Concrete products machine operator

Concrete products machine operators tend machines used to produce moulded concrete products. They perform greasing, assembling and stripping of moulds. They also participate in the cement mixing process.

The duties of a concrete products machine operator include, but are not limited to:

• monitoring the flow of raw materials and products into machines, and adjusting valves and controls to specifications
• setting up and installing moulds and other machine fixtures
• collecting and examining samples for conformity to specifications and adjusting machine settings accordingly.

The following job titles also refer to concrete products machine operator:

concrete precast moulder
cement and concrete plant worker
cement plant worker
pre-cast concrete products machine operator
concrete pipe machine operator
concrete moulding machine operator

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as concrete products machine operator. On-the-job training is usually provided by the employers.

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.

Concrete products machine operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to concrete products machine operator.

lacquer maker
sectional belt mould assembler
varnish maker
block machine operator
rubber products machine operator

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of concrete products machine operator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of concrete products machine operator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

automated assembly line operator
chemical processing plant controller
plastic and rubber products manufacturing supervisor
quality engineering technician
gas processing plant supervisor

These skills are necessary for the role of concrete products machine operator.

• Select mould types: Select the appropriate type and size of mould based on the operation.
• Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
• Inspect batches: Inspect batches ensuring that they have the correct colours and the correct mix.
• 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.
• Use moulding techniques: Use moulding techniques, such as rotational moulding, injection moulding, blow moulding, compression moulding, extrusion moulding and thermo-forming to shape liquid raw materials, such as plastic, ceramic, glass and metal.
• Settle concrete: Settle the concrete using the vibrating tables.
• Follow safety standards in industrial contexts: Apply basic safety standards and machine-specific technical standards to prevent risks connected with the use of machines in the workplace.
• Move filled moulds: Correctly replace filled-up moulds; understand how to load moulds into the oven and how to store filled-up moulds onto a rack.
• Adjust curing ovens: Adjust the temperature of the curing ovens by turning dials so that it is set to the correct parameters.
• Match product moulds: Changing moulds to match product specification. Run test samples and check for proper specifications.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of concrete products machine operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
• Optimise production processes parameters: Optimise and maintain the parameters of the production process such as flow, temperature or pressure.
• Work ergonomically: Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
• Record production data for quality control: Keep records of the machine’s faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.
• Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
• Manage delivery of raw materials: Receive raw materials from the suppliers. Check their quality and accuracy and move them into the warehouse. Make sure that raw materials are adequately stored until they are required by the production department.
• Perform product testing: Test processed workpieces or products for basic faults.
• Monitor stock level: Evaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.
• Report test findings: Report test results with a focus on findings and recommendations, differentiating results by levels of severity. Include relevant information from the test plan and outline the test methodologies, using metrics, tables, and visual methods to clarify where needed.
• Load heavy items on pallets: Use lifting equipment and machines to stack weighty products such as stone slabs or bricks on portable platforms so that they can be stored and moved.
• Pack goods: Pack different kinds of goods such as finished manufactured products or goods in use. Pack goods by hand in boxes, bags and other types of containers.
• Build rebar cages: Insert the metal rods and operate the machine which builds the circular frames of concrete pipes. For larger diameters, use welding equipment to manually form the frame.
• Perform machine maintenance: Perform regular maintenance, possibly including corrections and alterations, on a machine or machine tool to ensure it remains in a proper productive state.
• Form moulding mixture: Form the moulding mixture adding specified amounts of materials, such as sand, clay, silica mud or plastic pellets, according to a fixed recipe, set up the controller of the melting tanks and monitor the melting process.
• Report defective manufacturing materials: Maintain required company records and forms in order to report any defective materials or questionable conditions of manufacturing machinery and equipment.
• Operate lifting equipment: Transport heavy objects using lifting equipment such as cranes, forklifts etc.
• Write batch record documentation: Write reports on the manufactured batches history taking into account the raw data, tests performed and compliance to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) of each batch of product.
• Feed concrete mixer: Feed the concrete mixer with cement, sand, water, rock or other required materials using the shovel, making sure the specifications are met.
• Clean mixer: Perform the cleaning of mixers in order to prepare them for mixing different types of compounds.
• Measure materials: Measure the raw materials prior to their loading in the mixer or in machines, ensuring they conform with the specifications.

8114 – Cement, stone and other mineral products machine operators

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References

1. ESCO
2. Concrete Products Machine Operator | Your Career
3. Featured image: By Kwabenabaop – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0