A professional who analyzes blueprints or prototype parts to determine tools, fixtures, and equipment needed for manufacture and plans sequence of operations for fabrication and assembly of products, such as aircraft assemblies, automobile parts, cutting tools, or ball bearings. Responsibilities include:

• Studies engineering blueprints, drawings, models, and other specifications to obtain data on proposed part.
• Applies knowledge of functions and processes of various departments and capacities of machines and equipment to determine tool requirements and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts.
• Lists operations to be performed on routing card or paper, indicates machines, cutting tools, fixtures, and other equipment to be used, and estimates times needed to perform each operation.
• May prepare reports for production planner in scheduling work for entire plant.
• May plan tool and operation sequences for only one department.
• May specify type of material to be used in construction of tools.