Profession plastic furniture machine operator

Plastic furniture machine operators tend plastic processing machines that produce pieces such as plastic chairs and tables. They inspect each resulting product, detect abnormalities and remove inadequate pieces. In some cases, they may assemble different plastic parts to obtain the final product.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Injection moulding machine parts

  Parts of the machine that melts and injects molten plastic into moulds such as the hopper, the reciprocating screw, the injection barrel and the injection cylinder.

• 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.

• Types of plastic

  Types of plastic materials and their chemical composition, physical properties, possible issues and usage cases.

Skills

• Finish plastic products

  Finish the product by sanding, branding and polishing the plastic surface.

• Maintain plastic machinery

  Maintain machinery and equipment for making plastic goods, to ensure that it is clean and in safe, working order. Perform routine maintenance on equipment and adjust when necessary, using hand and power tools.

• 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.

• 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.

• Tend injection moulding machine

  Operate and monitor a machine that contains a reciprocating screw that forces the raw material forwards while inducing melting, and injects the molten plastic into a mould.

• Use moulding techniques

  Apply moulding techniques.

• Assemble plastic parts

  Align and arrange plastic parts in order to assemble complete products, using the appropriate hand tools.

• Remove processed workpiece

  Remove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.

• Operate plastic machinery

  Operate machines and equipment used for creating plastic parts and products such as injection, extrusion, compression or blow moulding machines.

• Fill moulds

  Fill up moulds with appropriate materials and ingredient mixes.

• Extract products from moulds

  Remove finished products from moulds and examine them in detail for anomalies.

• Apply a protective layer

  Apply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.

• Maintain mould parts

  Carry out minor repair tasks and maintenance of moulds and mould parts.

• Manipulate plastic

  Manipulate the properties, shape and size of plastic.

• 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.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB