Editing Machinist (section)

{{Short description|Skilled operator of machine tools}}
{{Redirect|Machinists||Machinist (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox occupation
| image= Dreher an einer Drehbank.jpg
| caption= Machinist, operating a metal lathe
| official_names= 
<!------------Details------------------->
| type= [[Skilled trades|Vocational]]
| activity_sector= Industrial manufacturing
| competencies= Patience, steady hand, ability to read plans, attention to detail, physically strong
| employment_field= Industrial manufacturing
| related_occupation= [[Millwright]]
| average_salary=
| formation= [[Industrial Training Institute]], [[Apprenticeship]]
}}
[[File:US Navy 030227-N-9403F-006 Machinery repair aboard USS Abraham Lincoln CVN 72.jpg|thumb|Machinery repairman creates helicopter part aboard an aircraft carrier]]

A '''machinist''' is a [[tradesperson]] or trained professional who operates [[machine tool]]s, and has the ability to set up tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling machines.{{clarify|date=October 2022}}

A competent machinist will generally have a strong mechanical aptitude, the ability to correctly use precision measuring instruments and to interpret blueprints, and a working knowledge of the proper parameters required for successfully utilizing the various tools commonly used in [[machining]] operations. CNC (computer numerical control) comprises one of the most recent advances in manufacturing, in which a machinist uses specialized software to generate programmatic instructions (most commonly [[G-code]]) which are in turn interpreted by the machine to make components for a wide variety of industries. CNC programming is a skilled position which requires knowledge of math, speeds and feeds, machine tooling, work holding, and the different ways various materials react to stress and heat in the machining process.