DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
51-4122 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Occupational Description:
Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines.| Percentiles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Northwest Balance of State | 90 | 31 | $22.71/hr | $0.93/hr | $16.60/hr | $19.11/hr | $22.71/hr | $26.62/hr | $29.62/hr |
| Minnesota | 1,180 | 214 | $22.77/hr | $0.73/hr | $16.53/hr | $18.56/hr | $22.18/hr | $26.38/hr | $30.40/hr |
| U S | 35,110 | 1,088 | $19.64/hr | $0.22/hr | $13.12/hr | $15.38/hr | $18.69/hr | $23.18/hr | $28.01/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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Tasks for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Sets-up and operates welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
- Turns and presses controls, such as cranks, knobs, and buttons to adjust and activate welding process.
- Feeds workpiece into welding machine to join or bond components.
- Observes and listens to welding machine and its gauges to ensure welding process meets specifications.
- Operates welding machine to produce trial workpieces, used to examine and test.
- Positions and adjusts fixtures, attachments, or workpieces on machine, using hand tools.
- Lays out, fits, or tacks workpieces together, using hand tools.
- Stops and opens holding device on welding machine, using hand tools.
- Examines metal product or assemblies to ensure specifications are met.
- Adds components, chemicals, and solutions to welding machine, using hand tools.
- Tends auxiliary equipment used in welding process.
- Cleans and maintains workpieces and welding machine parts, using hand tools and equipment.
- Devises and builds fixtures used to bond components, during the welding process.
- Tests products and records test results and operational data on specified forms.
- Operates or tends welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products and assemblies.
- Turns and presses knobs and buttons to adjust and start welding machine.
- Observes and listens to welding machine and its controls to ensure welding process meets specifications.
- Enters operating instructions into computer to adjust and start welding machine.
- Positions and adjusts fixtures, attachments, or workpiece on machine, using hand tools and measuring devices.
- Reads production schedule and specifications to ascertain product to be fabricated.
- Stops and opens holding device on welding machine, using hand tools.
- Inspects metal workpiece to ensure specifications are met, using measuring devices.
- Tends auxiliary equipment used in the welding process.
- Adds chemicals or solutions to welding machine to join or bind components.
- Cleans and maintains workpieces and welding machine parts, using hand tools and equipment.
- Transfers components, metal products, and assemblies, using moving equipment.
- Selects torch tips, alloy, flux, coil, tubing and wire, according to metal type and thickness, data charts, and records.
- Connects, forms, and installs parts to braze, heat-treat, and spot-weld workpiece, metal parts, and components.
- Sets dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating/cooling cycles, and shut-off.
- Positions, aligns, and bolts holding fixtures, guides, and stops onto or into brazing machine to position and hold workpieces.
- Fills hoppers and positions spout to direct flow of flux, or manually brushes flux onto seams of workpieces.
- Starts machine to complete trial run, readjusts machine, and records setup data.
- Assembles, aligns, and clamps workpieces into holding fixture to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.
- Manipulates levers to synchronize brazing action or to move workpiece through brazing process.
- Operates and trains workers to operate heat-treating equipment to bond fabricated metal components according to blueprints, work orders, or specifications.
- Disconnects electrical current, and removes and immerses workpiece into water or acid bath to cool and clean component.
- Examines workpiece for defective seams, solidification, and adherence to specifications, and anneals finished workpiece to relieve internal stress.
- Cleans, lubricates, and adjusts equipment to maintain efficient operation, using airhose, cleaning fluid, and hand tools.
- Operates or tends soldering and brazing machines that braze, solder, or spot weld fabricated products or components.
- Moves controls to activate and adjust soldering and brazing machines.
- Observes meters, gauges, and machine to ensure solder or brazing process meets specifications.
- Loads and adjusts workpieces, clamps, and parts onto machine, using hand tools.
- Adds chemicals and materials to workpieces or machines, using hand tools.
- Removes workpieces and parts from machinery, using hand tools.
- Cleans and maintains workpieces and machines, using equipment and hand tools.
- Examines and tests soldered or brazed products or components, using testing devices.
- Reads and records operational information on specified production reports.
