Careers > Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$40.9K Median Salary 1.6K Job Openings (Annual Projection) -4.1% Job Growth

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About This Career

Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.

Reported Job Titles

Batch Heat Treat Operator, Burner, Coating Line Worker, Furnace Operator, Heat Treat Furnace Operator, Heat Treat Operator, Heat Treat Technician, Heat Treater, Scarf and Anneal Operator

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Multilimb Coordination

Reaction Time

Manual Dexterity

Near Vision

Problem Sensitivity

Control Precision

Static Strength

Trunk Strength

Finger Dexterity

Information Ordering

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Stamina

Deductive Reasoning

Flexibility of Closure

Oral Expression

Rate Control

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Visualization

Auditory Attention

Category Flexibility

Depth Perception

Extent Flexibility

Far Vision

Oral Comprehension

Response Orientation

Written Comprehension

Knowledge

Production and Processing

Mathematics

Skills

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Active Listening

Monitoring

Quality Control Analysis

Speaking

Critical Thinking

Equipment Maintenance

Judgment and Decision Making

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Tools

Heat treating age hardening furnace

Pallet trucks

Screwdrivers

Manlift or personnel lift

Grease guns

Hardness testers

Air exhausters

Vacuum pumps

Fume hoods or cupboards

Hoists

Quench machine

Facial shields

Shot peening machine

Jib crane

Forklifts

Sand blasting machine

Magnifiers

Tongs

Hand trucks or accessories

Gas generators

Power grinders

High frequency induction vacuum melting furnace

Thermocouples

Stackers

Open end wrenches

Salt bath furnace

Blast freezers

Carburization and nitrification electric furnace

Heat resistant clothing

Claw hammer

Conductivity meters

Leak testing equipment

Pry bars

Personal computers

Bridge cranes

Protective gloves

Abilities

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.
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.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
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.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
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.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

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.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word

Tools

Heat treating age hardening furnace: Annealing furnaces; Atmosphere furnaces; Soaking pits; Tempering furnaces
Pallet trucks: Pallet jacks
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Manlift or personnel lift: Manlift buckets
Grease guns:
Hardness testers:
Air exhausters: Exhaust units
Vacuum pumps: Automatic vacuum pumps
Fume hoods or cupboards: Flow hoods
Hoists: Hoisting equipment
Quench machine: Horizontal cooling tanks
Facial shields: Protective face shields
Shot peening machine: Shot blasters
Jib crane: Jib cranes
Forklifts:
Sand blasting machine: Sand blasters
Magnifiers: Hand lenses
Tongs:
Hand trucks or accessories: Handcarts
Gas generators: Power generators
Power grinders: Underwater power grinders
High frequency induction vacuum melting furnace: Vacuum heat treating furnaces
Thermocouples:
Stackers: Sheet stackers
Open end wrenches: Adjustable open end wrenches
Salt bath furnace: Automated salt bath furnaces
Blast freezers: Blast chillers
Carburization and nitrification electric furnace: Carbonitriding equipment
Heat resistant clothing: Aluminized suits
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Conductivity meters:
Leak testing equipment: Smoke generating tubes
Pry bars:
Personal computers:
Bridge cranes: Gantry cranes
Protective gloves: Safety gloves