Coating Operator

Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment.

Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.

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.

Suspend objects, such as parts or molds from cathode rods, or negative terminals, and immerse objects in plating solutions.

Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.

Cut metal or other materials, using shears or band saws.

Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.

Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.

Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.

Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.

Preheat workpieces in ovens.

Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.

Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.

Install gears and holding devices on conveyor equipment.

Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.

Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers.

Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.

Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools.

Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.

Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.

Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles.

Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.

Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.

Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time.

Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.

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.

Plate small objects, such as nuts or bolts, using motor-driven barrels.

Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.

Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.

Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.

Spray coating in specified patterns according to instructions.

Suspend sticks or pieces of plating metal from anodes, or positive terminals, and immerse metal in plating solutions.

Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.

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.

Maintain production records.

Attach nozzles, position guns, connect hoses, and thread wire to set up metal-spraying machines.