Millwrights or electromechanicians install and maintain heavy machinery used in industry. They perform maintenance work on production machines, electrically driven machines and electronic control gear.
The work is both mechanical and electrical. It involves dismantling, fault detection, repairing and in some cases, the manufacturing of parts, as well as the maintenance, reconstruction and installation of machinery.
With modern developments toward automation, this trade also requires knowledge of electronics as applied to the control of heavy electrically driven equipment. Millwrights should therefore have a thorough knowledge of the manufacturing of machine components.
Fault detection is one of the major responsibilities, as well as the installation of new machinery. In most cases the machine has to be dismantled before it is possible to determine where the fault lies. As it is often not possible to replace the defective component immediately, an electromechanician or millwright must be able to make temporary repairs, so that the machine can be used until the correct parts are available. This requires specialised knowledge of fitting. They must therefore have a thorough knowledge of the manufacturing of machined components.
Another important task of electromechanicians or millwrights is electrical installation. They dismantle electrical motors and test for faults, check wiring, as well as determine power output. This includes other functions such as the coupling of cables. Automation also requires skill in electronics as it is used in controlling heavy, electrically powered equipment.
Millwrights usually work indoors in the production sections of factories and industries. Work settings may range from modern and well-ventilated to hot, noisy and dirty, depending on the employer and the task. Some millwrights have to travel, especially those who work for construction companies, and therefore work in a variety of settings on site. Millwrights sometimes have to work long hours under difficult conditions and great tension to find and repair faults.