Tool and die makers are highly skilled workers who produce tools, dies, and special guiding and holding devices that are used in machines that produce a variety of products from clothing and furniture to heavy equipment and parts for aircraft.
Toolmakers craft precision tools which are used to cut, shape, and form metal and other materials. They also produce jigs and fixtures (devices that hold metal while it is bored, stamped, or drilled) and gauges and other measuring devices. Diemakers construct metal forms (dies) that are used to shape metal in stamping and forging operations. They also make metal molds for diecasting and for molding plastics, ceramics, and composite materials. In addition, tool and die makers may repair worn or damaged tools, dies, gauges, jigs, and fixtures, and design tools and dies.
Tool and die makers must have a much broader knowledge of machining operations, mathematics, and blueprint reading than most other machining workers. They use many types of machine tools and precision measuring instruments and must be familiar with the machining properties, such as hardness and heat tolerance, of a wide variety of common metals and alloys.
Working from blueprints or instructions, tool and die makers plan the sequence of operations necessary to manufacture the tool or die. They measure and mark the pieces of metal that will be cut to form parts of the final product. They then cut, bore, or drill the part as required. They also check the accuracy of what they have done to ensure that the final product will meet specifications. Then they assemble the parts and perform finishing jobs such as filing, grinding, and smoothing surfaces.
Modern technology is helping to change tool and die makers' jobs. Firms commonly use computer aided design (CAD) to develop products. Specifications from the computer program can then be used to develop designs electronically for the required tools and dies. The designs can then be sent to computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines to produce the die. Programs can also be electronically stored and adapted for future use. This saves time and increases productivity of the workers.
In shops that use numerically controlled (NC) machine tools, tool and die makers' duties may be slightly different. For example, although they still manually check and assemble the tool or die, each of its components may be produced on an NC machine. In addition, they often assist in the planning and writing of NC programs.
Tool and die makers work with little direct supervision. Although they must produce extremely precise parts, they also must work quickly and economically. Taking too much time or wasting materials can reduce their employer's profit.
Tool and die maker sets up a vertical mill.
Tool and die makers usually work in toolrooms. These areas are quieter than the production floor because there are fewer machines in use at one time. Machines have guards and shields that minimize the exposure of workers to moving parts. Tool and die makers, however, must follow safety rules and wear protective equipment. For example, they must wear safety glasses in order to shield against bits of flying metal and earplugs to protect against noise. They may be exposed to hazardous materials such as lubricants or cleaners. In addition, they spend much of the day on their feet and may do moderately heavy lifting.
Companies employing tool and die makers traditionally operate one shift per day. However, as the cost of new machinery and technology has increased, many employers now have more than one shift. Overtime and Saturday work are common, especially during peak production periods.
About 138,000 persons were employed as tool and die makers in 1992. Most worked in industries that manufacture metalworking machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, aircraft, and plastics products. Although they are found throughout the country, jobs are most plentiful in the Midwest and Northeast, where many of the metalworking industries are located.
Tool and die makers learn their trade through formal apprenticeship programs or less formal on-the-job training. The best way to learn all aspects of tool and die making, according to most employers, is a formal apprenticeship program that combines classroom instruction and job experience.
Most employers prefer persons with a high school or vocational school education and, increasingly, those with an associate's degree. Courses in math, blueprint reading, metalworking, and drafting, as well as machine shop experience, are helpful.
During the 4 or 5 years of a tool and die apprenticeship, apprentices learn to operate milling machines, lathes, grinders, and other machine tools. They also learn to use handtools in fitting and assembling tools, gauges, and other mechanical and metal forming equipment, and they study metalworking processes such as heat treating and plating. Classroom training usually consists of mathematics, mechanical drawing, tool designing, tool programming, and blueprint reading.
Workers who become tool and die makers without completing formal apprenticeships generally acquire their skills through informal on-the-job programs. They often begin as machine operators and gradually take on more difficult assignments. Many machinists become tool and die makers. In fact, tool and die makers are often considered highly specialized machinists. (See the statement on machinists and tool programmers elsewhere in the Handbook.)
Because tools and dies must meet strict specifications precision to one ten-thousandth of an inch is not uncommon the work of tool and die makers requires a high degree of patience and attention to detail. Good eyesight is essential.
There are several ways for skilled workers to advance. Some move into supervisory and administrative positions in their firms; others become tool designers or tool programmers.
Employment of tool and die makers is expected to decline through the year 2005. As the economy grows, the demand for motor vehicles, aircraft, machinery, and other products that use machined metal parts will increase. Rising demand for these goods will increase the need for tools and dies. Employment growth, however, will be limited by increased use of numerically controlled machine tools. The greater use of NC machine tools has reduced the number of operations done by hand, so high-quality precision parts can be made with fewer workers. In addition, because precision metal products are a primary component of manufacturing machinery, increased imports of finished goods, as well as precision metal products, lessen the demand for tool and die makers.
Despite the expected decline in employment, many openings each year will be created by tool and die makers who retire. A relatively large proportion of tool and die makers are at least 50 years of age. Currently, enrollments in tool and die maker training programs have not increased enough to satisfy the demand for these workers because employers in many locations are finding it difficult to attract enough qualified candidates. As older workers begin to leave the occupation in larger numbers, employers in certain parts of the country may face more pronounced shortages. Jobseekers with the appropriate skills and background should find excellent opportunities.
Median weekly earnings for tool and die makers who worked full time were $642 in 1992. Most earned between $499 and $803 a week. Ten percent earned less than $409 a week, and the 10 percent with the highest weekly earnings made more than $911.
The occupations most closely related to the work of tool and die makers are the other machining occupations. These include machinist, mold maker, instrument maker, metalworking machine operator, and tool programmer.
Other occupations that require precision and skill in working with metal include blacksmith, gunsmith, locksmith, metal patternmaker, and welder.
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Reprinted with Permission of U. S. Department of Labor