According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Examine molds to ensure they are clean, smooth, and properly coated. | 89% |
| Pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds and forms to produce ingots or other castings, using ladles or hand-controlled mechanisms. | 89% |
| Pull levers to lift ladle stoppers and to allow molten steel to flow into ingot molds to specified heights. | 88% |
| Read temperature gauges and observe color changes, adjusting furnace flames, torches, or electrical heating units as necessary to melt metal to specifications. | 88% |
| Collect samples, or signal workers to sample metal for analysis. | 87% |
| Load specified amounts of metal and flux into furnaces or clay crucibles. | 85% |
| Add metal to molds to compensate for shrinkage. | 84% |
| Turn valves to circulate water through cores, or spray water on filled molds to cool and solidify metal. | 83% |
| Skim slag or remove excess metal from ingots or equipment, using hand tools, strainers, rakes, or burners, collecting scrap for recycling. | 83% |
| Remove metal ingots or cores from molds, using hand tools, cranes, and chain hoists. | 82% |
| Stencil identifying information on ingots and pigs, using special hand tools. | 82% |
| Assemble and embed cores in casting frames, using hand tools and equipment. | 81% |
| Position equipment such as ladles, grinding wheels, pouring nozzles, or crucibles, or signal other workers to position equipment. | 79% |
| Transport metal ingots to storage areas, using forklifts. | 79% |
| Remove solidified steel or slag from pouring nozzles, using long bars or oxygen burners. | 78% |
| Repair and maintain metal forms and equipment, using hand tools, sledges, and bars. | 77% |
