Description
Brick and tile casters operate and maintain mixing machines used in brick and tile products development.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to brick and tile caster:
brick and tile making machine operative
brick and tile-making machine operator
cutter operator, tile
tile caster
caster (brick and tile)
cutter operator, brick
brick and tile making machine operator
auger-press operator
castables operative
pug mill operator
castables worker
brick caster
brick and tile-making machine operative
Minimum qualifications
No formal educational credential is generally required to work as a brick and tile caster.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Brick and tile caster is a Skill level 2 occupation.
Brick and tile caster career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to brick and tile caster.
block machine operator
auger press operator
dry press operator
paint mixer
concrete products machine operator
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of brick and tile caster. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of brick and tile caster with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
air separation plant operator
chemical processing plant controller
plastic and rubber products manufacturing supervisor
chemical plant control room operator
gas processing plant supervisor
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of brick and tile caster.
- Select mould types: Select the appropriate type and size of mould based on the operation.
- Feed the clay mixing machine: Feed the clay mixing machine with the specified ingredients in order to obtain brick and tile products.
- Set up extrusion head: Set up the extrusion head using handtools by installing the required core, rings, die and former.
- Maintain moulds: Clean and repair moulds, e.g. by smoothening out imperfections on the surface.
- Fill moulds: Fill up moulds with appropriate materials and ingredient mixes.
- Mix moulding and casting material: Measure and mix ingredients for casting and moulding materials, according to appropriate formula.
- Inspect extruded products: Inspect the finished extruded products in order to determine any flaws or deviations from the specified parameters such as hardness or consistency, adjusting it if necessary by adding water and oil in the pug mil.
- Clean driers: Clean the refill driers using alumina.
- Control air flow: Control the flow of air through the compression units by turning on the valves in the correct sequence.
- Cut clay: Cut clay column by operating the already set up automatic cutoff knives aiming to obtain brick and tile products.
- Use measurement instruments: Use different measurement instruments depending on the property to be measured. Utilise various instruments to measure length, area, volume, speed, energy, force, and others.
- Ensure mould uniformity: Oversee uniformity of moulds; use casting equipment and tools such as hand press.
- Maintain finishing units: Maintain the automatic finishing units by replacing finishers, knives and reamers.
- Measure materials: Measure the raw materials prior to their loading in the mixer or in machines, ensuring they conform with the specifications.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of brick and tile caster. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Milling machines: Milling and mills and their operation in theory and practice.
- Types of pottery material: Types of clays and mud and their appearance, properties, reaction to fire, etc.
- Hydraulic press parts: The qualities and applications of various parts of a hydraulic press, such as a priston, hydraulic cylinder, hydraulic fluid, ram, upper and lower die, and others.
- Mill operations: Details of milling operations related to grind size, particle size distribution, heat evolution. Milling processes for different cereals and grains.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of brick and tile caster. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Operate brick oven: Use a brick oven used for baking, drying or heating at the right temperature.
- Optimise production processes parameters: Optimise and maintain the parameters of the production process such as flow, temperature or pressure.
- Maintain chain hoists: Check, operate and repair chain hoists.
- Apply techniques for stacking goods into containers: Apply techniques required to stack materials into containers. Use techniques to maximise the space in containers.
- Stack packaged items: Stack packaged items for transportation or storage. Anticipate the need for and utilise additional protective materials in stacking the products.
- Stack empty pallets: Deposit empty pallets in the designed location.
- Write batch record documentation: Write reports on the manufactured batches history taking into account the raw data, tests performed and compliance to GMP of each batch of product.
- Select material to process: Perform the selection of the proper materials to be processed, ensuring they are according to specifications.
- Clean mixer: Perform the cleaning of mixers in order to prepare them for mixing different types of compounds.
ISCO group and title
8181 – Glass and ceramics plant operators
References
- Brick and tile caster – ESCO