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Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders - 51-4051.00

O*NET-SOC Description

Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

  • Arc and Argon Oxygen Decarburization Melter (ARC and AOD Melter)
  • Automatic Furnace Operator
  • Central Melt Specialist
  • Control Room Operator
  • Electric Melt Operator
  • Furnace Operator
  • Melt Room Operator
  • Melter
  • Vacuum Melter
  • Vessel Operator

SOC Occupation Groups

51-0000 Production Occupations
51-4000 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers
51-4050 Metal Furnace Operators, Tenders, Pourers, and Casters
51-4051.00 Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Related Occupations

Tasks

  • Direct work crews in the cleaning and repair of furnace walls and flooring.
  • Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.
  • Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
  • Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
  • Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.
  • Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
  • Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur.
  • Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
  • Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers.
  • Record production data, and maintain production logs.
  • Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
  • Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers.
  • Scrape accumulations of metal oxides from floors, molds, and crucibles, and sift and store them for reclamation.
  • Sprinkle chemicals over molten metal to bring impurities to the surface.
  • Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Adjust equipment controls to regulate coolant flow.
  • Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow.
  • Adjust flow of electricity to tools or production equipment.
  • Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
  • Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
  • Clean materials to prepare them for production.
  • Clean production equipment.
  • Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
  • Direct operational or production activities.
  • Ignite fuel to activate heating equipment.
  • Inspect production equipment.
  • Load materials into production equipment.
  • Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
  • Monitor instruments to ensure proper production conditions.
  • Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
  • Place materials into molds.
  • Record operational or production data.
  • Signal others to coordinate work activities.
  • Skim impurities from molten metal.
  • Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.

Military Crosswalk Titles

No information available.

Apprenticeship Crosswalk Titles

  • Cupola Tender
  • Furnace Operator

DOT Crosswalk Titles

  • Cadmium Burner
  • Charger Operator
  • Cupola Tender
  • First Helper
  • Furnace Charger
  • Furnace Operator
  • Furnace Tender
  • Oxygen-Furnace Operator
  • Reclamation Kettle Tender, Metal
  • Stove Tender
  • Tin Recovery Worker