What Is a Brake Press Operator?
A brake press operator controls the large machines used to bend and shape metal sheets at a fabrication shop or manufacturing plant. He or she studies blueprints, takes careful measurements, and feeds raw material into programmed brake presses to produce custom sheets and metal parts. Most modern brake presses, especially those used in large plants, are computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. They are fully automated robotic machines, making bends, curves, and punch holes according to electronic instructions inputted by the brake press operator. CNC brake presses are complex pieces of machinery, and manipulating them to create precision bends and curves requires the specialized skills of a highly-trained brake press operator. Other specialists called programmers typically create the general instructions for presses, and operators make small adjustments to their codes to prepare machines for specific jobs. A brake press operator first determines the exact dimensions and angles n
