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Date: 05/21/2025

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.
    • Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
    • Remove molds, mold components, and feeder tubes from machinery after production is complete.
    • Swab molds with solutions to prevent products from sticking.
    • Clean dies, arbors, compression chambers, and molds, using swabs, sponges, or air hoses.
    • Remove molds, mold components, and feeder tubes from machinery after production is complete.
    • Couple air and gas lines to machines to maintain plasticity of material and to regulate solidification of final products.
    • Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines.
    • Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
    • Activate machines to shape or form products, such as candy bars, light bulbs, balloons, or insulation panels.
    • Complete work tickets, and place them with products.
    • Measure, mix, cut, shape, soften, and join materials and ingredients, such as powder, cornmeal, or rubber to prepare them for machine processing.
    • Move materials, supplies, components, and finished products between storage and work areas, using work aids such as racks, hoists, and handtrucks.
    • Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
    • Install, align, and adjust neck rings, press plungers, and feeder tubes.
    • Feed products into machines by hand or conveyor.
    • Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines.
    • Complete work tickets, and place them with products.
    • Remove materials or products from molds or from extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.
    • Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
    • Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.
    • Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
    • Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines.
    • Measure arbors and dies to verify sizes specified on work tickets.
    • Select and install machine components, such as dies, molds, and cutters, according to specifications, using hand tools and measuring devices.
    • Select and install machine components, such as dies, molds, and cutters, according to specifications, using hand tools and measuring devices.
    • Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
    • Measure, mix, cut, shape, soften, and join materials and ingredients, such as powder, cornmeal, or rubber to prepare them for machine processing.
    • Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
    • Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.
    • Pour, scoop, or dump specified ingredients, metal assemblies, or mixtures into sections of machine prior to starting machines.
    • Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.
    • Measure, mix, cut, shape, soften, and join materials and ingredients, such as powder, cornmeal, or rubber to prepare them for machine processing.
    • Synchronize speeds of sections of machines when producing products involving several steps or processes.
    • Send product samples to laboratories for analysis.
    • Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
    • Disassemble equipment to repair it or to replace parts, such as nozzles, punches, and filters.
    • Turn controls to adjust machine functions, such as regulating air pressure, creating vacuums, and adjusting coolant flow.
    • Remove materials or products from molds or from extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking

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

    • Monitoring

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

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Active Listening

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

    • Coordination

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

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Systems Evaluation

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

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

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

    • Learning Strategies

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

    • Troubleshooting

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

    • Judgment and Decision Making

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

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Systems Analysis

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

    • Equipment Selection

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

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Operations Monitoring

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

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Operations Analysis

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

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Depth Perception

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

    • Dynamic Flexibility

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

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Response Orientation

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

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Reaction Time

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

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Extent Flexibility

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

    • Multilimb Coordination

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

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Rate Control

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

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Perceptual Speed

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

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Auditory Attention

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

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Visualization

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

    • Glare Sensitivity

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

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

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

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Control Precision

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

    • Inductive Reasoning

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

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Gross Body Coordination

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

    Knowledge

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Mechanical

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

    • Sociology and Anthropology

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Biology

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

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

    • 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.

    • Economics and Accounting

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

    • 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.

    • Telecommunications

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

    • Mathematics

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Transportation

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

    • Computers and Electronics

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Law and Government

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

    • English Language

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

    • 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.

    • Production and Processing

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

    • Food Production

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

    • History and Archeology

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

    • Design

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 39850/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 19.16/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 3,930
    • Yearly Projected Openings 380

    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:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation
    • Initiative
    • Self Control
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Air dryers
    • Air hoses
    • Bench scales
    • Blow torch
    • Burners
    • Calipers
    • Cement or ceramic or glass or similar material molding machines
    • Cutting machines
    • Extruders
    • Forklifts
    • Forming machine
    • Lifts
    • Micrometers
    • Power grinders
    • Presses
    • Pressure indicators
    • Punching pliers
    • Razor knives
    • Rulers
    • Templates
    • Vulcanizing machines
    • Winding or reeling or spooling machines
    • Wrapping machinery

    Technology

    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.
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