Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also called Furnace Operator, Heat Treat Operator, Heat Treat Technician, or Heat Treater
What Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
What you'd actually do
- Read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated.
- Record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times.
- Adjust controls to maintain temperatures and heating times, using thermal instruments and charts, dials and gauges of furnaces, and color of stock in furnaces to make setting determinations.
- Start conveyors and open furnace doors to load stock, or signal crane operators to uncover soaking pits and lower ingots into them.
- Set up and operate or tend machines, such as furnaces, baths, flame-hardening machines, and electronic induction machines, that harden, anneal, and heat-treat metal.
- Remove parts from furnaces after specified times, and air dry or cool parts in water, oil brine, or other baths.
- Move controls to light gas burners and to adjust gas and water flow and flame temperature.
- Instruct new workers in machine operation.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
What you'll need to know
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Chemistry
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Machine Tool Technology 299 colleges
- Machine Shop Technology / Assistant 131 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 51-4191.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.