Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Human Advantage 65%
Significant human skills needed
AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.7 / 10
Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.
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.
Also Known As: Alodize Machine Operator, Anode Machine Operator, Anodic Operator, Anodic Treater, Anodize Machine Operator, Anodizer, Anodizing Line Operator, Anodizing Operator +103 more
Core Tasks
- Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
- Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
- Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
- 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.
- Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- Maintain production records.
- 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.
- Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.
Supplemental Tasks (23)
- Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.
- Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.
- Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.
- Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.
- Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.
- Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.
- 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.
- Adjust controls to set temperatures of coating substances and speeds of machines and equipment.
- Monitor and measure thicknesses of electroplating on component parts to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers.
- Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles.
- Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment.
- Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.
- Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.
- Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers.
- Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.
- Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions.
- Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools.
- Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time.
- Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.
- Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.
- Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.
- Preheat workpieces in ovens.
Education & Training
Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.
Technology & Tools
Hot Technologies
Software (7)
Tools & Equipment (16)
Where This Career Leads
Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.
Production & Automation Advanced Manufacturing
Zone 1
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Zone 2
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic You are here
Zone 4
Biomass Power Plant Managers 77% match
Zone 5
Microsystems Engineers 74% match
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