Glossary
Press Operator Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential press operator terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key press operator vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in press operator training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Blank
- Flat cut piece.
- Burr
- Sharp edge.
- Die
- Tool that shapes parts.
- First article
- First part checked before a run.
- Light curtain
- Safety sensor.
- Lockout/tagout
- Energy isolation before servicing.
- PPE
- Personal protective equipment.
- Press brake
- Bends sheet metal.
- Progressive die
- Multiple stations.
- Scrap
- Parts that fail inspection.
- Shut height
- Die height setting.
- SOP
- Standard operating procedure.
- Stamping
- Pressing metal into shapes.
- Tonnage
- Press force.
- Two-hand control
- Safety start.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Press Operator practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Press Operator training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.