Paper bag machine operator

Paper bag machine operators tend a machine that takes in paper, folds it and glues it to produce paper bags of various sizes, shapes, and grades of strength.

The following job titles also refer to paper bag machine operator:

paper bag making machine operator
paper bag machine technician
paper bag constructing machine operator
paper bag manufacturing machine operator
paper bag machine worker
paper bag machine specialist
paper bag machinist

A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as a paper bag machine operator.

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.

Paper bag machine operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of paper bag machine operator.

• Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
• Packaging processes: Packaging design and development. Decorating and printing processes executed in packaging. Packaging machinery and line operations.

These skills are necessary for the role of paper bag machine operator.

• Adjust paper bag machine: Control output of paper bags and be able to make minor adjustments to ensure the side seals, wicket holes, and lip size are within product or company specifications.
• Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
• Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
• Work safely with machines: Check and safely operate machines and equipment required for your work according to manuals and instructions.
• Operate paper bag machine: Tend a machine that automatically measures, prints, cuts, folds, and glues paper material to paper bags. Make sure that finished bags are uniform.
• Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
• Monitor conveyor belt: Monitor the flow of the work pieces on the conveyor belt as they are processed by the machine to ensure optimal productivity.
• Monitor automated machines: Continuously check up on the automated machine’s set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.
• Supply machine: Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.
• Stack paper bags: Manually remove finished paper bags from the paper bag machine and stack them onto piles in crates or boxes for further packaging and transporting.
• Set up the controller of a machine: Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of paper bag machine operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Types of paper: The different criteria used to determine differences in paper types such as coarseness and thickness, and the different fabrication methods and wood types from which the types of paper stem.
• Sizes of paper: Different kinds of paper sizes such as folio, quarto, octavo, and sixteen-mo. Each type indicates how many times the paper has to be folded. While these are older, they are nowadays connected with ISO standards such as the A paper sizes.

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

• Trim excess materials: Trim excess material from finished products with a knife.
• Mix ink: Tend a computer-guided dispenser that mixes different shades of ink to obtain the desired colour.
• Record production data for quality control: Keep records of the machine’s faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.
• Stitch paper materials: Place the book or the material to be stitched under the needle, set the presser foot to the thickness of the book, and turn setscrews to adjust the length of the stitch. Push the material under the presser foot, activating the needle to sew through the length of the paper. Afterwards cut the threads connecting the material, and stack the obtained products.
• 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.
• Adjust properties of cut: Adjust cut sizes and depths of cutting tools. Adjust heights of worktables and machine-arms.
• Operate rotary press: Operate rotary-type presses, which print illustrative and other subject matter during a rotogravure process.
• 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.
• Clean equipment: Perform cleaning routines after equipment use.
• Prepare production reports: Prepare reports on wood technology production and progressive development of wood based materials.
• Consult technical resources: Read and interpret technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.
• 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.
• Check quality of raw materials: Check the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.
• Tend automatic sewing machines: Operate machines that stitch folded and glued bottoms of multiwall paper bags to provide additional strength.
• Prevent paper jams: Overlook the insertion and output of finished products in order to prevent paper jams.
• Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
• Remove excess glue: Remove surplus of glue with a scraper.
• Operate flexographic printing machine: Prepare and adjust all units of flexographic web presses and tend the development line.
• Operate creasing machinery: Feed material squarely into the machine and check that the position of cuts and creases is correct, without damage. Produce a sample to match required standards and to possibly make adjustments.

8143 – Paper products machine operators

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References

1. Paper bag machine operator – ESCO
2. Featured image: By ArnoldReinhold – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0