Profession vacuum forming machine operator

Vacuum forming machine operators tend, control, and maintain machines that heat sheets of plastic before moving them around a mould, using vacuum-suction; when these sheets become cool, they are permanently set in the shape of the mould.

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Personality Type

  • Realistic / Conventional
  • Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

  • Coating substances

    Have knowledge of various types of coating, providing a workpiece with one or more finishing layers of resins, sugars, powders, inactive and insoluable fillers, waxes, gums, plasticisers, colouring materials, lacquer, and others.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Conform to health and safety regulations

    Carry out all work in accordance with relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements and company policies. Take the necessary health and safety precautions during work including posture the body well, safely operate tools and machinery, and wear the right clothes and protection for the climate.

  • Heat up vacuum forming medium

    Switch on the medium heater to heat the vacuum forming medium to the right temperator before using the vacuum to press it onto the mould. Make sure the medium is at a high enough temperature to be malleable, but not so high as to introduce wrinkles or webbing in the final product.

  • Prepare mould for vacuum forming

    Make sure the mould is set securely in place for the vacuum forming process. Verify that the mould is adequate, and that all cavities to be filled are exposed to the vacuum power.

  • Monitor gauge

    Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.

  • Control temperature

    Measure and adjust temperature of a given space or object.

  • Troubleshoot

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

  • Optimise production processes parameters

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

  • Extract products from moulds

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

  • Monitor processing environment conditions

    Verify that the overall conditions of the room where the process will take place, such as temperature or air humidity, meet the requirements, and adjust if necessary.

  • Consult technical resources

    Read and interpret such technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.

  • 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.

  • Use personal protection equipment

    Make use of protection equipment according to training, instruction and manuals. Inspect the equipment and use it consistently.

Optional knowledge and skills

report defective manufacturing materials clean equipment maintain equipment create vacuum forming mould manufacturing of daily use goods repair mould defects keep records of work progress inspect quality of products cut vacuum formed workpiece manage waste control production flow remotely maintain mould parts perform product testing perform test run manufacturing of sports equipment

Common job titles

  • Machine operator – chicago, il
  • Vacuum machine operator
  • Assembly/machine operator
  • Machine operator
  • Heavy equipment operator ii pt
  • Machine operator- production team member
  • Manufacturing engineer
  • Vacuform operator
  • 2nd and 3rd shift controls engineer