Watch clips from "How It's Made" to see how objects like artificial limbs, nails, footballs, mustard, and more are made. Choose a few to watch--which one surprised you most?

Watch how the objects all around us are made.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Crushing, Grinding, Polishing, Mixing, and Blending Workers

Production Occupations

Other Production Occupations

Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.

Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.

Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes.

Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials.

Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Overview

Career

What Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Do

Other Job Titles Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Overview

Career

What Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Do

Other Job Titles Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Related Careers

Related Leaders