What is a Toolroom?

A toolroom is a facility where people make, store, and repair tools and machining equipment. It can vary in scope from a storage shed on a worksite to a large facility inside a factory for making equipment the factory will use on its production line. In locations where people produce and fix tools in the toolroom, they may need special training in topics like metalworking, machining, and equipment manufacture. Some skill sets are especially valuable, and people may be eligible for high rates of pay in the toolroom.

On the lower end of the scale, a toolroom provides a place for people to store tools and make basic repairs to tools that need servicing before people can use them again. It will include racks, shelves, and drawers to hold tools, along with a workbench where people can work on their equipment. Typically, the toolroom has stocks of lubricant and basic supplies for working on tools. A highly skilled person may be able to handle all repairs, while others may need to send complex repair problems out for specialty work.

At the next level up, a toolroom also has space for making tools. Metalworking facilities may have a need for custom tools and equipment, and may produce those products on site. The room will include metalworking equipment so people can hammer, grind, and finish pieces. In addition, the space usually has room for storage and repair. People working in this environment may have advanced metalworking training and, in some cases, have qualifications like engineering degrees.

In manufacturing settings, the toolroom has personnel and equipment capable of producing complex parts and machinery. They can custom design tools and die casting or cutting equipment, making everything from molds for mass-produced car parts to metalworking equipment for use on the factory floor. This work requires designing equipment appropriate for use in mass production. It needs to be durable, as well as easy to use at high speed.

Working in a toolroom can be dirty and tiring. The space usually has hazards like metal shavings, chemicals, and dangerous equipment, and people often end up greasy at the end of the day, depending on the type of work they do. It can also be very rapid in pace, as when problems occur on the factory floor, the staff need to be able to quickly identify and fix the issue to avoid holdups in production. Quick thinking, as well as skill with metal fabrication and problem-solving, is critical.