A professional who sets up and operates grinding machines to grind threads on metal objects, such as screws, bolts, and micrometer spindles, and to grind internal and external surfaces of metal workpieces to specifications, following tooling instructions, standard charts, blueprints, and job orders, applying knowledge of grinding procedures. Respnsibilities include:

• Reads blueprint and job order for product specifications, such as dimensions, tolerances, and number of parts to be ground, and tooling instructions, such as grinding speeds, feed rates, holding fixtures, and grinding wheel to be used.
• Mounts wheel on spindle, using wrenches.
• Dresses wheel to specifications, using dressing device.
• Sets machine controls to specified grinding speeds, feed rates, and angle of wheel.
• Positions and tightens cams and stops to control depth of cut and length of stroke.
• Lifts and positions workpiece, manually or using hoist, and secures workpiece on faceplate or magnetic chuck, in fixture or chuck, or directly to machine table.
• Starts machine and activates controls to feed wheel against workpiece or vice versa, or engages automatic feeding device.
• Verifies dimensions of finished workpiece for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as micrometers, calipers, preset gauges, load test equipment, thread measuring wires, and thread gauges.
• Changes worn grinding wheel, using wrenches.
• May place workpiece in hopper or fixture of automatic feeding device.
• May grind nonmetallic materials.
• May be required to have experience with custom or production work or with specific type of machine, material, product, or precision level and be designated Grinder Set-Up Operator, External; Grinder Set-Up Operator, Internal; Grinder Set-Up Operator, Surface; Grinder Set-Up Operator, Thread.