To become a brake press operator, a skilled worker needs a combination of intensive training and specialized experience within the field. A brake press operator, especially one working in modern manufacturing plants, is a specialized technician that has honed his skill sets by mastering blueprint reading, forklift operation, the various measuring tools, and every other aspect of brake press operation.
Brake presses are machines that bend and shape metal into forms based on specifically-designed blueprints, but they can only function as well as the programming they receive from human interaction. These large, bulky devices are normally found within manufacturing plants and fabrication shops across the country; in fact, assembly line setups like car-manufacturing factories usually have a whole segment of the factory floor filled with press brakes. The path to becoming a brake press operator begins with learning how to read blueprints. The manufacturing industry has extensively embraced technology over the past few decades, and as a result, most brake press machines are computerized. After studying the blueprint specifications, the brake press operator is responsible for programming the machine to construct the metal form or sheet by entering variables like dimensions, angles and hydraulic pressure.
Once the brake press has been programmed, the machine’s robotic punch metal tools, hydraulics and robotic arms automatically construct the shape. If the brake press operator interprets a single calculation incorrectly, the entire design can end up being compromised. For these reasons, it is essential that brake press operators have very high mathematical and computer skills.
Since applicants have to demonstrate their competence in handling complex, computer-based machinery to even be considered for the job, their overall performance on previous tasks is normally a key element during the initial hiring process. Many of the manufacturing companies give in-house training specific to their press brake equipment; they typically select employees from lower manufacturing positions that are both competent and reliable. A person who wants to become a brake press operator should also possess an innate obsession with detail; he must be a perfectionist in every sense of the word. Manufacturing companies will only invest in individuals that show the aptitude and eagerness to be able to learn the intricate art of press brake operation, and their initial salaries are normally dependent on a final efficiency test.
To become a brake press operator, the optimal balance must be found between speed and accuracy, producing perfectly-formed, prefabricated metal in the least amount of time possible. A team of well-trained press brake machinists can drastically reduce the overall cost of production, which is why the training is normally so in-depth. As a result, the standards in order to become a brake press operator are quite high, but the pay is also usually among the highest within any manufacturing plant.
