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Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic - 51-4193.00

O*NET-SOC Description

Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

  • Anodizer
  • Anodizing Line Operator
  • Chrome Plater
  • Coater Associate
  • Coater Operator
  • Electro Plater
  • Galvanizer
  • Line Operator
  • Machine Operator
  • Plater

SOC Occupation Groups

51-0000 Production Occupations
51-4000 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers
51-4190 Miscellaneous Metal Workers and Plastic Workers
51-4193.00 Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Related Occupations

Tasks

  • Adjust controls to set temperatures of coating substances and speeds of machines and equipment.
  • Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
  • Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers.
  • Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.
  • Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.
  • Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.
  • Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.
  • Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
  • Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
  • Maintain production records.
  • Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.
  • Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.
  • Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.
  • Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions.
  • Monitor and measure thicknesses of electroplating on component parts to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers.
  • Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
  • Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles.
  • Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.
  • Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.
  • Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time.
  • Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment.
  • Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.
  • Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.
  • Preheat workpieces in ovens.
  • Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.
  • Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
  • Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
  • Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools.
  • Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.
  • Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
  • Suspend objects, such as parts or molds from cathode rods, or negative terminals, and immerse objects in plating solutions.
  • Suspend sticks or pieces of plating metal from anodes, or positive terminals, and immerse metal in plating solutions.
  • Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
  • Adjust flow of electricity to tools or production equipment.
  • Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
  • Clean production equipment.
  • Clean workpieces or finished products.
  • Conduct test runs of production equipment.
  • Determine metal or plastic production methods.
  • Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
  • Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
  • Immerse objects or workpieces in cleaning or coating solutions.
  • Inspect finishes of workpieces or finished products.
  • Load items into ovens or furnaces.
  • Load materials into production equipment.
  • Lubricate production equipment.
  • Maintain production or processing equipment.
  • Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
  • Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
  • Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
  • Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
  • Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
  • Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
  • Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
  • Operate grinding equipment.
  • Operate painting or coating equipment.
  • Position containers to receive materials or workpieces.
  • Record operational or production data.
  • Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
  • Replace worn equipment components.
  • Set equipment guides, stops, spacers, or other fixtures.
  • Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
  • Trim excess material from workpieces.

Military Crosswalk Titles

  • Aircraft Structural Maintenance (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Aircraft Structural Maintenance Apprentice (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Aircraft Structural Maintenance Craftsman (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Aircraft Structural Maintenance Helper (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Aircraft Structural Maintenance Journeyman (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Allied Trades Warrant Officer (Army - Warrant Officer only)
  • Aviation Maintenance Technician (Coast Guard - Enlisted)
  • Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Apprentice (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Craftsman (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Helper (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance Journeyman (Air Force - Enlisted)
  • Machinery Repairman (Navy - Enlisted)
  • Machinery Technician (Coast Guard - Enlisted)
  • Machinist (Marine Corps - Enlisted)
  • Naval Engineering Specialty (Coast Guard - Warrant Officer only)

Apprenticeship Crosswalk Titles

  • Plater

DOT Crosswalk Titles

  • Alodize-Machine Operator
  • Anodizer
  • Black Oxide Coating Equipment Tender
  • Browning Processor
  • Bullet-Lubricating-Machine Operator
  • Ceramic Coater, Machine
  • Coater
  • Coater Operator
  • Coating-and-Baking Operator
  • Coating-Machine Operator
  • Electroformer
  • Electrogalvanizing-Machine Operator
  • Electroless Plater, Printed Circuit Board Panels
  • Gettering-Filament-Machine Operator
  • Impregnator
  • Jewelry Coater
  • Lacquer-Dipping-Machine Operator
  • Lacquerer
  • Lubricating-Machine Tender
  • Matrix Plater
  • Matrix-Bath Attendant
  • Metal Sprayer, Corrosion Prevention
  • Metal-Spraying-Machine Operator, Automatic I
  • Metal-Spraying-Machine Operator, Automatic II
  • Oxidized-Finish Plater
  • Pasting-Machine Operator
  • Plastics-Spreading-Machine Operator
  • Plate Former
  • Plater
  • Plater Apprentice
  • Plater, Barrel
  • Plater, Hot Dip
  • Plater, Printed Circuit Board Panels
  • Plater, Semiconductor Wafers and Components
  • Plating Equipment Tender
  • Primer-Waterproofing-Machine Operator
  • Solder-Leveler, Printed Circuit Boards
  • Spray-Machine Tender
  • Sprayer Operator
  • Tinning-Equipment Tender
  • Tube Coater
  • Vacuum-Applicator Operator
  • Vacuum-Metalizer Operator
  • Welding-Rod Coater
  • Wire-Coating Operator, Metal
  • Zinc-Plating-Machine Operator