Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Job Description:

Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

Associated Tasks:

• Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.
• Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.
• Install dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials.
• Change dies on extruding machines according to production line changes.
• Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
• Replace worn dies when products vary from specifications.
• Reel extruded products into rolls of specified lengths and weights.
• Troubleshoot, maintain, and make minor repairs to equipment.
• Clean work areas.
• Adjust controls to draw or press metal into specified shapes and diameters.