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Description
Set up, operate, and monitor mechanical or hydraulic stamping presses to blank, pierce, punch, and form sheet metal, producing parts to specification while meeting safety and production requirements.
Job tasks Attributes
  • • Operate forklifts, hoists, or cranes to move coils, dies, and finished goods.
  • • Document setups, inspections, downtime, and maintenance requests.
  • • Read work orders, blueprints, and production schedules to determine materials, dies, dimensions, and tolerances.
  • • Set up, operate, and tend metal stamping presses, feeders, and ancillary equipment.
  • • Install, align, and secure dies, punches, strippers, and pilots using gauges, feelers, shims, and hand tools.
  • • Set press parameters such as stroke, shut height, speed, feed length, and cushion pressure per setup sheets.
  • • Thread coil stock through uncoiler, straightener, and feeder into the die; secure ends on recoilers when required.
  • • Load blanks or sheets into dies manually or with automatic feeders.
  • • Start presses, monitor operations, and record production and quality data.
  • • Measure first-article and in-process parts with calipers, micrometers, gauges, and templates to verify conformance.
  • • Inspect stamped parts for defects such as burrs, mis-punches, deformation, or surface marring; segregate nonconforming pieces.
  • • Adjust feed, speed, press stroke, and sensor timing to maintain quality and throughput.
  • • Verify and set safety devices, guards, and light curtains before and during operation.
  • • Position and set stops, pilots, and guides to secure and direct workpieces.
  • • Apply lubricants or coolants to material and tooling as specified.
  • • Replace worn or damaged punches, springs, bushings, or stripper components when authorized; request tooling support as needed.
  • • Perform die changeovers and setups following standardized procedures.
  • • Check and adjust die alignment and shut height using feeler gauges and shims.
  • • Clean and lubricate presses, feeders, and related equipment.
  • • Remove scrap and slugs; maintain clear chutes, conveyors, and scrap systems.
  • • Deburr or hand-finish parts as required to meet surface and edge requirements.
  • • Grind out burrs or sharp edges using portable grinders or deburring tools.
  • • Mark part identification, lot numbers, and count information on containers or workpieces.
  • • Start and regulate air blasts or vacuum to clear dies and parts.
  • • Monitor tonnage and load monitors; stop production and escalate when limits are exceeded.
  • • Plan sequences for multi-step stamping or secondary forming operations.
  • • Change reels and splice coil ends safely to minimize downtime.
  • • Set and verify electronic sensors, counters, and part detection devices.
  • • Remove tool holders or accessories to replace worn parts and reassemble correctly.
  • • Maintain 5S standards; keep work area clean and free of hazards.
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Advanced Manufacturing View
Source
Tasks & skills: O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge). Learn more
Sources & Standards: 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
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