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Date: 07/02/2025

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials.
    • Examine samples to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, or texture.
    • Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.
    • Install, maintain, or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools.
    • Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines.
    • Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
    • Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.
    • Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.
    • Communicate processing instructions to other workers.
    • Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials.
    • Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.
    • Connect pipes between vats and processing equipment.
    • Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage.
    • Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases.
    • Remove clogs, defects, or impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment.
    • Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines.
    • Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
    • Install, maintain, or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools.
    • Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.
    • Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.
    • Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials.
    • Turn valves to pump sterilizing solutions or rinse water through pipes or equipment or to spray vats with atomizers.
    • Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.
    • Install, maintain, or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools.
    • Measure or weigh materials to be refined, mixed, transferred, stored, or otherwise processed.
    • Remove full containers from discharge outlets and replace them with empty containers.
    • Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.
    • Assemble fittings, valves, bowls, plates, disks, impeller shafts, or other parts to prepare equipment for operation.

    Skills

    • Monitoring

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

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Equipment Selection

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

    • Active Listening

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

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Monitoring

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

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Troubleshooting

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

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

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

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Critical Thinking

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

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Systems Evaluation

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

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Complex Problem Solving

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

    • Coordination

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

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Operations Analysis

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

    • Systems Analysis

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

    • Learning Strategies

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

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Multilimb Coordination

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

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

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

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

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

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Gross Body Coordination

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

    • Rate Control

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

    • Depth Perception

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

    • Glare Sensitivity

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

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Reaction Time

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

    • Extent Flexibility

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

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Response Orientation

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

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Perceptual Speed

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

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Inductive Reasoning

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

    • Auditory Attention

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

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

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

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Visualization

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

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    Knowledge

    • Food Production

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

    • Mechanical

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Biology

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

    • 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.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Transportation

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

    • 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.

    • English Language

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

    • Fine Arts

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

    • Law and Government

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

    • Telecommunications

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

    • 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.

    • Mathematics

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

    • Design

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Computers and Electronics

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

    • 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.

    • Production and Processing

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

    • 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.

    • History and Archeology

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

    • 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.

    • Economics and Accounting

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 45920/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 22.08/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 1,590
    • Yearly Projected Openings 150

    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
    • Self Control
    • Attention to Detail
    • Independence
    • Cooperation
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Claw hammer
    • Colorimeters
    • Depth indicators
    • Desktop computers
    • Floor or platform scales
    • Grease guns
    • Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
    • Hydrometers
    • Laboratory burets
    • Locking pliers
    • Personal computers
    • Power drills
    • Ratchets
    • Remote reading thermometers
    • Screwdrivers
    • Socket sets
    • Viscosimeters
    • Wire brushes
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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