Assembly

Some employees may need specialized training or an associate’s degree for the most precise assembly and fabrication jobs. For example, jobs that are related to electrical, electronic, aircraft and motor vehicle products, typically require people with more formal education like technical school. Apprenticeship programs are also popular in China market.

Assemblers and fabricators typically do the following:
• Read and understand schematics and blueprints
• Use hand tools or machines to assemble parts
• Conduct quality control checks
• Work closely with designers and engineers in product development

Assemblers and fabricators play an important role in the manufacturing process.

The job of assembler or fabricator requires a range of knowledge and skills. Skilled assemblers put complex machine parts together and have the ability to read detailed schematics that show how to assemble the machine. After determining how parts should be connected, assemblers use their hands or power tools to trim, shim, cut, and make other adjustments to fit components together. Once the parts are properly aligned, they connect them with bolts and screws or by welding or soldering necessary pieces together.
Quality control is important throughout assembly process. Skilled assemblers could find faulty components and mistakes in the assembly process and help fix problems before defective products are made.
Manufacturing techniques are moving away from traditional assembly line systems toward lean manufacturing systems, which adopt teamwork mode to produce entire products or components. Lean manufacturing has changed the nature of the assembler’s duties.

The following are examples of types of assemblers and fabricators:

Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as the wings, fuselage, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, heating and ventilating systems.

Coil winders, tapers, and finishers wind wire coils of electrical components used in a variety of electric and electronic products, including resistors, transformers, generators, and electric motors.

Electronic equipment assemblers build products such as electric motors, electronic control devices, and sensing equipment. Automated systems have been put in place because many small electronic parts are too small or fragile for human to assemble. Much of the remaining work of electrical and electronic assemblers is done by hand during small-scale production of electronic devices, which are used in all types of aircraft, military systems, and medical equipment. Production, by hand, requires these workers to use devices such as soldering irons.

Electromechanical equipment assemblers assemble and modify electromechanical devices, such as household appliances, computer tomography scanners, or vending machines. These workers use a variety of tools, such as rulers, rivet guns and soldering irons.

Machine assemblers construct, assemble, rebuild engines, turbines and machines used in automobiles, construction and mining equipment, and power generators.

Structural metal fabricators and fitters cut, align, and fit structural metal parts together and may also help weld or rivet the parts together.

Fiberglass laminators and fabricators laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles and other products.

Team assemblers work on an assembly line, but they usually rotate through different tasks rather than specializing in a single task. The team may decide how to assign the work and how to finish different tasks. Some aspects of lean production, such as rotating tasks and seeking worker input on improving the assembly process, are common to all assembly and fabrication occupations.

Timing device assemblers, adjusters, and calibrators do precision assembling or adjust timing devices within very narrow tolerances.