Turning shops in Veneto are often looking for this valuable professional figure, which is in high demand and well paid. In the engineering industry, the metal lathe operator is one of the hardest roles to fill, so companies that find one are willing to pay them well.
The tasks involved in working at a certified turning shop
A lathe operator employed by a small or medium-sized company may work on a conventional or a CNC lathe and carries out a series of tasks:
- preparing all the tools needed for machining
- handling inspection and assembly
- setting up the machines
- on a CNC lathe, managing the programs already on the machine or writing new ones
Once the machining program has been set up, the turning itself can be carried out by other qualified operators.
How to get a job at a turning shop
First of all you need strong practical sense and manual skill, as well as precision. The usual qualification is a technical or vocational diploma, or a certificate from a specific vocational training course for this role.
Besides the lathe, the operator must be able to use other equipment such as milling and drilling machines. The main tasks in a precision machine shop include cutting metal blocks, turning, planning the part to be made, dressing grinding wheels, welding parts and loading moulds.