Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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Service Contract Act Directory of Occupations

19040 Tool & Die Maker

Constructs and repairs jigs, fixtures, cutting tools, gauges, or metal dies or molds used in shaping or forming metal or nonmetallic material (e.g., plastic, plaster, rubber, glass). Work typically involves: Planning and laying out work according to models, blueprints, drawings, or other written or oral specifications; understanding the working properties of common metals and alloys; selecting appropriate materials, tools, and processes required to complete task; making necessary shop computations; setting up and operating various machine tools and related equipment; using various Tool and Die Maker's hand tools and precision measuring instruments; working to very close tolerances; heat-treating metal parts and finished tools and dies to achieve required qualities; and fitting and assembling parts to prescribed tolerances and allowances. In general, the Tool and Die Maker's work requires rounded training in machine-shop and toolroom practice usually acquired through formal apprenticeship or equivalent training and experience.