Profession glass forming machine operator

Glass forming machine operators operate and maintain machines that press or blow molten glass in moulds to form or shape products, such as neons, bottles, jars and drinking glasses. They set up and adjust machines, and weigh, measure and check production samples to check conformity to the set specifications.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Blow moulding

  The three main techniques to create hollow plastic and glass parts, namely extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding and injection stretch blow molding.

• Quality standards

  The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

Skills

• Troubleshoot

  Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

• Prevent casting adhesion

  Prevent the casting sticking to the moulds by brushing the mould with oil, hot wax or graphite solution, according to the specification of each casting component.

• Wear appropriate protective gear

  Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.

• Inspect glass sheet

  Inspect the drawn sheets of glass in order to detect any flows such as blisters or stones, signalling the defective glass sheets.

• Perform test run

  Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

• Clean moulds

  Clean the mould using water, grease or oil, washing and scraping them by hand.

• Set up the controller of a machine

  Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

• Supply machine

  Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

• Observe glass under heat

  Observe the characteristics of the glass already set into the kiln so that cracking, warping or blistering is avoided.

• Monitor automated machines

  Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

• Measure materials

  Measure the raw materials prior to their loading in the mixer or in machines, ensuring they conform with the specifications.

• Adjust feeder tubes

  Use wrenches to install and adjust the tubes that carry the gob to the moulds.

• Optimise production processes parameters

  Optimise and maintain the parameters of the production process such as flow, temperature or pressure.

• Observe products' behaviour

  Observe the color of fires and pyrometric cones under certain processing conditions such as high temperature.

• Tend glass forming machines

  Tend automatic glass forming machines by setting them up and operating them in order to press, blow, or spin gobs of molten glass in moulds having end-products such as bottles, containers or cathode ray tubes.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB