Operator, press

Glass and ceramics plant operators operate and monitor kilns, furnaces and other machines and equipment used in the production of glass, ceramics, porcelain, bricks and tiles. They operate machines for tempering, hardening or decorating glass and ceramics.

• operating and monitoring glass furnaces for producing glass;
• operating equipment for coating glassware by cold or hot spraying;
• operating and monitoring machines for pressing or blowing molten glass into moulds such as bottles, drinking glasses and the like;
• operating hand presses to form glass into specified shapes;
• operating drawing furnaces for producing flat glass;
• operating and monitoring equipment for casting laminated glass;
• operating and maintaining machines for grinding, drilling, smoothing, decorating, trimming, washing, polishing or otherwise finishing glass products;
• starting up and operating presses for forming ceramic articles;
• operating machines for mixing and blending clay with water to obtain suitable mixtures for producing ceramic products;
• operating and monitoring kilns for firing ceramic, porcelain and pottery articles;
• operating and monitoring machines for producing enamels and glazes;
• operating and monitoring machines for producing glass fibres;
• inspecting finished products to detect cracks, fissures, breakage and other defects.
• Examples of occupations in this unit group:
• Operator, glass-making furnaces
• Operator, brick and tile kilns
• Operator, firing kilns
• Machine operator, clay mixing
• Machine operator, glass blowing
• Machine operator, glass mixing