Wood products assembler

Wood products assemblers put together products from premade pieces of wood. They operate machines, often hydraulic, that bind the various elements of a product together using joints, glue or other fasteners. Assemblers put the elements in place, operate the machine and look out for problems.

Excludes people performing furniture assembly.

The following job titles also refer to wood products assembler:

staircase assembler
stair assembler
assembler, wood products
windows assembler
wood products production worker
wood products builder
wood products maker
window assembler
wood products joiner
wood products fabricator
cabinet assembler
door assembler
wood products assembly worker
wood products constructor

A high school diploma is generally required to work as a wood products assembler.

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 products assembler is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to wood products assembler.

manufactured wooden building assembler
wood sander
woodturner
nailing machine operator
wood boring machine operator

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

pulp control operator
automated assembly line operator
industrial robot controller
wood production supervisor
wood assembly supervisor

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of wood products assembler.

• 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.
• Woodworking tools: The various tools used to process wood, such as planers, chisels and lathes.
• Construction products: The offered construction materials, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
• 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.
• Wood products: The various wood products such as lumber and furniture, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
• Types of wood: Types of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.

These skills are necessary for the role of wood products assembler.

• Perform pre-assembly quality checks: Inspect product parts for faults or damages, using testing equipment if necessary, and check that the received lot is complete before assembling the finished products.
• Join wood elements: Bind wooden materials together using a variety of techniques and materials. Determine the optimal technique to join the elements, like stapling, nail, gluing or screwing. Determine the correct work order and make the joint.
• Manipulate wood: Manipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.
• Work safely with machines: Check and safely operate machines and equipment required for your work according to manuals and instructions.
• Use technical documentation: Understand and use technical documentation in the overall technical process.
• 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.

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

• Wood cuts: Different ways of cutting wood, across the grain or parallel with it, and radial or tangential to the core. The behaviour of cuts of wood under different circumstances and the optimal cut for a given purpose. Influence of special attributes of the wood, like knots or defects.
• 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.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of wood products assembler. 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.
• Stain wood: Mix ingredients to create a stain and apply a layer to the furniture to give it a specific colour and finish.
• Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Sharpen edged tools: Identify dull edges to sharp tools, or any defect in the edge. Use appropriate equipment to safely and effectively sharpen the tool. Maintain and protect sharpened tools. Report irreparable faults to the appropriate person.
• Dye wood: Mix the powder dye with water and/or liquid dye and any other necessary ingredients to create the desired colour and apply it to the wood.
• Prepare production reports: Prepare a comprehensive and unbiased report on wood technology production and progressive development of wood based materials.
• 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.
• Clean wood surface: Use a variety of techniques on a wood surface to ensure it is free of dust, sawdust, grease, stains, and other contaminants.
• 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.
• Create wood joints: Use the proper tools and processes to create the joints where multiple pieces of wood fit together.
• Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
• Develop assembly instructions: Develop a code of letters and numbers to label diagrams for assembly instructions.
• Apply wood finishes: Use a variety of techniques to finish wood. Paint, varnish and stain wood to improve its function, durability, or appearance.
• Operate wood sawing equipment: Operate various machinery and equipment to cut wood in different sizes and shapes.

8219 – Assemblers not elsewhere classified

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References

1. Wood products assembler – ESCO
2. Featured image: By anonymous – Copyright holder Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. This file has been provided by the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery from its digital collections, as part of the Making African Connections project. It is also made available on the Royal Pavilion & Museums Digital Media Bank., CC BY-SA 4.0