Manufacturing Machine Operator

Key Responsibilities

• Couple air and gas lines to machines to maintain plasticity of material and to regulate solidification of final products.
• Swab molds with solutions to prevent products from sticking.
• Send product samples to laboratories for analysis.
• Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
• Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
• Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
• Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.
• Select and install machine components, such as dies, molds, and cutters, according to specifications, using hand tools and measuring devices.
• Remove molds, mold components, and feeder tubes from machinery after production is complete.
• Synchronize speeds of sections of machines when producing products involving several steps or processes.
• Feed products into machines by hand or conveyor.
• Turn controls to adjust machine functions, such as regulating air pressure, creating vacuums, and adjusting coolant flow.
• Activate machines to shape or form products, such as candy bars, light bulbs, balloons, or insulation panels.
• Remove materials or products from molds or from extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.
• Install, align, and adjust neck rings, press plungers, and feeder tubes.
• Disassemble equipment to repair it or to replace parts, such as nozzles, punches, and filters.
• Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines.
• Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
• Measure, mix, cut, shape, soften, and join materials and ingredients, such as powder, cornmeal, or rubber to prepare them for machine processing.
• Move materials, supplies, components, and finished products between storage and work areas, using work aids such as racks, hoists, and handtrucks.
• Pour, scoop, or dump specified ingredients, metal assemblies, or mixtures into sections of machine prior to starting machines.
• Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
• Measure arbors and dies to verify sizes specified on work tickets.
• Clean dies, arbors, compression chambers, and molds, using swabs, sponges, or air hoses.
• Complete work tickets, and place them with products.
• Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.