Assembly Line Job Description

The Role of Automotive Assembly Line Workers

The role of an automotive assembly line worker has changed over time. The assembly process has been streamlined by the use of robotic technology, which eliminates much of the manual labor that is associated with automotive manufacturing. Assembly line workers are important in the industry because quality control is important and often requires a human to pay attention to detail.

Assembly line workers and fabricators must have the ability to follow directions and be detail oriented. Line workers must see the big picture in order to understand what they are assembling. The small parts of automobiles must be distinguished by the fabricators.

Workers are given blueprints to identify parts and instructions on how to assemble them. The machines themselves are where the status displays are located. Oil and grease are odors associated with car equipment.

Assembly line workers have to navigate around other dangers. The work may require workers to stand for long periods of time. Gloves or goggles are required for using power tools.

The shifts are flexible and can be long. Assembly line workers must have a high school education or GED. Most workers will undergo extensive on-site training after having previous experience in a similar environment.

Safety gear for assembly line workers

Assembly line workers learn more than one part of the assembly process, including material gathering, construction, quality control, packaging and shipping. An assembly line worker completes his task by following instructions, diagrams and blueprints. Employers typically require a high school or GED degree.

Many give preference to applicants with more experience. Employers usually require a technical school certification or an associate degree for positions in the assembly of electronics or vehicles. Assembly line workers are often required to wear safety gear, such as safety glasses, gloves, a hard hat, long-sleeved clothing or coveralls, flame-resistant clothing, a respirator mask or ear plugs.

An Overview of Assembly Line Jobs

An employee works on an assembly line. Each team has a specialty that they use to assemble parts, electrical components and gadgets. Many work in the automobile industry.

If you want to work on an assembly line, you need to have physical strength and stamina, mechanical skills and math skills. Quality control checks are performed as an assembly line worker. Occasionally, you work with engineers and designers to increase output.

You can help train new workers on company policies. Keeping floors and equipment clean is one of the responsibilities. You work in manufacturing plants all day.

You can work Monday to Friday during the day and then switch to a mid-day or evening shift at times throughout the year. You may be exhausted by the end of the day. You are also in a manufacturing environment.

In some cases, you may be exposed to hazardous chemicals and fumes. A high school degree is required for an assembly line job. You may be required to go through company sponsored training to learn how to operate certain stations.

The Venetian Arsenal: A Production Line

Assembly lines are designed to organize workers, tools and machines in a sequential order. The motion of workers is minimized. All parts are handled by either conveyor motorized vehicles, with no manual trucking.

Heavy lifting is done by machines. Unless job rotation strategies are applied, each worker performs one simple operation. In an assembly line, car assembly is done in several stations at the same time.

When a station is finished with a car, it passes it on to the next station. Three cars can be operated on at the same time, each at a different stage of assembly, if there are three stations. The Venetian Arsenal was a production line.

The ships were fitted by the various shops they passed. The peak of the efficiency of the Arsenal was in the early 16th century, when it employed 16,000 people who could produce one ship each day and could fit out, arm, and provision a galley with standardized parts. Production line methods were not common when the Arsenal was still going strong.

The Industrial Revolution led to a lot of manufacturing. The 19th century saw rapid improvement in materials handling, assembly, and other aspects of the industry, but modern concepts such as industrial engineering and logistics had not yet been introduced. The assembly line was developed for the Ford Model T and began operation in 1913 at the Highland Park Ford Plant.

The Growth of Assembler Jobs in the United States

The assembly workers have the task of putting together the product. They work on an assembly line. The assembled are likely to have one task that they perform all day, or they may have many tasks that they perform on a daily basis.

An assembly line worker uses machines and tools to do his job. Good manual dexterity is required by assembly line workers. They need the strength to lift heavy objects.

The assembled are often standing. The workers need to be able to pay attention to what they are doing. The workers in modern factories need the technical skills to operate the computers and complete the manufactured product.

The bureau expects the growth of assembler jobs to be 5 percent slower than the average for all occupations. The demand for new commercial airplanes is expected to increase, which will lead to greater demand for assembly jobs. Increased automation will decrease the demand for assemblers.

Minimum Skills for Working on an Industrial Assembly Line

The assembly line was used in the meat packing industry in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois. Workers performed one task on the carcass. Industrial assembly line work increases production and allows the employer to quickly train workers.

Minimum skills are needed to work on an assembly line, increasing the number of potential employees a company could hire. Industrial assembly line workers must stand in one area for long periods of time. A person with a knee, back or foot problem cannot perform the task of an assembly line worker for an entire shift.

The physical skills required to work on an assembly line include the ability to move freely and have enough reflexes to perform the same tasks repeatedly. Good hand-eye coordination is a must for employees working on an industrial assembly line. They use their hands and power tools to complete the task.

The assembly line will not be interrupted if the task is performed at a constant rate. Communications skills are important for working on an assembly line. Communication with other workers on the line makes the line run more smoothly.

Any problems that must be passed on to the next assembly worker must be communicated in writing. Good hearing and clear speech patterns are important. The need for more workers to have computer skills has been required by the development of new technologies.

How Do You Maintain Your Equipment?

Simple preventative maintenance on equipment and tools can help you stay productive and efficient. You can save the company money by identifying potential damage and safety issues, and by repairing broken machinery or tools. In your answer, include examples of preventive maintenance you did.

Save the assembly line from downtime, costly repairs or safety hazard are some of the things that can be done to pair up maintenance tasks with the company's direct impact. This a must if you're familiar with lock-out procedures. The level of physical demands can vary depending on the type of assembly work.

Being able to perform physical tasks is important to landing a job. In your answer, focus on your understanding of the job's physical demands, along with ways you remain active and take care of your well-being. The ability to perform the duties effectively is a sign of your willingness to do so safely.

The History of the Ford Assembly Line

The assembly line is a great invention. It shook the world so profoundly that manufacturers who failed to adapt to it closed their businesses. The division of labor is ancient social concept that is related to efficient and cost-effective car production lines.

The concept of the division of labor has been studied, analyzed, and implemented across many industries. Each worker in a division of labor model handles a single task that eventually becomes second nature. Individual parts are constructed in a way that promotes efficiency and reduces production costs.

The mass production of interchangeable components is seen in China in the 12th century. The mass production of various metal components was ordered by many state-run monopolies. Europe embraced mass production in the town of Venice in the early 1100s.

The Venetian Arsenal was to become the largest industrial complex in the world. The arsenal encompassed 15 percent of Venice by area and employed more than 16,000 workers. The Venetians suggested the idea of mass production of parts on canals rather than using mechanical belts, but it was not until Henry Ford did it that the idea became a reality.

In the 1500s, an entire ship could be put together in a single day. A pair of leather boots or a motor vehicle are examples of custom-made items that are superior to the rest. A time-Consuming process of custom craftsmanship can negatively impact a company's efficiency and bottom line.