Will “Plater Apprentice” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

92% Chance of Automation

“Plater Apprentice” will probably be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #569 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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Job Description

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. Includes electrolytic processes.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-4193.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 33,690.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 16.00
Currently, there are 35,570 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Plater Apprentice”

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

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