frequency, operations, components and materials to be used in the maintenance of footwear. Install, program, tune and provide preventive and corrective maintenance for different machines and equipment involved in the footwear manufacturing. Assess the functionality and performance of the various equipment and machines, detect faults and correct problems, make repairs and substitute components and pieces, and perform routine lubrication as well as perform preventive and corrective maintenance. Register all technical information related to the maintenance.
• Use warp preparation technologies: Use warping, sizing, drawing-in and knotting technologies that enable the formation of warps.
• Manufacture weft knitted fabrics: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture weft knitting fabrics.
• Operate soldering equipment: Use soldering equipment, such as a soldering gun, a soldering torch or a gas-powered iron, to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of textile machinery technician. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Knitting machine technology: Manufacturing technologies which use loop forming techniques to convert yarns into fabrics in order to form knitted fabrics.
• Health and safety in the textile industry: The requirements, rules and applications of health and safety measures in the textile industry.
• Dyeing technology: Processes involved in textile dyeing using different dyeing technologies. Also, addition of colours to textile materials using dye stuffs.
• Textile industry machinery products: The offered textile industry machinery products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
• Nonwoven machine technology: Manufacturing of nonwoven fabrics according to specification. Development, manufacture, properties and evaluation of nonwoven fabrics.
• Hydraulics: The power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power.
• Pneumatics: The application of pressurised gas to produce mechanical motion.
• Challenging issues in the textile industry: The efficiency aims and environmental issues posed by challenges in the textile industry.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of textile machinery technician. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Provide technical documentation: Prepare documentation for existing and upcoming products or services, describing their functionality and composition in such a way that it is understandable for a wide audience without technical background and compliant with defined requirements and standards. Keep documentation up to date.
• Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
• Use a computer: Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
• Order supplies: Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.
• Manufacture nonwoven staple products: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture nonwoven staple products, keeping efficiency and productivity at high levels.
• Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
• Manufacture man-made fibres: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture man-made fibers, ensuring that the product meets the required specifications, keeping efficiency and productivity at high levels.
• Manufacture knitted textiles: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture knitted products keeping efficiency and productivity at high levels.
• Install electrical and electronic equipment: Install equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work, or equipment to generate, transfer or measure such currents and fields. This equipment includes switchboards, electric motors, generators or direct current systems.
• Check quality of products on the production line: Check products for quality on the production line and remove defective items before and after packaging.
• Manufacture woven fabrics: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture woven fabrics.
• Manufacture staple yarns: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture staple fiber yarns.
• Use textile finishing machine technologies: Use textile finishing machine technologies that enable the coating or laminating of fabrics.
• Install hydraulic systems: Install systems and components that use liquid fluid power to create mechanical movements such as hydraulic pumps, valves, hydraulic motors, hydraulic cylinders and other elements that power hydraulic machinery.
• Estimate restoration costs: Estimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.
• Install pneumatic systems: Install systems and components that use pneumatics to create mechanical movements such as air brakes, pneumatic cylinders, air compressors and other systems.
• Assemble machines: Assemble machines according to instructions and specifications.
• Maintain hydraulic systems: Perform routine maintenance and repairs on systems which use pressurised fluids to provide power to machines and equipment.
• Clean equipment: Perform cleaning routines after equipment use.
• Covert slivers into thread: Convert slivers into yarns or threads by combing processes converting drafting card sliver to combed sliver. Form short fibre to yarn using yarn and thread processing technologies, mostly ring spinning or open-end spinning (rotor spinning) or alternative spinning techniques. Work in the drafting or drawing process converting sliver into roving and converting roving into yarn, through further drafting and twisting processes. Work on winding machines to reel the yarn from bobbins onto spools or cones.
• Use warp knitting technologies: Use warp knitting machine technologies that enable the formation of fabrics. Able to set machines for warp knitting, colour and pattern for monitoring and controlling the warp knitting process on electronic automatic warp knitting machines equipped with multifunction microprocessor and software.
• Provide customer information related to repairs: Inform customers about necessary repairs or replacements, discuss products, services and costs, include accurate technical information.
• Prepare compliance documents: Prepare documents with legal value which prove that an installation or a facility is conform to the regulations.
• Apply technical communication skills: Explain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.
• Manufacture braided products: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture braided products while keeping efficiency and productivity at high levels.
• Manufacture texturised filament yarns: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture texturised filament yarns.
• Provide technical training: Explain and demonstrate the use of training equipment and system functions.
• Set up the controller of a machine: Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.
• Write records for repairs: Write records of the repairs and maintenance interventions undertaken, of parts and materials used, and other repair facts.

7233 – Agricultural and industrial machinery mechanics and repairers

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References

1. Textile machinery technician – ESCO
2. Textile machinery technician – CareerPilot