Many prototype parts, fixtures and hardware items necessary for an experiment or weapons system have to be machined — shaped, cut or finished by a mechanical device. Behind every such device is a carefully trained machinist. Here’s a peak at the people behind the craft and the trade that underpins much of the Lab’s work.
Masters of the trade
Machinists spend decades mastering a trade that rewards patience and precision in equal measure. The Laboratory’s Mark Smith has spent nine of his nearly 30 years in the trade at Los Alamos. He said the work takes more effort than most people realize.
“It's not just the programming and figuring out how to make a part,” Smith said. “You have to understand the tooling you're going to use to make it. I think that’s one of the things people don’t understand: How much a machinist has to be able to visualize and how much cross-knowledge they need across so many different things to make it work.”
At Los Alamos, Smith has been able to apply the techniques he has learned over the years to work on extremely complex and precise projects. Before he ever opens design software, Smith sketches out how a part will be held and indexed through each operation, first working through the sequence in his head. Tolerance, he explained, gets used up a little at a time with every operation, so a part can look fine early on and run out of room for error by the final step if that sequence isn't planned carefully.
Keeping the mission moving
Smith is one of dozens of machinists working across the Laboratory’s machine shops, often handling hazardous and classified materials. His colleagues include journeyperson veterans and recent graduates of the Lab's machinist apprentice program. He also mentors two colleagues, working with them daily on high-end, classified machines.
“Everybody is working toward the same mission, which is of huge importance,” Smith said. “We're doing something that is helping to protect the humanity of this country. It’s always been an extreme honor to be a part of something like that.”
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