Foundry Operative Metal, Machinery & Related Trades Workers

Align and arrange steel and metal parts in order to assemble complete products; use the appropriate hand tools and gauges.

Construct moulds for the casting of objects in plaster, clay, glass, plastic or metal. Use casting machines and materials such as rubber, plaster or fibreglass.

Remove finished products from moulds and examine them in detail for anomalies.

Fill up moulds with appropriate materials and ingredient mixes.

Carry out minor repair tasks and maintenance of moulds and mould parts.

Measure and mix ingredients for casting and moulding materials, according to appropriate formula.

Select the appropriate type and size of mould based on the operation.

Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

Oversee uniformity of moulds; use casting equipment and tools such as hand press.

Interpret work orders in order to determine which metal parts should be produced.

Insert mould structures using the appropriate hand tools.

Replace filled-up moulds; understand how to load moulds into the oven and how to store filled-up moulds onto a rack.

Repair mould malfunctions and damage, e.g. cracks or broken edges; use hand tools, mould boxes and patterns.

The manufacturing of different type of jewellery such as rings or necklaces out of various metal types such as silver, gold, diamond and other precious stones.

Recommended Books

2 books

Metalsmith Society’s Guide to Jewelry Making

Corkie Bolton

2022

Preview

Silver Jewellery Making

Machi de Waard, Janet Ri…

2021

Materials and processes involved in creating jewellery items like earrings, necklaces, rings, brackets, etc.

Various processing methods on precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum.

Various processing methods on non-ferrous metals and alloys such as copper, zinc and aluminium.

Recommended Books

1 book

Solid-State Welding: Friction and Friction Stir Welding Processes

Esther Titilayo Akinlabi…

2020

Preview

Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.

Metal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.

Operate cutting and measuring instruments in order to cut/shape pieces of metal into given dimensions.

Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.

Keep records of the machine's faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.

Inspect and smooth burred surfaces of steel and metal parts.

Communicate with colleagues using body language and other non-verbal cues in order to ensure effective communication during operations.

Insert chaplets and other kinds of reinforcing steel structures to a mould in order to fix different parts.

Work on castings with the necessary sense of timing in regards to quality, for example when measuring how long moulds must rest before they are used in further casting processes.

Handle and operate a punch and hammer to mark a metal work piece, for example for the purpose of carving a serial number, or for drilling to mark the exact …

Use heating machinery to bake filled-up moulds or to melt steel, metal and other materials.

Operate heating machinery in order to melt various materials, or to bake filled-up moulds.

Open mould and safely remove the finished cast from within.