Nature of the Work Industrial machinery repairers maintain and repair machinery found in a plant or factory. This must be done accurately and quickly because an idle machine will delay production. In addition, a machine that is not properly repaired and maintained may damage the final product and injure the operator. All these factors cost companies money. This includes keeping machines and their parts well oiled, greased, and cleaned.
Repairers regularly inspect machinery and check performance.
For example, they adjust and calibrate automated manufacturing equipment such as industrial robots and rebuild components of other industrial machinery. Maintenance mechanics must be able to spot minor problems and correct them before they become major ones. For example, after hearing a vibration from a machine, the mechanic must decide whether it is due to worn belts, weak motor bearings, or some other problem. Self-diagnostic features on new industrial machinery can determine the cause of a malfunction and, in some cases, can alert the mechanic to potential trouble spots before symptoms develop. After diagnosing the problem, the mechanic disassembles the equipment and repairs or replaces the necessary parts.