Shop-floor Knowledge Map
Every trade, in process order, with four levels: Junior (1-3 years), Intermediate (3-5), Senior (5-8) and Management. Click a trade for its level guide, or jump straight to a level.
Forming Workshop
Surface Preparation
Plating Workshop
Painting Workshop
Equipment & Quality
Boss / management view
Tip: use the search box for "trade + level", for example barrel senior or spray management.
Technician levels: what changes at each step
| Level | Typical experience | What you are trusted with | How to move up |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 Apprentice | 0-1 year | Racking, loading, cleaning, recording readings | Pass the safety and bath-log checks |
| L2 Operator | 1-3 years | Running a line to a set recipe, first-line fault finding | Hold a batch within spec for 4 weeks without rework |
| L3 Senior technician | 3-6 years | Bath analysis, Hull cell judgement, recipe adjustment | Solve a repeat defect with documented root cause |
| L4 Line owner | 6-10 years | Whole line output, cost per part, training others | Own yield and salt-spray pass rate for a quarter |
| L5 Process engineer | 10+ years | New line design, chemistry selection, customer specs | Deliver a line or a spec change that holds |
| L6 Master | 15+ years | Cross-process troubleshooting, industry-level mentoring | Recognised by peers; trains other line owners |
Titles differ by factory. The competencies behind them do not.
The four skills that decide your level
- Reading a bath: knowing which number moved before the part failed
- Rack thinking: current distribution, contact points, shadows
- Defect discipline: one cause per test, written down
- Cost awareness: chemical consumption and rework per 1,000 parts
FAQ
Can I skip levels with experience from another factory?
Assess by competency, not by years. A technician who can run a Hull cell and read a salt-spray report usually starts at L3 regardless of title.
What should I learn first if I only run one bath?
Rinsing and contamination control. Most defects attributed to a bath start in the rinse stage before it.