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Date: 03/13/2025

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers.
    • Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.
    • Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
    • Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur.
    • Sprinkle chemicals over molten metal to bring impurities to the surface.
    • Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
    • Record production data, and maintain production logs.
    • Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
    • Direct work crews in the cleaning and repair of furnace walls and flooring.
    • Scrape accumulations of metal oxides from floors, molds, and crucibles, and sift and store them for reclamation.
    • Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
    • Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers.
    • Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
    • Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.
    • Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
    • Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.
    • Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
    • Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
    • Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
    • Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
    • Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.
    • Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.

    Skills

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    Knowledge

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • 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.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Mathematics

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

    • 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.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • 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.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 49350/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 23.72/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 1,230
    • Yearly Projected Openings 110

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Self Control
    • Independence
    • Cooperation
    • Analytical Thinking

    Tools

    • Ammeters
    • Belt conveyors
    • Blow torch
    • Closed circuit television CCTV system
    • Control unit
    • Core drying ovens
    • Ear plugs
    • Electric furnace
    • Electrical or power regulators
    • Evaporative coolers
    • Flowmeters
    • Forklifts
    • Foundry ladles
    • Foundry molds
    • Foundry shovels
    • Furnaces
    • Goggles
    • Hoists
    • Loading equipment
    • Overhead crane
    • Pressure indicators
    • Protective gloves
    • Pulverizing machinery
    • Pyrometers
    • Respirators
    • Roller conveyors
    • Safety glasses
    • Scissor lift or lift table
    • Single gas monitors
    • Spray gun
    • Surface thermometers
    • Vacuum pumps
    • Vibrating conveyors
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Wattmeters
    • Weigh belt feeder

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Industrial control software
    • Inventory management software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software

    Tags

    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.
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