Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Grinder
A Grinder is a professional skilled in operating various types of grinding machinery to shape, smooth, and polish metal, wood, or other materials. Grinders play an essential role in manufacturing and construction, where precision and the quality of finished products are critical. In this blog post, we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Grinders.
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Main Responsibilities of a Grinder
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Grinder:
Achieve
Achieve specified surface finishes.
Adhere
Adhere to functional procedures in a consistent manner.
Adhere to safety regulations and guidelines.
Adjust
Adjust position of wheel, line up flute and tighten collar locking in position for indexing.
Assist in
Assist in resealing product the may have bad clip or puncture.
Assist in staging raw product for grinding.
Assist machine operators with machine maintenance and cleaning.
Assist other Cleaning staff as assigned.
Assist with minor troubleshooting on the production line.
Calibrate
Calibrate machines for precision.
Change
Change grinding wheel as required, usually daily, and rotate dressing diamond daily.
Change worn grinding wheels.
Check
Check finished parts against specifications.
Check for detail / accuracy.
Choose
Choose appropriate abrasives for different materials.
Choose appropriate tools for specific tasks.
Clean
Clean and maintain grinding tools and equipment.
Clean out sludge build up.
Clean out the Grinders when changing from one material to another in order to minimize contamination.
Clean steel parts using hand and power tools.
Communicate
Communicate and escalates quality issues to appropriate team members.
Communicate with team about production needs for the day.
Complete
Complete assigned work within given timeframe and according to specifications.
Complete basic documentation.
Complete daily stock inventory reports.
Complete part and delivers to engineer to assure it meets all dimensions per print assigned.
Conduct
Conduct monthly inventory of all cutters and log cutter life.
Contribute to
Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related tasks as needed.
Coordinate
Coordinate grinding activities with Material handlers to ensure smooth flow of material.
Coordinate with colleagues on tasks.
Cut
Cut materials to correct requirements.
Detect
Detect and report defective materials or questionable conditions to supervisor or engineer.
Direct
Direct Deposit & Electronic payroll debits card that acts like a bank account.
Direct loading of hog material onto trucks.
Ensure
Ensure each line is adequately manned for production.
Ensure safety measures are in place before grinding.
Ensure the safe and accurate operation of a band saw and Blanchard grinder.
Examine
Examine and feel the surface of the workpiece for defects.
Examine materials to ensure conformance to established standards and identify defects.
Feed
Feed brush, logs and wood debris into a horizontal grinder.
File
File teeth using diamond files.
Fill
Fill 5 gal buckets, lifting and moving 5 gal buckets of material.
Fit
Fit and assemble machined metal parts and subassemblies using hand and power tools.
Follow
Follow all proper maintenance, sanitation and health and safety protocols at all times.
Follow all safety rules, regulations and practices.
Follow instructions and work independently.
Follow project specifications.
Follow safe work practices.
Follow sanitation procedures for sanitation and change overs, including chemical handling.
Follow verbal and written instructions related to duties.
Gather
Gather all documentation needed to perform the job.
Give
Give monthly cutter inventory to appropriate personnel.
Grind
Grind and polish aluminum parts per specifications.
Grind castings, all shapes and sizes at a fast and safe rate.
Grind on bench tables or down draft tables.
Grind or chip excess welds, rust, scale and other materials from the surfaces of metal products.
Grind product to print specification.
Grind teeth with high-speed air grinder as per functional procedure.
Handle
Handle steel parts manually.
Help
Help with setting up equipment inside facilities.
Identify
Identify and address grinding machine issues.
Identify / reports defective equipment.
Identify safety hazards and communicate effectively to foreman.
Identify types of metals for grinding.
Inform
Inform management on unsafe practices.
Inform supervisor of defects and equipment issues immediately.
Inspect
Inspect all products for damage.
Inspect parts for print conformance using surface plate inspection techniques.
Inspect workpieces for defects or irregularities.
Interact
Interact with job site supervisors.
Interpret
Interpret blueprints and instructions.
Keep
Keep work area aisles / exits clear and free from obstructions.
Label
Label and package parts for shipping with strapping and banding.
Leave
Leave work area clean and free of debris at the end of each shift.
Lift
Lift and carry steel parts manually.
Lift and move product / parts / boxes when required.
Lift up to 23 kilograms (50 pounds).
Lift up to 65 pounds occasionally and up to 30 pounds continuously.
Load
Load and unload parts in the machine.
Load materials into grinding machines.
Lock-out
Lock-Out / Tag-out procedures.
Maintain
Maintain a clean and organized workspace.
Maintain a clean, organized and safe work area.
Maintain all work areas free from obstructions and hazards.
Maintain an acceptable attendance record.
Maintain a rolling 12 week average setup & run time efficiency of 75% or higher.
Maintain compliance with health and safety procedures.
Maintain equipment and ensures work area is clean.
Maintain equipment and keep work area clean and organized.
Maintain equipment and tooling.
Maintain equipment and work area in a clean and orderly condition.
Maintain high quality finish on highly cosmetic parts.
Maintain high safety standards and follow all company safety rules.
Maintain inventory log and calculate cutter usage.
Maintain ISO-9001 2008 Certification Standards.
Maintain machines and troubleshoot setups.
Maintain proper housekeeping and 5S in own work area and around work units.
Maintain quality and safety standards.
Maintain quality standards during grinding.
Maintain required production standards.
Maintain the company's equipment and materials.
Manage
Manage tools, gauges, and other equipment.
Mark
Mark cracks and splits for repair.
Measure
Measure and compensate for the fluctuation in parts size.
Measure workpieces to ensure accuracy.
Meet
Meet quality standards and production schedules.
Meet the registration requirements of the Controlled Goods Program.
Monitor
Monitor and maintain coolant systems.
Monitor and maintain machine coolant and oil levels.
Monitor and recognize any contamination in the ground material.
Monitor coolant level and add as required.
Monitor operation of Grinder, will toss defective pieces of pipe into grider.
Monitor operation of grinding and wheel dressing, checking for cleanup of worn cutter edges.
Monitor raw material and product for possible foreign matter.
Mount
Mount grinding wheel and regulating wheel on spindles with wrenches.
Operate
Operate all equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
Operate chipping hammer, die grinder, and hand-grinder.
Operate clam loader and horizontal wood grinder efficiently and safety.
Operate cylindrical and surface grinders, mills, and lathes.
Operate department I / D Grinders, O / D Grinders, Centerless Grinders and Blanchard Grinders.
Operate drill presses, honing machines, hydraulic presses, etc. to perform secondary operations.
Operate hand held pneumatic and electric grinders to remove weld splatter, clean and smooth welds.
Operate hoist to handle castings in a safe manner.
Operate over head crane and forklift.
Operate skid steer to gather and fill wood grinder with lumber waste.
Optimize
Optimize grinding processes.
Oversee
Oversee the removal of all pallet and cardboard.
Perform
Perform all assigned grind room operations.
Perform all CNC machine tool setups with assistance from CNC Journey Level Machinists when needed.
Perform all final testing and troubleshooting.
Perform all quality and measurement functions as related to the machining of components.
Perform all routine machine tool setups.
Perform and document quality inspections.
Perform any secondary operations as necessary to complete the process in its entirety.
Perform basic preventative maintenance on saw equipment.
Perform basic troubleshooting of issues with the machine and makes minor adjustments as needed.
Perform cleaning and maintenance on tooling and air grinders as needed.
Perform duties in an organized and productive manner in a fast paced environment.
Perform forklift inspection before use and report any damage immediately.
Perform grinding, shaping, and polishing tasks.
Perform inspection of machined and ground parts.
Perform mechanical inspection to verify parts meet engineering specifications.
Perform minor equipment maintenance.
Perform minor maintenance according to preventative maintenance schedule.
Position
Position workpieces for optimal grinding.
Prepare
Prepare surfaces for further finishing.
Prepare workpieces for grinding.
Read
Read and follow the daily work schedule and prioritize work.
Read part drawings and production documents.
Read, understand and follow work orders and blueprints / Engineering drawings.
Read, write and speak English at a basic level.
Receive
Receive and provide safety training.
Record
Record all rolls of scrap and accurately report the amount of scrap ground by source and by type.
Record daily activities in the Log Book and accurately record and report process results.
Record grinding parameters and results.
Remove
Remove boats from fixturing and cleaning.
Remove burrs from machined parts.
Remove defects from products with appropriate equipment.
Remove trash from work area floor.
Replace
Replace grinding wheels or abrasives as needed.
Report
Report time and material in manufacturing system.
Review
Review and understands drawings for customer requirements.
Run
Run both small and large cutoff saws.
Run multiple machines at once whenever jobs permit.
Secure
Secure workpieces for stability.
Select
Select the country where you are applying for employment, and review.
Set
Set feed rates & rotation speeds of wheel.
Set-up
Set-up and calibrate grinding machines.
Set-up and operate spot-welder.
Set-up and operate standard manufacturing equipment.
Set-up and operation of grinders, inspection equipment, and balancers.
Set-up and run high complexity parts with tight to very tight controlled forms or features.
Set-up and run up to two machines to grind precision parts.
Set-up automatic work feeding device.
Set-up machine according to blueprint specs.
Sort
Sort all scrap bins and remove any contamination.
Stage
Stage material in order to minimize grinder changeover time from one type of material to another.
Start
Start machine and observe operation.
Store
Store supplies in designated areas.
Suggest
Suggest process improvements.
Support
Support other warehouse functions to ensure smooth business operation.
Take
Take cutter to grinding area.
Track
Track and disposes of waste accordingly.
Trade
Trade tools, equipment, materials and methods / techniques used in safe band saw operation.
Train
Train, Mentor and Coach other team members.
Transport
Transport and operate Penhall Company's specialized heavy equipment safely and efficiently.
Trim
Trim, file, grind, de-burr, sand and smooth metal surfaces.
Unload
Unload raw materials from trucks and store material.
Use
Use hand and power tools to clean steel parts.
Use hand tools, machine tools, and grinders to file and polish products to customers.
Use manual grinder to sharpen tools.
Use measuring equipment to check dimensions & contours.
Use of power tools including drill-press, bench grinder, cordless drill, reciprocating saw, etc..
Use precision measuring instruments, using blueprints and instructions.
Use various precision measuring instruments to inspect dimensions of finished pieces.
Verify
Verify dimensions of ground workpiece for conformance to specifications.
Verify that the revision levels are current and match.
Wash
Wash and blow off cutter, set up cutter on grinding arbor.
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Grinder:
Machine Operation and Setup
Material Knowledge
Grinding Techniques
Measurement Tools (e.g., calipers, micrometers)
Tool Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Quality Control and Inspection
Safety Procedures and Compliance
Abrasives and Grinding Wheel Selection
Coolant System Management
Deburring Techniques
Machine Calibration for Precision
Tool Selection and Replacement
Surface Finishing Methods
Material Loading and Positioning
Operational Efficiency Improvement
Material Clamping Techniques
Metal Identification for Grinding
Adherence to Specifications and Tolerances
Safety Training and Compliance
Workpiece Finishing for Quality
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Grinder:
Attention to Detail
Problem-Solving
Critical Thinking
Communication
Safety Consciousness
Adaptability
Time Management
Quality Orientation
Teamwork and Collaboration
Continuous Learning and Improvement
Conclusion
Grinders are integral in the production of finely crafted components and products. By mastering the hard and soft skills outlined in this post, they can ensure precision and quality in their work, contributing to the success of manufacturing and construction projects.
