Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Study guides, samples, charts, and specification sheets or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine set-up requirements.
• Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters, or computer numerically controlled cutting devices.
• Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
• Repair or replace worn or defective parts or components, using hand tools.
• Adjust cutting techniques to types of fabrics and styles of garments.
• Install, level, and align components, such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles, to set up machinery for operation.
• Operate machines for test runs to verify adjustments and to obtain product samples.
• Thread yarn, thread, or fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines.
• Operate machines to cut multiple layers of fabric into parts for articles such as canvas goods, house furnishings, garments, hats, or stuffed toys.
• Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
• Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters, or computer numerically controlled cutting devices.
• Stop machines when specified amounts of product have been produced.
• Record information about work completed and machine settings.
• Clean, oil, and lubricate machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oilcans, and grease guns.
• Install, level, and align components, such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles, to set up machinery for operation.
• Program electronic equipment.
• Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
• Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
• Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products.
• Install, level, and align components, such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles, to set up machinery for operation.
• Repair or replace worn or defective parts or components, using hand tools.
• Clean, oil, and lubricate machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oilcans, and grease guns.
• Study guides, samples, charts, and specification sheets or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine set-up requirements.
• Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed.
• Confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems.
• Notify supervisors of mechanical malfunctions.
• Operate machines for test runs to verify adjustments and to obtain product samples.

Skills

• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.

Abilities

• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.

Knowledge

• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

40120/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

19.29/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

70

Yearly Projected Openings

10

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Integrity
• Self Control
• Adaptability/Flexibility

Tools

• Cutting or pinking machines
• Drilling machines
• Fabric or cloth folding machines
• Forklifts
• Grease guns
• Laser cutting machine
• Oil can
• Rulers
• Sewing machines
• Shears
• Tape measures

Technology

• Computer aided design CAD software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Industrial control software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software