Publication: Occupational Outlook Quarterly
Publication Date: 22-JUN-05
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Wolf, Michael
Article Excerpt
Machinery encompasses a vast range of products, from a huge industrial turbine that costs millions of dollars to a common lawnmower that sells for under $100. Regardless of its size or cost, however, all machinery has one universally defining feature: it either reduces or eliminates the amount of human effort required to accomplish a task.
Machinery is critical to the production of many of the Nation's goods and services. Nearly every workplace in every industry uses some form of machinery. Some machines are specialized for a particular industry, such as farm tractors, while others have a more general use, such as air-conditioners.
Making these machines requires workers of many types. Engineers design machines and develop efficient ways to produce them. Machinists, welders, and other production workers program equipment to make machine parts. Managers, sales workers, and many other workers run the business of making machines and keep that business profitable.
Workers in the machinery manufacturing industry are well compensated for their skills; many workers in the machinery manufacturing industry are among the more highly paid in the economy.
Keep reading to learn more about this industry and the workers in it. The first section of the article identifies the variety of occupations that are needed to manufacture machinery. The second section describes the types of machinery that the industry produces and the industry's size and evolution. Subsequent sections describe the benefits and drawbacks of working in the industry, how to train for the advance in its occupations, and where to find more information.
Who makes machines?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the machinery manufacturing industry provided 1.1 million jobs in 2004 in a wide variety of occupations. Creating and producing a machine requires engineers and technicians, production and assembly workers, supervisors and managers, and support personnel. (See table.)
Design and testing
Before any work begins on assembling a piece of machinery, an extensive process of creating and testing its design takes place. This process usually takes several years, depending on the complexity of the machinery. The work is done primarily by engineers, technicians, and drafters.
Engineers do much of the design work. They start with an idea about what a new machine could do or how an existing one could be improved. Engineers might be trying to design a bulldozer that has more horsepower, for example, or one that moves dirt with more precision. To develop their ideas, engineers use computer modeling and simulation software to design a machine and test it for performance, cost, reliability, ease of use, and other factors.
Most engineers specialize in a particular facet of design. Mechanical engineers design a machine's moving parts, such as gears, levers, and pistons in engines and hydraulic systems. These workers also direct the work of mechanical engineering technicians who run tests on materials and parts prior to final assembly. For machines that have complicated electric or electronic systems, electrical and electronics engineers assist in the design and testing process. Industrial engineers determine how to allocate a factory's resources--both workers and equipment--for optimal production. Engineering managers oversee the entire design process.
After a design is finalized and testing is completed, mechanical drafters create the plans that show production workers how to assemble the machine. Drafters provide specifications and diagrams for each part of the machine, as well as assembly instructions for the final product.
Production
Production workers account for more than half of all jobs in the machinery manufacturing industry. Some of these workers create machinery components; others put the components together and complete the product. Supervisors and managers oversee the process.
Parts production. Metal and plastic workers create all of the parts that are...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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