Assemblers, or aircraft fabricators, are a significant part in the aircraft manufacturing process. They may assemble various finished products – plane or helicopter exteriors or parts that make up sections of the aircraft – and their work must increasingly embrace advancing technology and new design and technology in the aviation industry.
A structural metal fabricator is responsible for cutting, aligning, and making sure that pieces fit together prior to welding. A fiberglass fabricator creates products made from fiberglass.
What does the role of an aircraft fabricator consist of?
Aircraft fabricators will follow detailed drawings or specifications to find out job, material and equipment requirements, and much of the work will involve cutting, rolling and shaping, heating or hammering metal products to fabricate parts or sub-assemblies.
Other tasks include heat treating metal parts and components and setting up and operating hand and machine tools, welding equipment or computerised machines. The work also involves assembling parts and structures by lining up and joining them by welding, bolting or riveting.
There may also be an element of finishing products by cleaning, polishing, filing or bathing them in acid solutions. Experienced aircraft fabricators may work as part of a research and development team.
In a role as an aircraft fabricator it’s likely you will be working to ensure every aircraft or aircraft section is built and completed on time, on budget, and defect free. Operations will be performed according to Industry standards and often ‘lean’ best practices will need to be adhered to – meaning produced with no waste and to the slimmest budgets.
Another important element of the aircraft fabricator job is to ensure material requirements are identified and communicated in a timely fashion to the sourcing department. You may be dealing with other divisions and possibly with external suppliers.
What skills are needed to be an aircraft fabricator?
To succeed as an aircraft fabricator you’ll need to be the kind of person who enjoys technical activities, is interested in computer programmable machinery, has the strength to handle tools, machines and materials, and has good hand-eye co-ordination. It also helps to be patient and safety conscious.
How much does an aircraft fabricator earn?
According to our records, the average salary for an aircraft fabricator on our site in 2018 was £36,064.
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