# Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

> Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

- Code: 51-4072.00 (O*NET-SOC; SOC 2018 51-4072)
- Family: [Production](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations#family-51), one of its 114 occupations
- Tasks: 29 tasks (10 core and 19 supplemental)
- Page: https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/51-4072.00
- JSON: https://foundation.org.ai/data/tasks/51-4072.00.json

## What the work is made of

1. Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.  
   Core task · Task 10174 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
2. Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.  
   Core task · Task 10173 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
3. Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.  
   Core task · Task 10175 · Rated by 100 people who do the job, July 2016
4. Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.  
   Core task · Task 10177 · Rated by 99 people who do the job, July 2016
5. Read specifications, blueprints, and work orders to determine setups, temperatures, and time settings required to mold, form, or cast plastic materials, as well as to plan production sequences.  
   Core task · Task 10186 · Rated by 103 people who do the job, July 2016
6. Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times.  
   Core task · Task 10184 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
7. Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools.  
   Core task · Task 10192 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
8. Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished.  
   Core task · Task 10188 · Rated by 99 people who do the job, July 2016
9. Perform maintenance work such as cleaning and oiling machines.  
   Core task · Task 10197 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
10. Smooth and clean inner surfaces of molds, using brushes, scrapers, air hoses, or grinding wheels, and fill imperfections with refractory material.  
   Core task · Task 10195 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
11. Operate hoists to position dies or patterns on foundry floors.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10194 · Rated by 100 people who do the job, July 2016
12. Cool products after processing to prevent distortion.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10181 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
13. Install dies onto machines or presses and coat dies with parting agents, according to work order specifications.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10182 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
14. Unload finished products from conveyor belts, pack them in containers, and place containers in warehouses.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10191 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
15. Remove finished or cured products from dies or molds, using hand tools, air hoses, and other equipment, stamping identifying information on products when necessary.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10178 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
16. Obtain and move specified patterns to work stations, manually or using hoists, and secure patterns to machines, using wrenches.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10196 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
17. Select and install blades, tools, or other attachments for each operation.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10203 · Rated by 99 people who do the job, July 2016
18. Repair or replace damaged molds, pipes, belts, chains, or other equipment, using hand tools, hand-powered presses, or jib cranes.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10198 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
19. Inventory and record quantities of materials and finished products, requisitioning additional supplies as necessary.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10189 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
20. Select coolants and lubricants, and start their flow.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10200 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
21. Adjust equipment and workpiece holding fixtures, such as mold frames, tubs, and cutting tables, to ensure proper functioning.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10187 · Rated by 100 people who do the job, July 2016
22. Maintain inventories of materials.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10199 · Rated by 100 people who do the job, July 2016
23. Position and secure workpieces on machines, and start feeding mechanisms.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10176 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
24. Trim excess material from parts, using knives, and grind scrap plastic into powder for reuse.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10180 · Rated by 101 people who do the job, July 2016
25. Mix and measure compounds, or weigh premixed compounds, and dump them into machine tubs, cavities, or molds.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10183 · Rated by 100 people who do the job, July 2016
26. Spray, smoke, or coat molds with compounds to lubricate or insulate molds, using acetylene torches or sprayers.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10185 · Rated by 99 people who do the job, July 2016
27. Preheat tools, dies, plastic materials, or patterns, using blowtorches or other equipment.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10193 · Rated by 99 people who do the job, July 2016
28. Pour or load metal or sand into melting pots, furnaces, molds, or hoppers, using shovels, ladles, or machines.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10190 · Rated by 102 people who do the job, July 2016
29. Skim or pour dross, slag, or impurities from molten metal, using ladles, rakes, hoes, spatulas, or spoons.  
   Supplemental task · Task 10179 · Rated by 100 people who do the job, July 2016

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## Where this comes from

Quoted from O*NET 29.0, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0: free to copy and reuse, with credit. Nothing on this page is written by the Org.AI Foundation.
