A millwright is a craftsman or skilled tradesman who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.
[1] The term millwright (also known as industrial mechanic[2]) is mainly used in the United States, Canada and South Africa to describe members belonging to a particular trade.
Having a working knowledge of drive shafts, 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.
[8] 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.
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..."[11] Through the 20th century, the trade adapted to the change.
Modern millwrights work with steel 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.
[12] Millwrights install, maintain, repair and troubleshoot stationary industrial machinery and mechanical equipment in sites such as factories, production plants and recreational facilities.
Millwrights in the power generation industry can assemble, set, align and balance turbines or rotors, as well as install pumps, valves, cranes, fans, and travelling screens.
[citation needed] Millwrights must have a good understanding of fluid mechanics (hydraulics and pneumatics), and all of the components involved in these processes, such as valves, cylinders, pumps and compressors.
[citation needed] Fields wherein South African millwrights may operate include: 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.