Laboratory Mechanician Medical Facility

Class Specifications – I.20
Principal Laboratory Mechanician – Medical Facility – 8671
Senior Laboratory Mechanician – Medical Facility – 8672
Laboratory Mechanician – Medical Facility – 8673
Laboratory Mechanician Helper – Medical Facility – 8674

January, 1985

Series Concept

Laboratory Mechanicians – Medical Facility perform or supervise mechanical work at a medical facility involving the design, fabrication, assembly, modification arid maintenance and repair of specialized equipment and/or precision instruments of great variety; and perform other related duties as required.

Incumbents primarily perform work that requires machinist skills; however, at the higher levels, the duties require skills in other crafts e.g., sheetmetal and welding, as well as knowledge in such fields as electronics, optics and vacuum systems.

The Laboratory Mechanician series includes positions which range in level of skills from the trainee mechanician up to the mechanician who is required to conceptualize, design from rough ideas, and complete the fabrication and construction of complicated pieces of apparatus.

Class Concepts

Principal Laboratory Mechanician – Medical Facility

Incumbents supervise mechanical work, and/or perform mechanical work which requires top machinist’s skills as described at the Senior Laboratory Mechanician – Medical Facility level as well as participate in functional design.

Participation in functional design is characterized by the following:

Guidelines provided consist mainly of rough sketches, and oral information is related only to the basic design of the apparatus.
Specific details as to component relationships, sizes, fits shapes and materials are not provided and such details are developed by the incumbent as fabrication progresses.
Assignments require incumbents to apply a high degree of comprehension of the researcher’s needs and an understanding of the restrictions of the test environment in which the equipment will be operated.
Researchers depend on the originality and ingenuity of incumbents for the solution of fabrication, assembly, installation and related problemso
Incumbents frequently suggest changes in the design of an object to solve problems which inhibit the functional utilization of the device. These problems may include heat exchange; vibration; seals, finishes; pump-out; mirror alignment and polish; telescopic alignment; practical materials; interference; insulation; axis orientation; electromechanical control; set up and winding of high precision wire coils as in superconducting magnets or resistance thermometers; pressure or vacuum (heli-arc) welding; expansion; and stress.
Incumbents may suggest components and mechanisms such as mounts for optical lenses, mirrors, filters, timing devices, springs, gear trains~ balance mechanisms, thermocouples, and coils and resistors.

When positions are allocated to the principal level solely on supervision, the incumbents are typically responsible for the management of the shop and the supervision of three or more mechanicians.

Senior Laboratory Mechanician – Medical Facility

Incumbents perform machining work that requires the knowledge and skill of a top level machinist. The knowledge and skills include: knowledge of separate machining characterisitics of a wide variety of materials; a comprehensive knowledge of shop practices and machining principles with standard and special machine tools; a high degree of manual dexterity to work within close tolerances on special shapes e.g., conical mirrors; microwave transition pieces; knife edge metallic gasket seals and metallic pinch gaskets. Incumbents perform other related duties as required.

Senior Laboratory Mechanicians – Medical Facility may also perform such duties as fabrication of special templates and fixtures; progressive hard soldering,; skilled sheetmetal and welding work; assembly, installation, repair and maintenance of specialized apparatus as well as participating in facilitative design.

Participation in facilitative design is characterized by the following:

Incumbents work from unchecked drawings, sketches or oral instructions with responsibility for establishing or checking accuracy of all dimensions and clearances supplied.
Incumbents discuss fabrication problems with supervisors, engineers or researchers, outlining difficulties encountered; errors in dimensions; improper location of fasteners and other similar deficiencies; and may occasionally recommend changes or means to solve minor fabrication problems or otherwise improve the object.
Incumbents may train a group of students in standard machine shop practices or work with graduate students who are in a training capacity in the construction of research apparatus.

Laboratory Mechanician – Medical Facility

Incumbents perform journey-level machining work; set up and operate all standard machine tools; apply accepted shop practices, machining principles and standard techniques; perform sheetmetal and welding work; read and interpret blueprints, sketches and other guides in the assembly, installation, repair and maintenance of specialized apparatus; and perform other related duties as required.

Laboratory Mechanician Helper – Medical Facility

Under the supervision of a higher level mechanician, incumbents perform skilled and semi-skilled mechanical work involved in the assembly, maintenance, and repair of specialized apparatus; and perform other related duties as required.

The Laboratory Mechanician Helper – Medical Facility is typically used for trainees who are acquiring journey-level skil1s in the operation of all standard machine shop equipment and may perform additional related craft duties at a semi-skilled level.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants for positions in the Laboratory Mechanician -Medical Facility series are expected to possess the skills, knowledges, and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Note: Specific qualification requirements are approved for positions by the Personnel Manager in accordance wih the provisions of Staff Personnel Policies 210.9 and 210.9.