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Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 8171

Wash deinking operator

A wash deinking operator is a person who operates the vessel in which recycled paper is mixed with water and dispersing agents in order to wash the printing inks out. The resulting solution, called pulp slurry, is then dewatered to rinse away the dissolved inks.

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Rate 5 of the 14 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

concentrate pulp slurry

tend deinking tank

work safely with machines

wear appropriate protective gear

monitor automated machines

About wash deinking operator

The process has one measure of success: how much ink leaves with the water and how much fibre stays behind. Washing too gently leaves ink in the pulp and the paper made from it is grey; washing too hard carries the shortest fibres away with the ink and the pulp loses strength. Setting that balance is the operator's judgement.

The material varies constantly. The operator works from a knowledge of paper types and of deinking processes.

The work is chemical and mechanical at once. The operator applies the deinking chemicals, handles chemical substances safely, configures the machine's control panel, thickens the pulp slurry, monitors the automatic machines and handles machinery safely. A deinking line is a wet, chemical environment with large rotating equipment, and the protective practice is treated as part of operating rather than as an addition to it.

Key skills in this occupation

Essential skills and knowledge areas from the European ESCO classification, 14 in total. The ones most specific to this occupation come first.

  1. concentrate pulp slurry

    Measure the weight and concentration of the pulp slurry for further processing and storage by using disk filters and calculating slurry density with specific formulas.

    practical skill
  2. tend deinking tank

    Monitor the flow of waste paper and set up the controller of the tank in which the paper is mixed with water and heated to a high temperature.

    practical skill
  3. work safely with machines

    Check and safely operate machines and equipment required for your work according to manuals and instructions.

    practical skill
  4. wear appropriate protective gear

    Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.

    practical skill
  5. monitor automated machines

    Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds.

    practical skill
  6. work safely with chemicals

    Take the necessary precautions for storing, using and disposing chemical products.

    practical skill
  7. supply machine

    Ensure 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.

    practical skill
  8. set up the controller of a machine

    Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

    practical skill

Check which of these skills you already have ↑

Knowledge (4)

types of paper
The different criteria used to determine differences in paper types such as coarseness and thickness, and the different fabrication methods and wood types from which the types of paper stem. More →
quality standards
The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose. More →
deinking processes
Various deinking processes such as flotation, bleaching, and washing. More →
types of pulp
Kinds of pulp are distinguished based on their fibre type and the specific chemical processes through which they were created. More →

Practical skills (2)

use deinking chemicals
Handle surfactants or deinking chemicals, which remove ink from fibres. More →
monitor chemical process condition
Monitor the conformity of the chemical process, checking all indicators or warning signals provided by the instruments such as recording instruments, flowmeters and panel lights. More →
Optional skills (21) — show
waste management
The methods, materials and regulations used to collect, transport, treat and dispose of waste. More →
types of bleach
The range of bleach and others chemicals used to remove the colour from materials in a steam cooking process, adjusting the brightness and colour of the materials. More →
froth flotation processes
The different aspects of froth flotation, used to separate floatable (hydrophobic) and non-floatable (hydrophilic) ink particles. More →
test paper production samples
Acquire test samples at various stages of the paper deinking and paper recycling process. More →
inspect quality of products
Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. More →
tend bleacher
Add the required amount of bleaching substances and additives and operate the bleaching part of the paper machine, which bleaches the pulp with liquid and solid chemicals, removing any remaining lignin and other… More →
monitor gauge
Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others. More →
record production data for quality control
Keep records of the machine's faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control. More →
dispose of hazardous waste
Dispose of dangerous materials such as chemical or radioactive substances according to environmental and to health and safety regulations. More →
maintain recycling records
Maintain records and process facts and figures about type and volume of different recycling operations. More →
dispose of non-hazardous waste
Dispose of waste materials which pose no risk to health and safety in a manner which complies with recycling and waste management procedures except for waste incineration. More →
carry out waste water treatment
Perform waste water treatment according to regulations checking for biological waste and chemical waste. More →
monitor pulp quality
Ensure quality of recycled papers and pulp, reviewing stickies, plastics, colour, unbleached fibres, brightness, and dirt. More →
develop recycling programs
Develop and coordinate recycling programs; collect and process recyclable materials in order to reduce waste. More →
perform machine maintenance
Perform regular maintenance, possibly including corrections and alterations, on a machine or machine tool to ensure it remains in a proper productive state. More →
clean equipment
Perform cleaning routines after equipment use. More →
wash fibres
Remove the chemical solution of the digesting process, making paper pulp soft and fibrous. More →
prepare wood production reports
Prepare reports on wood technology production and progressive development of wood based materials. More →
report defective manufacturing materials
Maintain required company records and forms in order to report any defective materials or questionable conditions of manufacturing machinery and equipment. More →
check quality of raw materials
Check 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. More →
keep records of work progress
Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc. More →

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

froth flotation deinking operator14 shared essential skillsdigester operator9 shared essential skillspaper machine operator9 shared essential skillsbleacher operator7 shared essential skillscorrugator operator7 shared essential skillslaminating machine operator7 shared essential skillspaper cutter operator7 shared essential skillspaper pulp moulding operator7 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does a wash deinking operator do?

Wash deinking operators operate a tank where recycled paper is mixed with water and dispersants to wash out printing inks. The solution, called a pulp slurry, is then dewatered to flush out the dissolved inks.

What skills does a wash deinking operator need?

A wash deinking operator needs 14 essential skills, including types of paper, quality standards, deinking processes, types of pulp, concentrate pulp slurry.

Will AI replace wash deinking operator jobs?

The AI disruption score for wash deinking operator is 58/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: record production data for quality control, monitor gauge, quality standards. Most resilient: use deinking chemicals, froth flotation processes, dispose of hazardous waste.

AI Replacement Risk

58/ 100
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Quick Facts

SectorManufacturing & Production
ISCO GroupStationary plant and machine operators
Essential Skills14

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