A professional who sets up and operates one or more gear milling machines to machine splines or gear teeth on metal blanks, according to machining instructions and knowledge of gear milling procedures. Respnsibilities include:

• Reads blueprints or machining instructions to determine machine settings, fixtures and milling tools to use, and gear specifications, such as dimensions and tolerances.
• Clamps workpiece in fixture or presses it onto arbor.
• Positions and secures cutter on spindle in relation to workpiece, using wrenches.
• Moves levers or mounts gears in machine to set feed rates and rotation speeds of cutter and workpiece in relation to each other.
• Starts machine, turns valve handle, and directs flow of coolant against cutter and workpiece.
• Verifies conformance of machined gears to specifications, using micrometers, gear measuring wires, and special gear inspection equipment.
• May compute data, such as gear dimensions and machine settings, applying knowledge of shop mathematics.
• May machine plastics or other nonmetallic materials.
• May be required to have experience with custom or production work, or with particular material, product, or size, type, or trade name of machine.