Occupational Employment Statistics
51-4051 Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel. Excludes “Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic" (51-4191).
| Manufacturing | 240 | $27.23/hr |
|
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
| N/A | $27.11/hr | 2.6% |
|
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
| 110 | $22.94/hr | -7.6% |
|
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
| N/A | $25.08/hr | 1.4% |
|
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
| 1,510 | $25.97/hr | 4.5% |
|
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
| 580 | $28.42/hr | -4.6% |
|
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
| 140 | $24.70/hr | -16.7% |
|
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
| 140 | $25.89/hr | -5.3% |
|
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
| N/A | N/A | 5.9% |
|
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
| 100 | $25.20/hr | -6.3% |
|
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
- Record production data, and maintain production logs.
- Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
- Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers.
- Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
- Sprinkle chemicals over molten metal to bring impurities to the surface.
- Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers.
- Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
- Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
- Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.