Coating Machine Operators

Key Responsibilities

• Apply primer over any repairs made to surfaces.
• Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.
• Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.
• Set up portable equipment, such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, or scaffolding.
• Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons.
• Remove materials, parts, or workpieces from painting or coating machines, using hand tools.
• Operate lifting or moving devices to move equipment or materials to access areas to be painted.
• Remove grease, dirt, paint, or rust from surfaces in preparation for paint application, using abrasives, solvents, brushes, blowtorches, washing tanks, or sandblasters.
• Determine paint flow, viscosity, and coating quality by performing visual inspections, or by using viscometers.
• Sand and apply sealer to properly dried finish.
• Fill small dents or scratches with body fillers and smooth surfaces to prepare for painting.
• Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.
• Clean equipment and work areas.
• Record operational data on specified forms.
• Adjust controls on infrared ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, or exhaust units to speed the drying of surfaces between coats.
• Weigh or measure chemicals, coatings, or paints before adding them to machines.
• Monitor painting operations to identify flaws, such as blisters or streaks, and correct their causes.
• Turn dials, handwheels, valves, or switches to regulate conveyor speeds, machine temperature, air pressure and circulation, and the flow or spray of coatings or paints.
• Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes.
• Mix paints to match color specifications or original colors, stirring or thinning paints, using spatulas or power mixing equipment.
• Fill hoppers, reservoirs, troughs, or pans with material used to coat, paint, or spray, using conveyors or pails.
• Thread or feed items or products through or around machine rollers and dryers.
• Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings.
• Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers or power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths.
• Examine, measure, weigh, or test sample products to ensure conformance to specifications.
• Hold or position spray guns to direct spray onto articles.
• Observe machine gauges and equipment operation to detect defects or deviations from standards, and make adjustments as necessary.
• Attach hoses or nozzles to machines, using wrenches and pliers, and make adjustments to obtain the proper dispersion of spray.
• Buff and wax the finished paintwork.