Wood boring machine operator

Description

Wood boring machine operators use milling machines or specialise boring jigs to cut holes in wood workpieces. Wood boring differs from routing mainly in that the main movement is into the workpiece as opposed to across its surface.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to wood boring machine operator:

wood boring machine worker
wood borer
wood boring machine specialist
wood boring mill operator
wood boring specialist
wood boring technician
wood boring worker
wood drilling machine operator
wood drilling machine specialist
wood boring mill technician
wood boring machine tender
wood drilling machine technician
wood boring machine operative
wood boring machine setter
wood boring machine technician
wood boring mill specialist

Minimum qualifications

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as a wood boring machine operator.

ISCO skill level

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.

Wood boring machine operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Wood boring machine operator career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to wood boring machine operator.

nailing machine operator
edge bander operator
wood router operator
planer thicknesser operator
router operator

Long term prospects

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

automated assembly line operator
pulp control operator
industrial robot controller
metal production supervisor
product development engineering technician

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of wood boring machine operator.

  • Types of boring heads: Qualities and applications of various types of boring heads, such as rough boring heads, fine boring heads and others.
  • 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.
  • Types of wood: Types of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.
  • Types of drill bits: Qualities and applications of various types of drill bits, such as core drill bits, spotting drill bits, countersink drill bits and others.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of wood boring machine operator.

  • Supply machine with appropriate tools: Supply the machine with the necessary tools and items for a particular production purpose.
  • Remove inadequate workpieces: Evaluate which deficient processed workpieces do not meet the set-up standard and should be removed and sort the waste according to regulations.
  • Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
  • Remove processed workpiece: Remove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.
  • Manipulate wood: Manipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.
  • 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.
  • Work safely with machines: Check and safely operate machines and equipment required for your work according to manuals and instructions.
  • Dispose of cutting waste material: Dispose of possibly hazardous waste material created in the cutting process, such as swarf, scrap and slugs, sort according to regulations, and clean up workplace.
  • Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
  • Monitor automated machines: Continuously check up on the automated machine’s set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.
  • Supply machine: Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.
  • Tend boring machine: Tend a boring machine, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
  • 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.
  • Ensure conformity to specifications: Ensure that the assembled products are conform to the specifications given.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of wood boring machine operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Woodworking processes: Steps in the processing of wood for the manufacturing of wooden articles and types of machines used for these processes such as drying, shaping, assembling and surface finishing.
  • Cutting technologies: The variety of cutting technologies, such as software or mechanics, guiding cutting processes through lasering, sawing, milling etc.
  • Mechanical systems: Mechanical systems, including gears, engines, hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Their functions and likely defects.
  • CAD software: The computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.
  • Manufacturing of furniture: The manufacture of all types of office, shop, kitchen or other furniture such as chairs, tables, sofas, shelves, benches and more, in various types of material such as wood, glass, metal or plastic.
  • Manufacturing of daily use goods: The manufacturing of items used in the daily life, personal use or daily practice. These products include protective safety equipment, drawing equipment, stamps, umbrellas, cigarette lighters, baskets, candles, and many other miscellaneous articles.
  • Manufacturing of sports equipment: The manufacture of products and equipment used for both outdoor and indoor sports activities, such as balls, rackets, ski’s, surfboards, fishing, hunting, skating or fitness centre equipment.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of wood boring machine operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • 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.
  • Record production data for quality control: Keep records of the machine’s faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.
  • Carry out measurements of parts: Operate measurement instruments to measure parts of manufactured objects. Take into consideration specifications of manufacturers to perform the measuring.
  • Perform product testing: Test processed workpieces or products for basic faults.
  • Monitor stock level: Evaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.
  • Monitor conveyor belt: Monitor the flow of the work pieces on the conveyor belt as they are processed by the machine to ensure optimal productivity.
  • Pack goods: Pack different kinds of goods such as finished manufactured products or goods in use. Pack goods by hand in boxes, bags and other types of containers.
  • Sand wood: Use sanding machines or hand tools to remove paint or other substances from the surface of the wood, or to smoothen and finish the wood.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Provide advice to technicians: Offer help and advice to service technicians in case of machine malfunctions and other repair tasks.
  • Prepare production reports: Prepare a comprehensive and unbiased report on wood technology production and progressive development of wood based materials.
  • 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.
  • Check quality of raw materials: Check the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.
  • Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
  • Apply wood finishes: Use a variety of techniques to finish wood. Paint, varnish and stain wood to improve its function, durability, or appearance.

ISCO group and title

7523 – Woodworking-machine tool setters and operators


References
  1. Wood boring machine operator – ESCO
Last updated on October 13, 2022

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