Jobs in Production and Assembly

Basically, all positions in manufacturing and assembly involve the ongoing operation of production processes. Typical manufacturing sectors are:

• Automotive, chemical and pharmaceutical industries
• Metal & Steel Industry
• electronics
• Wood processing
• Plastics industry
• Food/food industry
• Textile processing

When it comes to the production processes of the various industries, a distinction can be made between two basic areas of application: On the one hand, personnel are used who actively operate the machines and thus carry out the production. These activities can often be found under job descriptions such as production assistant, machine operator or assembly assistant. However, specific technical experts are often required in production. These can be, for example, grinders, milling cutters, mixers or painters.

On the other hand, personnel is needed to maintain, repair or convert the production machines. These positions usually fall under the heading of mechanics. The advertised positions are usually for machine and plant mechanics, process mechanics, industrial mechanics or converters. Depending on the complexity of the production process and the machines involved, these direct and indirect activities are also carried out by the same worker.

In some cases, special machines are used in production and training is required to operate them. These include, for example, so-called CNC machines (Computerized Numerical Control). These are machine tools that can automatically produce workpieces with high precision, even for complex shapes. In this area there are jobs as CNC grinders or CNC millers, which are part of the professional field of cutting mechanics.

Depending on the industry and specific activity, the requirements for personnel in production and assembly also differ greatly.

There are simple tasks such as classic assembly line work, in which components have to be assembled or packaged using recurring steps. Often no training is required for this, but what counts most is dexterity, care and speed.

Particularly in industries that work with certain materials - such as wood processing or metal construction - there are often higher demands on production personnel. Completed vocational training is usually necessary here in order to be able to handle the material to be processed ideally and to ensure professional production. Production is often not fully automated. Instead, it consists of a combination of automated, machine production and manual fine and post-processing. It is then relevant for specialist personnel to be familiar with the properties of the material used (e.g. wood, metal or electronic components).

Activities of production employees at a glance:

• Monitoring and operating machines
• Assembly activities
• Manual finishing and post-processing
• Quality control & error control (See also jobs in the “Quality” area -> Link to the “Quality” topic page)
• Sorting / picking, as well as packaging of goods and preparation for shipping (see also jobs in the “Warehouse & Logistics” area -> link to the “Warehouse and Logistics” topic page)
• Tidying up and cleaning the facilities

(However, each production facility has its own requirements, so some of the activities mentioned may represent separate jobs.)

Professional production requires important knowledge and skills in dealing with the valuable material that is processed in the individual production process. For this reason, many jobs in production require technical and craft vocational training. These include, among others, the professions of locksmith, metalworker, mechatronics engineer, grinder, milling cutter or carpenter. In the food industry, training as a food technician, baker, butcher or cook is in demand.

For low-complexity production processes, a short training phase is often sufficient, so that the activities can be carried out without prior knowledge (including as a temporary worker or holiday job).

In the area of machine maintenance and conversion, technical vocational training is usually also a prerequisite. Trained specialists such as industrial and plant mechanics, mechatronics engineers, electricians and (machine) locksmiths are employed here.

One thing is clear: the professional field of production and assembly is as diverse as the goods that emerge from it. Accordingly, there are countless options for finding professional fulfillment here. Are you interested in working on machines and do you like creating new things? Then you are sure to find the right position in this diverse industry.