Description
Use hand tools and hand-held power tools to trim, finish, and clean edges on manufactured items such as molded plastics, textiles, glass, stone, or rubber, removing excess material to meet quality specifications.
- • Inspect items and mark or discard pieces with defects such as spots, chips, scratches, or bad finishes.
- • Trim flash, excess material, or loose threads to produce smooth, clean edges.
- • Cut, shape, and finish edges using knives, scissors, snips, files, and portable power tools.
- • Sort materials or products by size, weight, type, condition, color, or shade.
- • Mark identification numbers, grades, sizes, or lot data on products.
- • Read work orders or specifications to determine trim dimensions, locations, and quantities.
- • Count, weigh, and bundle trimmed items.
- • Mark trim lines or follow templates and layout points using rules, squares, straightedges, and chalk or pencils.
- • Unroll, lay out, attach, or secure materials or parts on benches, fixtures, or cutting tables.
- • Stack trimmed items and load them on racks, conveyors, or trucks.
- • Fold or form materials before or after trimming.
- • Deburr, sand, buff, or polish finished edges and surfaces using hand tools and cleaning solutions.
- • Position templates or measure materials to locate trim points and maximize yield.
- • Create cutouts or reliefs using portable routers, grinders, or hand tools.
- • Replace or sharpen dull blades, knives, and bits.
- • Operate bench-mounted trimmers, cutting wheels, or saws to achieve specified sizes.
- • Set and adjust guides, stops, and guards to control depth and width of trims.
- • Move items to work or storage areas using carts.
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Related Pathways
Advanced Manufacturing
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
