Occupation

Pourers and Casters, Metal

Human Advantage 60%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
4.4 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

Operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots.

Also Known As: Aluminum Pourer, Billet Header, Brass Pourer, Buggy Ladle Tender, Bull Ladle Tender, Busher, Caster, Casting Machine Operator +24 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds and forms to produce ingots or other castings, using ladles or hand-controlled mechanisms.
  2. Read temperature gauges and observe color changes, adjusting furnace flames, torches, or electrical heating units as necessary to melt metal to specifications.
  3. Remove solidified steel or slag from pouring nozzles, using long bars or oxygen burners.
  4. Examine molds to ensure they are clean, smooth, and properly coated.
  5. Collect samples, or signal workers to sample metal for analysis.
  6. Load specified amounts of metal and flux into furnaces or clay crucibles.
  7. Position equipment such as ladles, grinding wheels, pouring nozzles, or crucibles, or signal other workers to position equipment.
  8. Skim slag or remove excess metal from ingots or equipment, using hand tools, strainers, rakes, or burners, collecting scrap for recycling.
  9. Transport metal ingots to storage areas, using forklifts.

Supplemental Tasks (7)

  1. Assemble and embed cores in casting frames, using hand tools and equipment.
  2. Turn valves to circulate water through cores, or spray water on filled molds to cool and solidify metal.
  3. Pull levers to lift ladle stoppers and to allow molten steel to flow into ingot molds to specified heights.
  4. Remove metal ingots or cores from molds, using hand tools, cranes, and chain hoists.
  5. Repair and maintain metal forms and equipment, using hand tools, sledges, and bars.
  6. Add metal to molds to compensate for shrinkage.
  7. Stencil identifying information on ingots and pigs, using special hand tools.

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.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
80%
Less than a High School Diploma
20%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word

Software (5)

  • Husky Injection Molding Systems Shotscope NX

Tools & Equipment (37)

  • Acetylene torches
  • Automatic extractors
  • Automatic ladles
  • Bandsaws
  • Chain falls
  • Cold chamber die casting machines
  • Coordinate measuring machines CMM
  • Deburring tools
  • Depth gauges
  • Dross hoes
  • Electric arc furnaces
  • Electric overhead transfer EOT cranes
  • Electric tilt furnaces
  • Foundry molds
  • Foundry tongs
  • Go/no-go gauges
  • Hand ladles
  • Hand scrapers
  • Handheld pneumatic grinders
  • Heat resistant suits
  • High temperature thermometers
  • Hot chamber die casting machines
  • Jib cranes
  • Lubricant pumpers
  • Lubricant reciprocators
  • Mallets
  • Metal sledgehammers
  • Open-hearth furnaces
  • Oxygen furnaces
  • Power metal shears
  • Precision bench scales
  • Protective ear plugs
  • Protective glasses
  • Slag scrappers
  • Vise-grip pliers
  • Wheeled forklifts
  • Wire brushes

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Production & Automation Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 1
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand 80% match
Zone 2
Pourers and Casters, Metal You are here
Zone 3
Model Makers, Wood 81% match
Zone 4
Biomass Power Plant Managers 78% match
Zone 5
Microsystems Engineers 74% match

Resume Builder

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Real Talk

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