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Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 8181

Glass forming machine operator

A glass forming machine operator is a person who runs and maintains the machines that press or blow molten glass in moulds to shape a product: bottles, jars, drinking glasses, neon tubes.

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Rate 5 of the 16 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

optimise production processes parameters

tend glass forming machines

adjust feeder tubes

observe products' behaviour under processing conditions

troubleshoot

About glass forming machine operator

Setting up comes before production. The operator configures the machine's control panel, sets and adjusts the machine for the product being made, and adjusts the feed pipes that carry glass to the forming station. The operator also takes measures to prevent the glass sticking in the mould, so that each piece releases cleanly.

Running the machine is a matter of watching. The operator observes the glass as it goes through heat treatment and watches how the product behaves under the forming conditions, to catch any change in temperature or timing early. When something drifts, the operator troubleshoots it at the machine rather than waiting for the end of the run.

Checking closes the loop. The operator pulls production samples, weighs, measures and inspects them against the established specifications, and carries out test runs when a setting has been changed. Maintenance of the machine belongs to the same person, so wear is caught before it can spoil a later batch.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (16)

quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.blow mouldingblow mouldingThe three main techniques to create hollow plastic and glass parts, namely extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding and injection stretch blow molding.optimise production processes parametersoptimise production processes parametersOptimise and maintain the parameters of the production process such as flow, temperature or pressure.tend glass forming machinestend glass forming machinesTend automatic glass forming machines by setting them up and operating them in order to press, blow, or spin gobs of molten glass in moulds having end-products such as bottles, containers or cathode r...adjust feeder tubesadjust feeder tubesUse wrenches to install and adjust the tubes that carry the gob to the moulds.observe products' behaviour under processing conditionsobserve products' behaviour under processing conditionsObserve the color of fires and pyrometric cones under certain processing conditions such as high temperature.troubleshoottroubleshootIdentify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.inspect glass sheetinspect glass sheetInspect the drawn sheets of glass in order to detect any flows such as blisters or stones, signalling the defective glass sheets.perform test runperform test runPerform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, ...wear appropriate protective gearwear appropriate protective gearWear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.monitor automated machinesmonitor automated machinesContinuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment...supply machinesupply machineEnsure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.observe glass under heatobserve glass under heatObserve the characteristics of the glass already set into the kiln so that cracking, warping or blistering is avoided.prevent casting adhesionprevent casting adhesionPrevent the casting sticking to the moulds by brushing the mould with oil, hot wax or graphite solution, according to the specification of each casting components.set up the controller of a machineset up the controller of a machineSet up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.measure materialsmeasure materialsMeasure the raw materials prior to their loading in the mixer or in machines, ensuring they conform with the specifications.
Optional (24) — show
coating substancescoating substancesThe various types of coating, providing a workpiece with one or more finishing layers of resins, powders, inactive and insoluble fillers, waxes, gums, plasticisers, colouring materials, lacquer, and o...mechanicsmechanicsTheoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.construct mouldsconstruct mouldsConstruct moulds for the casting of objects in plaster, clay, glass, plastic or metal. Use casting machines and materials such as rubber, plaster or fibreglass.tend kiln for glass paintingtend kiln for glass paintingTend kilns which are used to affix paint on glass. They may tend gas or electric kilns.adjust burner controlsadjust burner controlsAdjust the heat in the burner regulating the thermostat according to the prescribed temperature following each product specification.inspect quality of productsinspect quality of productsUse various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.record production data for quality controlrecord production data for quality controlKeep records of the machine's faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.tend coating machinetend coating machineTend manufacturing machines designed to coat workpiece surfaces by applying various coating machine processes, such as powder coating, monitor and operate it according to regulations.tend lehrtend lehrOperate the temperature-controlled kiln used in annealing, the process of gradually cooling hot glass to avoid any internal stress.feed mirror machinefeed mirror machineFeed the glass silvering machine with mirror glass.remove defective productsremove defective productsRemove defective materials from the production line.perform product testingperform product testingTest processed workpieces or products for basic faults.monitor manufacturing impactmonitor manufacturing impactCheck the impact of manufacturing machinery on the environment, analysing temperature levels, water quality and air pollution.maintain equipmentmaintain equipmentRegularly inspect and perform all required activities to maintain the equipment in functional order prior or after its use.maintain mouldsmaintain mouldsMaintain, repair and clean moulds and mould parts, e.g. by smoothening out imperfections on the surface. Use water, grease or oil to wash and scrape the moulds by hand.transfer glazetransfer glazeTransfer the processed glaze from the mill to the storage jars.monitor conveyor beltmonitor conveyor beltMonitor the flow of the work pieces on the conveyor belt as they are processed by the machine to ensure optimal productivity.manage wastemanage wasteManage or dispose of significant amounts of waste materials and/or hazardous materials, in accordance with legislation, thereby respecting environmental and company responsibilities. Ensure required l...operate drying blowersoperate drying blowersOperate the portable air and heat blowers by placing them in the drying aisles in order to dry specific products.consult technical resourcesconsult technical resourcesRead and interpret technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.form moulding mixtureform moulding mixtureForm the moulding mixture adding specified amounts of materials, such as sand, clay, silica mud or plastic pellets, according to a fixed recipe, set up the controller of the melting tanks and monitor ...check quality of raw materialscheck quality of raw materialsCheck the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.form bed for glassform bed for glassForm a bed for glass on the metal trays by spreading plasters of paris using rollers or pallete knifes.monitor end-product drying processmonitor end-product drying processLet the end-products to cool and dry during the correct amount of time. If necessary, hasten the drying process using kilns or delay it by allowing water to humidify the products.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a glass forming machine operator do?

Glass forming machine operators operate and maintain machines that press or blow molten glass in moulds to form or shape products, such as neons, bottles, jars and drinking glasses. They set up and adjust machines, and weigh, measure and check production samples to check conformity to the set specifications.

What skills does a glass forming machine operator need?

A glass forming machine operator needs 16 essential skills, including quality standards, blow moulding, optimise production processes parameters, tend glass forming machines, adjust feeder tubes.

Will AI replace glass forming machine operator jobs?

The AI disruption score for glass forming machine operator is 49/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: record production data for quality control, measure materials, quality standards. Most resilient: construct moulds, transfer glaze, form moulding mixture.

AI Replacement Risk

49/ 100
Moderate Risk
Low riskHigh risk
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Quick Facts

SectorManufacturing & Production
ISCO GroupStationary plant and machine operators
Essential Skills16

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