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Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

Tasks


Core Tasks Include:

  • Weigh or measure specified amounts of ingredients or materials for processing, using devices such as scales and calipers.
  • Press and adjust controls in order to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
  • Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights in order to detect deviations from standards.
  • Read and interpret work orders and instructions in order to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
  • Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
  • Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators in order to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
  • Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, in order to ensure conformance to specifications.
  • Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, using scrapers, solvents, air hoses, oil, and hand tools.
  • Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.
  • Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.
  • Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.

Supplemental Tasks Include:

  • Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.
  • Feed fuel, such as coal and coke, into fireboxes or onto conveyors, and remove ashes from furnaces, using shovels and buckets.
  • Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures; and observe metal color and adjust controls as necessary in order to maintain required temperatures.
  • Replace worn or defective equipment parts, using hand tools.
  • Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.
  • Sprinkle chemicals on the surface of molten metal in order to bring impurities to surface and remove impurities, using strainers.
  • Direct crane operators and crew members to load vessels with materials to be processed.


The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™ 16.0.