National

Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel.

Sample of reported job titles: Central Melt Specialist, Melt Room Operator, Melt Supervisor, Vessel Operator, Arc / Argon Oxygen Decarborization Melter (ARC / AOD Melter), Automatic Furnace Operator, Control Room Operator, Direct Casting Operator, Electric Melt Operator, Utility Person

Tasks

• Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
• Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.
• Record production data, and maintain production logs.
• Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
• Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.
• Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
• Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
• Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
• Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur.
• Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers.