Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution.

Also Known As:

Anodizer Anodizing Line Operator Chrome Plater Coater Associate Coater Operator Electro Plater Galvanizer Line Operator Machine Operator Plater

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in United States

Job Outlook Below Average

New job opportunities are less likely in the future

United States 2033 Projected Employment

28,800

-11% Change From 2023

Explore Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.
Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.
Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time.
Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.
Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers.
Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.
Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.
Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.
Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.
Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles.
Monitor and measure thicknesses of electroplating on component parts to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers.
Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools.
Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.
Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.
Adjust controls to set temperatures of coating substances and speeds of machines and equipment.
Suspend objects, such as parts or molds from cathode rods, or negative terminals, and immerse objects in plating solutions.
Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.
Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.
Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.
Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.
Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.
Preheat workpieces in ovens.
Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment.
Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.
Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.
Maintain production records.
Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.
Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions.
Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions.
Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.
Suspend sticks or pieces of plating metal from anodes, or positive terminals, and immerse metal in plating solutions.
Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers.

Subject areas you may need to master.

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.
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, and rules of composition and grammar.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
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.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
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.
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.
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.
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.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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.
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.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
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.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
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.
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.
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.

Strengths you may need in this role.

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