Home >> Career Search

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Tasks

Core Tasks Include:

Observe machine gauges and equipment operation to detect defects or deviations from standards, and make adjustments as necessary.
Determine paint flow, viscosity, and coating quality by performing visual inspections, or by using viscometers.
Turn dials, handwheels, valves, or switches to regulate conveyor speeds, machine temperature, air pressure and circulation, and the flow or spray of coatings or paints.
Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons.
Fill hoppers, reservoirs, troughs, or pans with material used to coat, paint, or spray, using conveyors or pails.
Attach hoses or nozzles to machines, using wrenches and pliers, and make adjustments to obtain the proper dispersion of spray.
Examine, measure, weigh, or test sample products to ensure conformance to specifications.
Hold or position spray guns to direct spray onto articles.
Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.
Buff and wax the finished paintwork.
Clean equipment and work areas.
Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers or power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths.
Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.
Monitor painting operations to identify flaws, such as blisters or streaks, and correct their causes.
Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings.
Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.

Supplemental Tasks Include:

Weigh or measure chemicals, coatings, or paints before adding them to machines.
Record operational data on specified forms.
Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes.
Thread or feed items or products through or around machine rollers and dryers.
Remove materials, parts, or workpieces from painting or coating machines, using hand tools.
Operate lifting or moving devices to move equipment or materials to access areas to be painted.
Set up portable equipment, such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, or scaffolding.

Tasks Include:

Adjust controls on infrared ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, or exhaust units to speed the drying of surfaces between coats.
Apply primer over any repairs made to surfaces.
Fill small dents or scratches with body fillers and smooth surfaces to prepare for painting.
Mix paints to match color specifications or original colors, stirring or thinning paints, using spatulas or power mixing equipment.
Remove grease, dirt, paint, or rust from surfaces in preparation for paint application, using abrasives, solvents, brushes, blowtorches, washing tanks, or sandblasters.
Sand and apply sealer to properly dried finish.

The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet291)