Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

What the job really is

Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.

At a glance

• Sector: Production
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-9051
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
• Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
• Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
• Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
• Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
• Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.
• Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.
• Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.
• Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.
• Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.
• Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.
• Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Basket strainers, Cleaning scrapers, Continuous baking furnaces, Conveyor belts, Curing ovens, Dielectric power loss moisture meters, Digital bench scales, Digital calipers, Digital hygrometers, Digital micrometers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers
• Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.