Skip to content
ESCO occupation

tumbling machine operator

Back to ESCO occupations

Tumbling machine operators set up and operate tumbling machines, often wet or drie tumbling barrels, designed to remove excess material and burrs of heavy metal workpieces and precious metals and to improve surface appearance, by rotating the metal pieces in a barrel together with grit and potentially water, allowing for the friction between the pieces mutually and with the grit to cause a rounding, smooth effect.

8122.12 ISCO 8122 ESCO source
Competences
33
Groups
4
Essential
17
Optional
16

Competences and skills

33 ESCO relations
Essential knowledge 5 competences

Occupation specific

1 competence
tumbling machine parts

Various parts of a tumbling machine, such as a deburr tub, tumbling barrel, tumbling compound and steel media ceramic polishing pins, their qualities and applications. 

ESCO source

Sector-specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Cross-sector

4 competences
quality and cycle time optimisation

The most optimal rotation or cycle time and over-all quality of a tool or a machine's processes.

ESCO source
quality standards

The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

ESCO source
types of lubricants

Types of substances whose main function is to reduce friction between parts or surfaces in mutual contact such us oil-based, grease-based, penetrating or dry lubricants. They facilitate uninterrupted movement between machinery parts. Based on the type of lubricant, they can also perform other functions such as power transmission or heat regulation.

ESCO source
types of metal

Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.

ESCO source
Essential skills and competences 12 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

1 competence
smooth burred surfaces

Inspect and smooth burred surfaces of steel and metal parts.

ESCO source

Cross-sector

11 competences
ensure equipment availability

Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.

ESCO source
monitor automated machines

Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

digital
ESCO source
monitor moving workpiece in a machine

Monitor the processing of a workpiece in motion, such as a piece of metal or wood moved linearly over a static manufacturing machine.

ESCO source
perform test run

Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

ESCO source
remove inadequate workpieces

Evaluate which deficient processed workpieces do not meet the set-up standard and should be removed and sort the waste according to regulations.

ESCO source
remove processed workpiece

Remove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.

ESCO source
spot metal imperfections

Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.

ESCO source
supply machine

Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

ESCO source
tend tumbling machine

Tend a machine designed to smoothen metal or stone surfaces by having the different pieces rub against each other inside a tumbling barrel, monitor and operate it according to regulations.

ESCO source
troubleshoot

Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

ESCO source
wear appropriate protective gear

Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.

ESCO source
Optional knowledge 10 competences

Occupation specific

2 competences
dry tumbling

The process of tumbling, not employing water to clean and remove burrs, but tumbling metal parts in a dry media and compound mixture in order to smoothen them, creating a hand-buffed appearance.

ESCO source
processes performed by tumbling

The various usages of the metal tumbling process, such as the cleaning, burnishing, deburring, descaling, rust-removing, surface hardening, de-flashing, polishing, brightening, and others, of metal work pieces.

ESCO source

Sector-specific

5 competences
ferrous metal processing

Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.

ESCO source
manufacturing of cutlery

The manufacture of different cutlery items, such as forks, spoons, knives, razors or scissors.

ESCO source
manufacturing of metal assembly products

The manufacture of rivets, washers and similar non-threaded products, screw machine products, screws, nuts and similar threaded products.

ESCO source
precious metal processing

Various processing methods on precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum.

ESCO source
types of metal manufacturing processes

Metal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.

ESCO source

Cross-sector

3 competences
characteristics of precious metals

Variations of precious metals according to density, corrossion resistance, electrical conductivity, light reflectivity and quality.

ESCO source
metal smoothing technologies

The various technologies used for the smoothening, polishing and buffing of fabricated metal workpieces.

ESCO source
wet tumbling

Process of tumbling, employing water and other agents inside a wet tumbling barrel to clean and remove burrs from metal parts and stones in order to smoothen them.

ESCO source
Optional skills and competences 6 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Cross-sector

6 competences
advise on machinery malfunctions

Offer advice to service technicians in case of machinery malfunctions and other technical repair tasks.

ESCO source
inspect quality of products

Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.

ESCO source
keep records of work progress

Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.

ESCO source
measure flatness of a surface

Measure the evenness of a workpiece's surface after it has been processed by checking for deviations from the desired perpendicular state.

ESCO source
perform machine maintenance

Perform regular maintenance, possibly including corrections and alterations, on a machine or machine tool to ensure it remains in a proper productive state.

ESCO source
record production data for quality control

Keep records of the machine's faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.

ESCO source