Millwright
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A millwright is a craftsperson or skilled tradesperson who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites. The term ''millwright'' (also known as ''industrial mechanic'') is mainly used in the United States, Canada and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
to describe members belonging to a particular trade. Other countries use different terms to describe tradesmen engaging in similar activities. Related but distinct crafts include
machinist A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who not only operates machine tools, but also has the knowledge of tooling and materials required to create set ups on machine tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling ...
s,
mechanic A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars. Duties Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning an ...
s and mechanical fitters . As the name suggests, the original function of a millwright was the construction of
flour mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...
s,
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
s,
paper mills A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...
and
fulling mills Fulling, also known as felting, tucking or walking (Scots language, Scots: ''waukin'', hence often spelled waulking in Scottish English), is a step in woolen, woollen Textile manufacturing, clothmaking which involves the cleansing of woven o ...
powered by
water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
or
wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few hou ...
, made mostly of wood with a limited number of metal parts. Since the use of these structures originates in antiquity, millwrighting could arguably be considered one of the oldest engineering trades and the forerunner of modern mechanical engineering. In modern usage, a millwright is engaged with the erection of machinery. This includes such tasks as leveling, aligning, & installing machinery on foundations or base plates, or setting, leveling, & aligning
electric motor An electric motor is an Electric machine, electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a Electromagneti ...
s or other power sources such as turbines with the equipment, which millwrights typically connect with some type of
coupling A coupling is a device used to connect two shafts together at their ends for the purpose of transmitting power. The primary purpose of couplings is to join two pieces of rotating equipment while permitting some degree of misalignment or end mov ...
.


History


Before the modern era

Originally, millwrights were specialized
carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. ...
s who completely designed and constructed mills. Having a working knowledge of
driveshaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connec ...
s, bearings, gearing and mechanical belts, they executed every type of engineering operation in the construction of these mills. They designed the patterns of the water wheel systems, carved their gear mechanisms, and finally erected the mill machines. In the
Hellenistic period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 3 ...
,
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
millwrights invented the two main components of watermills, the waterwheel and toothed gearing. Greeks, along with the
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, were the first to operate undershot, overshot and breastshot waterwheel mills. Muslim millwrights adopted the Greek watermill technology from the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
, where it had been applied for centuries in those provinces conquered by the Muslims. They used several solutions to achieve the maximum output from watermills, by either mounting them to
pier image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
s of
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
s to take advantage of the increased flow or by using a shipmill, a type of watermill powered by water wheels mounted on the sides of ships
moored A mooring is any permanent structure to which a vessel may be secured. Examples include quays, wharfs, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys. A ship is secured to a mooring to forestall free movement of the ship on the water. An ''an ...
in
midstream The oil and gas industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. The midstream sector involves the transportation (by pipeline, rail, barge, oil tanker or truck), storage, and wholesale marketing of crud ...
. In Medieval Europe, millwrights built the first industrial mills which introduced new innovative uses of waterpower. A survey of the types introduced in Western Europe was conducted by Adam Robert Lucas. In China, in the late 14th century, the millwrights were known as ''jiang'' and ''kong'' (a special term for artisan-engineers) and existed at an early age. They learned their craft on the shop floor, in a kind of apprenticeship scheme. Sir William Fairbairn, a millwright of the late 19th century, wrote in his "Treatise on Mills and Millwork", "...the millwright of the late centuries was an itinerant engineer and mechanic of high reputation. He could handle the axe, the hammer, and the plane with equal skill and precision...he could set out and cut in the furrows of a millstone with an accuracy equal or superior to that of the miller himself."


Modern era

The introduction of the steam engine and the increasing importance of iron and steel changed the global industrial landscape. It created specialisation and the birth of new trades (
turners Turners (german: Turner) are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber, 1798–1872, were the leading sponsors of gy ...
, fitters, machine makers, and
mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...
s). It also changed the traditional job of the millwright. As James F. Hobart wrote in his book ''Millwrighting'', "The ancient type of millwright has passed away. He has gone with the old time carpenter and obsolete shoemaker - the former with 500 pounds of molding planes and woodworking tools, the latter with nothing but pegging and sewing awls, hammer, and knife..." Through the 20th century, the trade adapted to the change. Modern millwrights work with
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
and other materials and must often combine the skills of other mechanical trades in order to successfully install industrial machinery or to assemble machines from pre-fabricated parts. Modern millwrights must also be able to read
blueprints A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited numb ...
and other
schematics A schematic, or schematic diagram, is a designed representation of the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. A schematic usually omits all details that are not relevant to the key information the ...
to aid them in the construction of complex systems. Millwrights are frequently
unionized A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
, with estimated numbers of around 45% in the US.


Modern millwrights


General characteristics

Millwrights install, maintain, repair and troubleshoot stationary industrial machinery and mechanical equipment in sites such as factories, production plants and recreational facilities. However, the exact duties of a millwright vary depending on whether they are unionized or not, with union rules typically being more restrictive than non-union situations, which may have their own
job description A job description or JD is a written narrative that describes the general tasks, or other related duties, and responsibilities of a position. It may specify the functionary to whom the position reports, specifications such as the qualifications ...
. On a typical job millwrights: * read diagrams and schematic drawings and service manuals to determine work procedures * operate rigging equipment and dollies to place heavy machinery and parts * fit bearings, align gears and shafts, attach motors, and connect couplings and belts to precise tolerances * align and test equipment, and make any necessary adjustments * perform predictive and operational procedures * repair or replace defective parts * service and repair hydraulic and pneumatic systems * may do some welding (when not structural) and tack welding (a weld that is adequate in size to temporarily hold components in place until it can be completely welded by a registered apprentice welder or a journeyman welder when it is structural) and fabrication as well as maintain an inventory of replacement parts. *may install concrete for supports or flooring as needed. Modern standards of practice for millwrights also require working: * within precise limits or standards of accuracy * at heights without fear * using of logical step-by-step procedures in work * planning, solving problems and decision-making based on quantifiable information.


Areas of specialty

Millwrights by nature of their profession have to be extremely well versed in many aspects of construction/demobilization. They may install a
conveyor A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling equipment that moves materials from one location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in applications involving the transport of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow ...
system at an airport one week and the following week work at an industrial wastewater treatment plant.


Power industry

Millwrights in the power generation industry can assemble, set, align and balance
turbines A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful Work (physics), work. The work produced by a turbine can be used ...
or
rotor Rotor may refer to: Science and technology Engineering *Rotor (electric), the non-stationary part of an alternator or electric motor, operating with a stationary element so called the stator * Helicopter rotor, the rotary wing(s) of a rotorcraft ...
s, as well as install pumps, valves, cranes, fans, and travelling screens. Millwrights also perform critical lifts involving major components to be flown level at up to and within .005 inch (5 thousandths of an inch). Because of their training and expertise, Millwrights are generally chosen to work on tasks associated with flying and setting heavy machinery.


Training and education

Millwrights are also in demand as teachers for vocational programs, both at the high school level and in post-secondary institutions. Many high schools feature fabrication courses that include metal work, where the experience of a qualified millwright is valuable. Often, these millwrights are paid a premium based on their years of field experience.


Training

Millwrights must have a good understanding of
fluid mechanics Fluid mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the mechanics of fluids ( liquids, gases, and plasmas) and the forces on them. It has applications in a wide range of disciplines, including mechanical, aerospace, civil, chemical and bio ...
(
hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
and
pneumatics Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air. Pneumatic systems used in industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A centrally located and elec ...
), and all of the components involved in these processes, such as
valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
s,
cylinder A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...
s,
pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they u ...
s and
compressors A compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. An air compressor is a specific type of gas compressor. Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can trans ...
. They are also trained to work with a wide array of precision tools, such as
calipers A caliper (British spelling also calliper, or in plurale tantum sense a pair of calipers) is a device used to measure the dimensions of an object. Many types of calipers permit reading out a measurement on a ruled scale, a dial, or a digital dis ...
, micrometers, dial indicators, levels, gauge blocks, and optical and laser alignment tooling. Most millwrights are educated through
apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...
programs where they receive a combination of classroom education along with a good deal of on-the-job training. For example, in
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, the term of apprenticeship for a millwright is four years (four 12-month periods) including a minimum of 1560 hours of on-the-job training and eight weeks of technical training each year. Within the Steelworkers Union, known as the United Steelworkers or USW, the largest Industrial Union in North America, there is also a mix of both classroom and on-the-job training. Upon successful completion of required testing in blueprints, hydraulics, pneumatics, rigging, pipefitting, welding, burning, gears, couplings, and other various types of mechanical fasteners and machinery, as well as mobile equipment and other heavy machinery, a Millwright must also have 10 years of experience and seniority before being allowed to acquire one's Journeyman card from the International Union. Apprentices are usually paid a percentage of the average millwright's wage, and this percentage increases with experience. A typical training course, to qualify as a millwright, may include, among others, the following: * Shaft alignment * Rigging *
Welding Welding is a fabrication (metal), fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing Fusion welding, fusion. Welding is distinct from lower ...
*
Machining Machining is a process in which a material (often metal) is cut to a desired final shape and size by a controlled material-removal process. The processes that have this common theme are collectively called subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes ...
*
Electrical wiring Electrical wiring is an electrical installation of cabling and associated devices such as switches, distribution boards, sockets, and light fittings in a structure. Wiring is subject to safety standards for design and installation. Allowable ...
*
Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
fabrication * Conveyor systems *
Steam turbine A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turbin ...
installation *
Gas turbine A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directi ...
installation *
Blueprint A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...
basic, intermediate and advanced *
Safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
basic, intermediate and advanced *
Labor history Labor history or labour history is a sub-discipline of social history which specialises on the history of the working classes and the labor movement. Labor historians may concern themselves with issues of gender, race, ethnicity, and other fac ...
*
Associates degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The f ...
classes


South Africa

In South Africa, the millwright trade (especially focused on the mining sector) enjoys a far more versatile description than in most other countries. Fields wherein South African millwrights may operate include: * Low-, medium- and high-voltage electrical fault finding, installation, and maintenance. * PLC maintenance, installations, operations and fault finding. * Fitting; installation and maintenance of most mechanical equipment, as well as hydraulic and pneumatic systems. * Steelworks, rigging, * and various other miscellaneous fields all depending on the site, company, Mine Health and Safety Act, personal interest and specialization. At most trades training centers, prospective millwright artisans are required to have a certain level of theoretical certification (e.g. N3-Nated- certificate) and psychometric characteristics, judged by thorough testing, in order to qualify for the foundation practical and theoretical technical training. After being trained in a multitude of different fields, novice, unqualified Millwrights enter in an apprenticeship for "on-the-job" training. There they work alongside all available artisans regardless of trade, depending on the institution. Once they meet a structured quota of experience and pass the necessary modules, apprentices have two months to prepare for their practical Trade Test. After they passed, they receive the certification and status of a qualified Millwright Tradesman. Once millwrights qualify, they have the opportunity to qualify as technicians, engineers, planners, foremen and many other routes requiring mainly electrical and mechanical expertise. Many millwrights choose to enter the private sector to work on a contractual basis.


Prominent historical millwrights

A number of prominent early-modern
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
s originally trained as millwrights, including: *
James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...
* John Rennie *
William Fairbairn Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet of Ardwick (19 February 1789 – 18 August 1874) was a Scottish civil engineer, structural engineer and shipbuilder. In 1854 he succeeded George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson to become the third pre ...
*
Oliver Evans Oliver Evans (September 13, 1755 – April 15, 1819) was an American inventor, engineer and businessman born in rural Delaware and later rooted commercially in Philadelphia. He was one of the first Americans building steam engines and an advoca ...


See also

*
Stationary engineer A stationary engineer (also called an operating engineer, power engineer or process operator) is a technically trained professional who operates, troubleshoots and oversees industrial machinery and equipment that provide and utilize energy in vari ...


References

{{Construction overview, state=collapsed Woodworkers Metalworkers Construction trades workers