Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

What extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do

Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

Typical tasks

1. 1Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.
2. 2Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
3. 3Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.
4. 4Troubleshoot, maintain, and make minor repairs to equipment.
5. 5Change dies on extruding machines, according to production line changes.
6. 6Load machine hoppers with mixed materials, using augers, or stuff rolls of plastic dough into machine cylinders.
7. 7Install dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials.
8. 8Operate shearing mechanisms to cut rods to specified lengths.
9. 9Maintain an inventory of materials.
10. 10Clean work areas.

Technology used

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• SAP software

How to become one

Experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Training

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.