National

Operate or tend machines to bleach, shrink, wash, dye, or finish textiles or synthetic or glass fibers.

Sample of reported job titles: Machine Operator, Dye Operator, Dye Machine Operator, Drug Room Operator, Dye Line Operator, Dyer, Jet Operator, Tub Operator, Beck Operator, Jet Dyeing Machine Operator

Tasks

• Add dyes, water, detergents, or chemicals to tanks to dilute or strengthen solutions, according to established formulas and solution test results.
• Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions.
• Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed.
• Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly.
• Prepare dyeing machines for production runs, and conduct test runs of machines to ensure their proper operation.
• Monitor factors such as temperatures and dye flow rates to ensure that they are within specified ranges.
• Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, and/or other textile goods.
• Examine and feel products to identify defects and variations from coloring and other processing standards.
• Record production information such as fabric yardage processed, temperature readings, fabric tensions, and machine speeds.
• Test solutions used to process textile goods to detect variations from standards.