Career summary

Details for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders


Description

Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

Tasks

  • Read work orders to determine production specifications and information.
  • Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
  • Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials.
  • Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms.
  • Examine materials, ingredients, or products, visually or with hands, to ensure conformance to established standards.
  • Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.
  • Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
  • Notify supervisors of needed repairs.
  • Set mill gauges to specified fineness of grind.
  • Reject defective products and readjust equipment to eliminate problems.
  • Clean work areas.
  • Transfer materials, supplies, and products between work areas, using moving equipment and hand tools.
  • Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery and equipment, using hand tools.
  • Inspect chains, belts, or scrolls for signs of wear.
  • Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes.
  • Test samples of materials or products to ensure compliance with specifications, using test equipment.
  • Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory testing.
  • Mark bins as to types of mixtures stored.
  • Turn valves to regulate the moisture contents of materials.
  • Load materials into machinery and equipment, using hand tools.
  • Add or mix chemicals and ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices.
  • Break mixtures to size, using picks.

Interests

  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
  • Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
  • Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
  • Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Knowledge

  • Production and Processing -Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Mechanical -Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Skills

  • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

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