Occupational Employment Statistics
51-9051 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities, such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.
| Manufacturing | 110 | $24.54/hr |
- Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
- Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
- Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, using scrapers, solvents, air hoses, oil, and hand tools.
- Weigh or measure specified amounts of ingredients or materials for processing, using devices such as scales and calipers.
- Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
- Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
- Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.
- Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.
- Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.