Career Details :: Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Description
Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.
Tasks
- Replaces worn dies when products vary from specifications.
- Reels extruded product into rolls of specified length and weight.
- Studies specifications, determines setup procedures, and selects machine dies and parts.
- Examines extruded product for defects, such as wrinkles, bubbles, and splits.
- Tests physical properties of product with testing devices, such as acid-bath tester, burst tester, and impact tester.
- Selects nozzles, spacers, and wire guides, according to diameter and length of rod.
- Operates shearing mechanism to cut rods to specified length.
- Measures extruded articles for conformance to specifications and adjusts controls to obtain product of specified dimensions.
- Installs dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machine extruding thermoplastic or metal materials.
- Loads machine hopper with mixed materials, using auger, or stuffs rolls of plastic dough into machine cylinders.
- Adjusts controls to draw or press metal into specified shape and diameter.
- Weighs and mixes pelletized, granular, or powdered thermoplastic materials and coloring pigments.
- Starts machine and sets controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and synchronizes speed of extrusion.
Related Careers
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters and Set-Up Operators
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
- Grinding, Honing, Lapping, and Deburring Machine Set-Up Operators
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Numerical Control Machine Tool Operators and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Semiconductor Processors
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Tool and Die Makers
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, Material
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Degree of Automation
- Indoors
- Consequence of Error
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Related Majors
| Major | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Pre-business |  [ add ] |
| Pre-civil Engineering | [ add ] |
| Pre-medicine Studies | [ add ] |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.