Careers > Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

$50.28K Median Salary 1.4K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 2.6% Job Growth

Find Colleges for this Career Find Certificates for this Career

About This Career

Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel.

Reported Job Titles

Arc and Argon Oxygen Decarburization Melter (ARC and AOD Melter), Automatic Furnace Operator, Central Melt Specialist, Control Room Operator, Electric Melt Operator, Furnace Operator, Melt Room Operator, Melter, Vacuum Melter, Vessel Operator

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Control Precision

Manual Dexterity

Near Vision

Problem Sensitivity

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Reaction Time

Selective Attention

Information Ordering

Multilimb Coordination

Deductive Reasoning

Depth Perception

Extent Flexibility

Hearing Sensitivity

Perceptual Speed

Rate Control

Static Strength

Auditory Attention

Finger Dexterity

Flexibility of Closure

Glare Sensitivity

Inductive Reasoning

Oral Expression

Response Orientation

Trunk Strength

Visual Color Discrimination

Knowledge

Production and Processing

Mechanical

Public Safety and Security

Administration and Management

Education and Training

Skills

Operations Monitoring

Operation and Control

Monitoring

Active Listening

Complex Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Quality Control Analysis

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Office suite software

Data base user interface and query software

Inventory management software

Industrial control software

Tools

Furnaces

Foundry ladles

Belt conveyors

Pressure indicators

Pulverizing machinery

Wattmeters

Flowmeters

Ammeters

Respirators

Vacuum pumps

Hoists

Blow torch

Safety glasses

Surface thermometers

Closed circuit television CCTV system

Control unit

Core drying ovens

Forklifts

Evaporative coolers

Electric furnace

Overhead crane

Protective gloves

Goggles

Loading equipment

Ear plugs

Spray gun

Single gas monitors

Scissor lift or lift table

Vibrating conveyors

Voltage or current meters

Electrical or power regulators

Roller conveyors

Weigh belt feeder

Pyrometers

Foundry molds

Foundry shovels

Abilities

Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Knowledge

Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills

Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional

Tools

Furnaces: Industrial ovens
Foundry ladles: Foundry transfer ladles
Belt conveyors: Conveyer belt systems
Pressure indicators: Pressure meters
Pulverizing machinery: Pulverizers
Wattmeters: Conventional watt meters; Electronic watt meters
Flowmeters: Electronic bubble meters; Electronic pump calibrators; Mass flow meters
Ammeters:
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Vacuum pumps: Automatic vacuum pumps
Hoists: Hoisting equipment
Blow torch: Underwater blow torches
Safety glasses: Protective safety glasses
Surface thermometers: Field thermometers
Closed circuit television CCTV system: Closed circuit televisions
Control unit: Digital playback machines
Core drying ovens: Drying oven units
Forklifts:
Evaporative coolers: Cooling towers
Electric furnace: Electric arc furnaces
Overhead crane: Electric overhead traveling EOT cranes
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Goggles: Safety goggles
Loading equipment: Haul off machines
Ear plugs: Protective ear plugs
Spray gun: Automated sprayers
Single gas monitors: Carbon monoxide sensors; Mercury vapor analyzers
Scissor lift or lift table: Scissor lifts
Vibrating conveyors: Vibratory conveyors
Voltage or current meters: Digital voltmeters DVM
Electrical or power regulators: Rheostats
Roller conveyors:
Weigh belt feeder: Feed scales
Pyrometers: Digital pyrometers
Foundry molds: Metalsmith molds
Foundry shovels: