The CNC Support Tech is responsible for set-up, calibration & trouble shooting of CNC machines along with associated equipment. This includes supporting production operators with machine & fixture related problems.
What you will do
- Set-up, calibrate & perform alarm recovery on CNC mills & supporting equipment
- Installation, removal & calibration of; 4th & 5th axis trunnions, clamping vises, (mechanical & hydraulic) Vacuum fixturing & associated pneumatics
- When appropriate, make setting or parameter offsets on CNC machines & associated equipment
- Install, calibrate & inspect digital CNC probes, (tool probe & work probe)
- Assist with maintaining inventory of CNC cutting tools, holders & misc. equipment, including organizing, sorting & record keeping.
- Assist with inspecting & changing of CNC cutting tools & holders per conditional requirements, when appropriate
- Assist with installation, set-up & calibration of CNC cutting tools
- Perform comprehensive calibrations and operations on CNC Mills and equipment
- Provide feedback regarding tooling and machine related issues to appropriate departments
- Work with, assist and coach operators, as required regarding tooling & machine related criteria
- Engage with and manage work orders as appropriate
- Assist with diagnosing & troubleshooting tool wear and tooling inconsistencies
- Provide feedback regarding machine & equipment status
- Assist with & perform material type changeovers on CNC machines (Flexing of tool sets)
- Assist with coolant pressure, coolant concentricity & vacuum pressure audits
- Assist in maintaining, assembling, inspecting & inventory of work holding fixtures
- Ability to Communicate updates by use of email & verbal communication
- Adhere to all quality and safety standards within the department.
- Maintain clean and organized work area with emphasis on safety, quality, efficiency, and utilization.
- Continually seek to improve work processes and individual performance.
- Adhere to all company policies and operational procedures.
- Perform additional tasks as assigned.
What it takes
- Minimal High School diploma or equivalent Education
- 5 years of manual machining or CNC experience
- Experience with CNC digital work probe & tooling probes (set-up, replacement, recovery)
- Experience with troubleshooting & recovering CNC machine alarms
- Must be mechanically inclined
- Knowledge of CNC mill setup and operation
- Strong Problem-Solving skills
- Able to work safely with sharp & heavy objects (i.e. cutting tools, fixtures, etc.)
- Able to use required measuring instruments such as calipers, dial indicators, inspections cameras, etc.
- Able to perform consistent quality inspection of cutting tools
- Able to safely operate handheld and stationary power tools
- Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office (i.e. Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Outlook etc.)
- Skilled in the use of measuring instruments such as indicators, gage blocks, dial bores, and inspection plate methods along with in-process inspection of precision machined parts
- Ability to work with close tolerances (0.0005”) of all processes
- Basic Knowledge of cutting feeds, speeds, and tool life
- Able to read and write in English along with ability to complete basic arithmetic
Bonus point for
- Experience with cutting tools (drills, saws, grinders, etc)
- Experience with professional inspection & quality audits
- Experience with CNC digital work probe & tooling probes (set-up, replacement, recovery)
- Experience with troubleshooting & recovering CNC machine alarms
- Manual machining or CNC machining experience
- Experience with 3, 4 and 5 axis mill setup and operation
- Experience with Haas & Mazak machine tools
- Experience with Robot automation
- Manual machining experience
- Knowledge of basic CNC programming techniques
Skills Required
- High school diploma or equivalent
- 5 years of manual machining or CNC experience
- Experience with CNC digital work probes and tooling probes (set-up, replacement, recovery)
- Experience troubleshooting and recovering CNC machine alarms
- Knowledge of CNC mill setup and operation, including 3, 4 and 5 axis concepts
- Mechanically inclined with strong problem-solving skills
- Able to work safely with sharp and heavy objects and lift/move up to 70 pounds
- Proficient using measuring instruments (calipers, dial indicators, dial bores, gage blocks, inspection cameras) and in-process inspection methods
- Ability to perform consistent quality inspection of cutting tools and holders
- Able to safely operate handheld and stationary power tools
- Basic knowledge of cutting feeds, speeds, and tool life
- Ability to work with close tolerances (0.0005")
- Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook)
- Able to read and write English and perform basic arithmetic
- Eligible to work in the U.S. per ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee) — temporary visa holders not eligible
Protolabs Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Protolabs and has not been reviewed or approved by Protolabs.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision options are broadly available and described as good to excellent. Additional protections like short- and long-term disability and life insurance bolster the overall package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — A starting PTO allotment plus paid holidays, along with added wellness and volunteer time, is emphasized, with some roles noting PTO growth over tenure. Paid caregiver leave appears in postings and supports flexibility for life events.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting is offered, supporting long-term savings. This foundation is frequently cited alongside core financial benefits as a strong element of total rewards.
Protolabs Insights
What We Do
Protolabs is the world's fastest digital manufacturing source for rapid prototyping and on-demand production. The technology-enabled company produces custom parts and assemblies in as fast as 1 day with automated 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding processes. Our digital approach to manufacturing enables accelerated time to market, reduces development and production costs, and minimizes risk throughout the product life cycle. 3D Printing Our 3D printing service offers a wide selection of materials and technologies to create prototypes and end-use parts with complex geometries and detailed features. With tight process controls, careful design reviews, and extensive quality monitoring, we ensure precise and repeatable 3D-printed parts, every time. CNC Machining We use 3- and 5-axis milling along with turning to machine parts from commercial-grade plastics and metals. Our online quoting system and automated manufacturing process enable us to ship parts within 24 hours, helping customers accelerate development and reduce time to market. Sheet Metal Fabrication Protolabs is an industry leader in quick-turn sheet metal parts for both prototyping and low-volume production. Our digital approach to manufacturing enables us to fabricate sheet metal parts in as fast as 5 days. Additionally, we can support our customers’ development efforts with component assemblies, several finish options, and screen printing. Injection Molding Our injection molding service offers two options—prototyping and on-demand manufacturing—which provide customers a tooling solution that aligns with their project’s requirements. It’s used for quick-turn prototyping, bridge tooling, and low-volume production of up to 10,000+ parts in 15 days or less.
