A professional who sets up and operates milling machine to mill flat or curved surfaces on metal workpieces, such as machine, tool, or die parts, analyzing specifications and selecting tooling, according to knowledge of milling procedures. Respnsibilities include:

• Studies blueprints or layout on workpiece to determine sequence of operations and finished dimensions of workpiece.
• Lifts and positions workpiece on machine table manually or with hoist, and secures it, using clamps, bolts, and fixtures.
• Selects feed rate, cutting speed, depth of cut, and milling cutter, applying knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
• Mounts milling cutter in spindle, and positions cutter and workpiece in relation to each other.
• Verifies alignment of workpiece, using measuring instruments, such as dial indicator and thickness gauge.
• Turns handwheel to feed workpiece to cutter or vice versa.
• Turns valve handle to start flow of coolant or lubricant on work area, starts machine, and engages automatic feed.
• Periodically adjusts machine controls to achieve specified tolerances.
• May compute indexing ratios and set up and operate dividing head to index workpiece for such operations as milling helical cuts.
• May mount different tool in place of cutter and perform other operations, such as drilling and boring.
• May set up and operate attachments, such as pantograph mechanisms to duplicate contours from models or profiles from templates, or universal head to mill at angles.
• May work on nonmetallic materials.
• May set up machines for other workers.