Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution.
51-4193

Job Information
Create Job ID		Min Sal		Education Level
				Less than a High School Diploma High School Diploma / GED) Post-Secondary Certificate - specialized training after high school   Some College Courses Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) Bachelor's Degree Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Master's Degree Post-Master's Certificate First Professional Degree Doctoral Degree Post-Doctoral Training
FLSA		Max Sal		Job Level
Exempt / Salary  Non-Exempt / Hourly				Less Than 2 Years exp. 2 to 4 years exp. required 4 to 8 years exp. required 8 to 12 years exp. required Over 12 years exp. required
Organization		Mgr. Level		Bureau Labor Statistics: Low   -   Mid   -   High
Operations Engineering Administration		Yes No		30,120	37,770	60,110

Select Tasks
	Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.		Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.		Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
	Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment.		Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.		Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles.
	Maintain production records.		Adjust controls to set temperatures of coating substances and speeds of machines and equipment.		Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
	Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.		Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.		Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors.
	Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers.		Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.		Suspend sticks or pieces of plating metal from anodes, or positive terminals, and immerse metal in plating solutions.
	Monitor and measure thicknesses of electroplating on component parts to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers.		Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.		Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.
	Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.		Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.		Suspend objects, such as parts or molds from cathode rods, or negative terminals, and immerse objects in plating solutions.
	Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.		Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions.		Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time.
	Plate small objects, such as nuts or bolts, using motor-driven barrels.		Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.		Spray coating in specified patterns according to instructions.
	Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.		Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.		Preheat workpieces in ovens.
	Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools.		Attach nozzles, position guns, connect hoses, and thread wire to set up metal-spraying machines.		Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
	Clean workpieces, using wire brushes.		Install gears and holding devices on conveyor equipment.		Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces.
	Cut metal or other materials, using shears or band saws.

Select Abilities
	The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
	The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).		The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
	The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.		The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).		The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
	The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.		The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.		The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
	The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.		The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.		The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
	The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.		The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.		The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
	The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.		The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
	The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.		The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.		The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
	The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.		The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.		The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
	The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.		The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.		The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
	The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.		The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.		The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
	The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.		The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.		The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
	The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.		The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.		The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
	The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).		The ability to see details at a distance.		The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
	The ability to see under low light conditions.		The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.		The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
	The ability to see objects in the presence of glare or bright lighting.		The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.		The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
	The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.		The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.		The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.