Every pathway ramps your autonomy without ditching safety or documentation. Treat each level as a contract: you agree to carry specific skills, and we agree to sign off only when you can prove it on the machine.
- Recite core lab safety and PPE rules without peeking.
- Launch pre-approved jobs using existing slicer/CAM profiles.
- Run the operator checklist for start-up, mid-print checks, and shutdown.
- Log every run and hiccup in the machine's maintenance/incident docs.
- Complete the machine-specific operator checklist with a mentor shadowing.
- Pass the short quiz in each machine's
trainingfolder. - Capture your mentor's name + date inside the checklist and file it back in the repo or shared drive.
- Machine checklists live here:
- Lab Safety and the Onboarding walkthrough.
- Each machine's
README.mdquick start + linked SOP. - The relevant pipeline primer: 3D Printing Pipeline or CNC Pipeline.
- Shadow an experienced operator; narrate your steps to prove you understand the “why,” not just the button order.
- Primary contact: the machine steward listed at the top of that machine's
README.md. - Backup: drop notes in the shared maintenance log and tag the steward in your commit/PR.
- Escalation: open an issue in this repo and assign it to the shop manager (currently the repo maintainer). If it is a safety hold, pause the machine and page the lab manager immediately.
- Swap materials, tooling, beds, or fixtures without wrecking calibration.
- Edit slicer/CAM profiles for known-good variants (e.g., layer height swaps, nozzle swaps) and document rationale.
- Run preventative tasks: nozzle purges, bed tramming, enclosure checks, light maintenance.
- Diagnose common print/CNC failures and recover without additional mentor intervention.
- Extend the machine's operator checklist with setup tasks; if the section does not exist, clone the checklist template into the machine's
trainingfolder and document the changeover flow. - Demonstrate a full changeover in front of a mentor, including pre/post calibration checks.
- Update the machine's maintenance log with the changeover data and mentor signature.
- Reference and, when necessary, update these same checklists:
- Genmitsu Cubiko Operator Checklist — add the CNC-specific setup block.
- LulzBot Mini 3 Operator Checklist — fill in material/nozzle swap steps.
- MakerBot Method X Operator Checklist — annotate chamber prep + purge sequences.
- MakerBot Sketch Operator Checklist — include classroom-ready changeover notes.
- MakerBot Sketch+ Operator Checklist — sync with Sketch setup tasks.
- Machine-specific SOPs and maintenance sections in each
README.md. - Manufacturer guides linked from
machines/README.mdfor official calibration steps. - Pair-program with a maintainer while they perform a tune-up; capture the procedure in the checklist template for reuse.
- Post-mortem past incident reports to learn failure patterns before you have to fix them live.
- Primary contact: the machine steward or the Level 3 maintainer who owns that machine's calibration profile.
- Backup: log the setup session in the maintenance log and tag both the steward and the repo maintainer in your PR.
- Escalation: if tooling or materials are missing, open an issue and flag it “setup blocker”; for safety-critical gaps, halt usage and page the lab manager.
- Perform deep maintenance: belt tension, axis alignment, lubrication, sensor checks, firmware validation.
- Author and validate new machine profiles or SOP updates, including risk assessments.
- Lead root-cause analysis for incidents and coordinate follow-up repairs.
- Coach Level 1–2 operators, providing feedback and updating documentation based on what you observe.
- Build or update a maintainer-focused checklist (start from the checklist template) and commit it alongside calibration logs.
- Execute a full preventative maintenance cycle with another maintainer auditing your work.
- Deliver an after-action report (short write-up + log entry) that details findings, adjustments, and any new documentation produced.
- Maintain references inside the same machine folders so the audit trail stays tight:
- Genmitsu Cubiko Operator Checklist — add maintainer tasks until a dedicated file exists.
- LulzBot Mini 3 Operator Checklist — include firmware/axis checks.
- MakerBot Method X Operator Checklist — document chamber calibration + filter swaps.
- MakerBot Sketch Operator Checklist — track dual-head maintenance routines.
- MakerBot Sketch+ Operator Checklist — mirror the Sketch maintainer notes until a dedicated sheet is spun up.
- Deep-dive manufacturer maintenance manuals and support threads linked per machine.
- Troubleshooting template for structured RCA notes.
- Past calibration data and maintenance logs (living inside each machine folder).
- Peer review sessions: trade maintainer checklists with another machine steward and critique for clarity.
- Primary contact: shop manager / lead maintainer (repo maintainer until we split the role).
- Backup: schedule quarterly audits with another Level 3 maintainer; store findings in the machine folder.
- Escalation: if a machine is at risk, tag the lab manager and freeze the machine in the issue tracker. Document every intervention via PR to keep the accountability chain unbroken.
When in doubt, document louder than you think is necessary. The future operator should be able to reproduce your work using only these breadcrumbs — that is the punk promise.