Producing mechanical components is a very delicate and important stage of industrial production: the utmost care is essential at every stage of the process – design, manufacture and quality control of every single part – to make sure components are perfect in every respect before they reach the market and have no manufacturing defects that could compromise their function.
Most machining for mechanical component production is now carried out by specialised companies working with numerically controlled (CNC) machines. They are run by a highly specialised technician whose job is to program the machine, constantly monitor its operation, step in if problems or faults occur and check the quality of the products.
The CNC technician: how mechanical component production works
The CNC technician is a highly qualified professional who programs and controls numerically controlled machines for all types of machining.
It is a complex job that requires knowledge of CNC machines, the entire machining cycle and the technologies used to produce mechanical components, and it involves several stages:
- Preparing and setting up the CNC machine
- Setting up the part program and checking that it runs correctly
- Constantly monitoring the machining and stepping in if problems or anomalies arise
- Quality control of the machined part
To do this job, the CNC technician must have knowledge of mechanics and electrical engineering, as well as IT, since the machine has to be programmed.