Engineering and manufacturing
Advanced furniture cnc technician
Manufacturing furniture and furniture components, such as desk lids, doors, casings or legs, using Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machinery to perform precision tasks.
Summary
This occupation is found in the furniture, furnishings and interiors manufacturing industry, this is a substantial growth industry for the UK. The UK furniture, bed and furnishings manufacturing part of the industry is substantial. Over 8,000 companies contribute £11 billion to the country’s GDP. In addition to this, there is a large market for contract and office furniture.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to manufacture furniture and furniture components, such as desk lids, doors, casings or legs, using Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machinery to perform precision tasks. This includes setting, loading and proving (testing) CNC programmes to produce furniture and/or components, setting up, operating and maintaining CNC furniture production machinery, improving CNC processes to produce furniture efficiently and finding and rectifying faults with furniture production machinery. Advanced Furniture CNC Technicians also produce and maintain jigs and templates to produce furniture components and create and modify programmes for producing furniture using Computer Aided Design (CAD).
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of colleagues including production/manufacturing managers, quality technicians, production leaders, designers, product developers, training coordinators, production operatives and engineers.
Advanced Furniture CNC Technicians can work in a range of environments from small workshops to large factories and may be required to work various shift patterns. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for producing machined components to meet specifications, maintaining quality and safety standards and maintaining equipment. They may also be responsible for a team, coaching, mentoring, training and developing individuals depending on the size of the organisation they work in.
Typical job titles include
- CNC Setter | CNC Wood Machinist | Furniture CNC Machinist | Furniture CNC Manager | Furniture CNC Operator | Furniture CNC Programmer | Furniture CNC Supervisors | Furniture CNC Team Leader | Furniture CNC Wood Machinist
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Tool compensation for the differences in length between the tools assumed during programming and the tools to be used for actual machining.
K2:
Tool data including geometric characteristics, composition and usage.
K3:
Parameters of machines including type, function and how to read and set them, safety and guarding of machinery used.
K4:
Optimisation for best yield of materials.
K5:
How to set, load, prove (test) and optimise of furniture CNC programmes.
K6:
Technical processes, such as capability, awareness of manufacturing procedures, helping to resolve furniture production problems, breakdowns and defining operating procedures.
K7:
Tooling and operational process including material technology and furniture manufacturing equipment.
K8:
Furniture industry materials and modern and traditional furniture manufacturing methods including wood and timber, manmade composite materials including plywood, MDF (Medium Density Board) and MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard), veneers, laminates and edging materials, by hand or machinery.
K9:
How to maintain furniture CNC/NC (Computer Numerically Controlled/Numerically Controlled) machinery.
K10:
Acceptable tolerances of items manufactured from furniture specifications for example allowances for deviation from norm and defect criteria.
K11:
Process improvement techniques for example DRIVE (Define, Review, Identify, Verify, Execute), process mapping, DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control), Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Simulation.
K12:
Lean manufacturing techniques, for example, Kaizen, Lean, Just in time and 5S.
K13:
Health, safety and environmental management and risk assessment for example Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Health And Safety At Work Act (HASAWA), Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) and manual handling.
K14:
Safe Systems of Work, the formal procedures for safe methods and procedures adopted during work activities, for relevant processes, including use and maintenance of machinery used.
K15:
How to produce and maintain jigs and holding devices.
K16:
How to develop and modify furniture CAD drawings in CNC production.
K17:
Machine editor software for programme production.
K18:
Machine tooling used for example drills, blades or profile cutters.
K19:
Machine fault finding techniques and programming fault finding including differences between simple faults which can be rectified and those that required maintenance team for resolution.
K20:
Common error codes for furniture CNC machinery used.
K21:
Grievance and discipline procedures and conflict management techniques.
K22:
Coaching, mentoring and team development techniques such as the GROW model (Goal, Current Reality, Options (or Obstacles) Will (or Way Forward).
K23:
Where to send products for next process and how to fill production tickets with accurate information.
K24:
Measuring devices such as Vernier callipers and height gauges.
K25:
Standard tooling on relevant machinery.
K26:
How to run test pieces to ensure tooling data has been entered correctly.
K27:
Where to find relevant furniture specifications and drawings.
K28:
Product quality standards you need to meet for furniture products produced.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0655: Advanced furniture CNC technician (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0655
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £34,352 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3116 Planning, process and production technicians
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3116/00 Planning, process and production technicians
- 5221/01 Computer numerical control (CNC) machine setters and setter-operators
- 5442/99 Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers n.e.c.
- 8131/00 Paper and wood machine operatives
- 8141/00 Assemblers (electrical and electronic products)
S1:
Set tool compensation data in furniture CNC programmes.
S2:
Set tool data and parameters in furniture CNC programmes.
S3:
Optimise machinery for the best yield of materials.
S4:
Set, load, prove and optimise furniture CNC programmes.
S5:
Manage resources effectively including raw materials and time.
S6:
Select tooling suitable for use with materials being processed for example different varieties of wood.
S7:
Set up and operate furniture CNC/NC (Computer Numerically Controlled/Numerically controlled) machinery using appropriate safety measures and guards.
S8:
Maintain furniture CNC/NC machinery within limits of responsibility for example lubricating machinery, checking fluid levels, keeping machinery clean.
S9:
Apply improvement techniques to furniture manufacturing processes for example using different tooling, aggregate heads, tandem loading or tandem loading.
S10:
Work safely at all times, wearing appropriate PPE, adhering to COSHH records and completing health and safety records and reports.
S11:
Follow Safe Systems of work for the relevant machining processes.
S12:
Produce and maintain jigs and holding devices to ensure sufficient workpiece vacuum.
S13:
Develop and modify furniture CAD drawings to suit CNC processes.
S14:
Read and interpret furniture specifications and drawings.
S15:
Use editor software to modify or create furniture CNC programmes.
S16:
Rectify simple machine faults for example fast running, blunt tooling, burn marks or incorrect tool compensation.
S17:
Manage self and others and influence teams to achieve objectives.
S18:
Apply coaching, mentoring and team development techniques such as the GROW model.
S19:
Develop own skills to improve furniture CNC performance.
S20:
Train others to use machinery safely to company standards.
S21:
Record information required accurately for example production records.
S22:
Set tooling in various holders for example HSK (hollow taper shank), tribos and shrinkfit.
S23:
Able to check furniture products meet quality standards and furniture specifications.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0655: Advanced furniture CNC technician (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0655
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £34,352 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3116 Planning, process and production technicians
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3116/00 Planning, process and production technicians
- 5221/01 Computer numerical control (CNC) machine setters and setter-operators
- 5442/99 Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers n.e.c.
- 8131/00 Paper and wood machine operatives
- 8141/00 Assemblers (electrical and electronic products)
B1:
Thorough and accurate when accomplishing furniture CNC tasks.
B2:
Have a safety-first attitude, ensuring the safety of self and others in a furniture CNC machinery environment.
B3:
Shows integrity, aims for excellence and manages time effectively.
B4:
Strives for improvement in furniture manufacturing processes.
B5:
Is professional, demonstrates motivation to succeed and is organised.
B6:
Maintain focus and concentration during CNC activities.
B7:
An enquiring mind and be, keen to understand how things work.
B8:
Sets an example to others, is fair, consistent and reliable.
B9:
Takes personal responsibility for meeting objectives of the team and business.
B10:
Be flexible in changing environment and demands.
B11:
Demonstrates a mature attitude and has a sense of responsibility.
B12:
Is able to work with minimal supervision.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0655: Advanced furniture CNC technician (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0655
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £34,352 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3116 Planning, process and production technicians
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3116/00 Planning, process and production technicians
- 5221/01 Computer numerical control (CNC) machine setters and setter-operators
- 5442/99 Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers n.e.c.
- 8131/00 Paper and wood machine operatives
- 8141/00 Assemblers (electrical and electronic products)