Jan 11

Jan 11 Explore and Learn About a Machining Career Path

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT

CNC Machining, CNC Programming, Machining, Machinist, Manufacturing, Soft Skills

Do You Have the Important Qualities for a Career in Machining?

Do you have a mechanical skillset?
Are you a technical person?
Do you excel at math?

If so, consider a career as a Machinist or Tool and Die Maker

What Skills Should a Machinist Have?

Mathematical Skills - Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and compute basic trigonometry functions while choosing the right methods to solve the problem

Reasoning Ability - Ability to use common sense understanding and solve problems
Oral Comprehension - Ability to listen and understand information spoken
Computer Literacy - Ability to use a computer and work with Microsoft Office programs
Mechanical / Technical Skills - Must operate lathes, mills, grinders and other computer controlled machines

Machinists make components and parts on computer controlled manufacturing equipment such as a CNC lathe or a CNC mill.

Tool and die makers make tool, die and mold components and other industrial tools on manual and CNC equipment. They also fit the components together and align and assemble the industrial tools.

Matthew Schowalter, CMfgT

Matthew started his manufacturing career while in high school as a youth apprentice. He went on to study Tool and Die making while pursuing a apprenticeship. Upon completion of the 10,400 hour apprenticeship he used his Journeyman Tool and Die making skills to make tooling for the motorcycle industry. From there he spent ten years making surgical instrumentation for spinal surgery, while leading the machining department. He most recently became a manufacturing engineer at a global manufacturing company, while focusing on machining processes. He started this website after researching what kind of information people pursuing or starting a manufacturing career need to succeed, and how the information should be presented.