Numerical Control Machining and the Issue of Deskilling

Abstract

Empirical research and analytic thinking about the effects of numerical control (NC) machining on the skills of machinists present a mixed view of the issue. Some researchers and analysts report that the operation of NC equipment requires more overall skill than that of conventional machines, while others suggest that only the types of skills may be different. Still others claim that a radical deskilling of machinists has been taking place. Differences in definition of skill account for some divergent views, but the issue is more than semantic. Interviews with a small group of machinists experienced in both conventional and NC matching suggest that seven major factors affect whether the introduction of NC machining leads to a change in overall skill level or in the skill mix. The interview data do not support the deskilling hypothesis.