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.

Also Known As:

Extruder Operator Extrusion Operator Glass Forming Crew Member Machine Operator Press Operator Tuber Operator

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in United States

Job Outlook Below Average

New job opportunities are less likely in the future

United States 2034 Projected Employment

58,400

2% Change From 2024

Explore Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

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

Subject areas you may need to master.

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
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.
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.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
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.
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.
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.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
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.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
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.
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.
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.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
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.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
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.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.