Pourers and Casters, Metal

What the job really is

Operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots.

At a glance

• Sector: Production
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-4052
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds and forms to produce ingots or other castings, using ladles or hand-controlled mechanisms.
• Read temperature gauges and observe color changes, adjusting furnace flames, torches, or electrical heating units as necessary to melt metal to specifications.
• Remove solidified steel or slag from pouring nozzles, using long bars or oxygen burners.
• Examine molds to ensure they are clean, smooth, and properly coated.
• Collect samples, or signal workers to sample metal for analysis.
• Load specified amounts of metal and flux into furnaces or clay crucibles.
• Position equipment such as ladles, grinding wheels, pouring nozzles, or crucibles, or signal other workers to position equipment.
• Skim slag or remove excess metal from ingots or equipment, using hand tools, strainers, rakes, or burners, collecting scrap for recycling.
• Transport metal ingots to storage areas, using forklifts.
• Assemble and embed cores in casting frames, using hand tools and equipment.
• Turn valves to circulate water through cores, or spray water on filled molds to cool and solidify metal.
• Pull levers to lift ladle stoppers and to allow molten steel to flow into ingot molds to specified heights.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Acetylene torches, Automatic extractors, Automatic ladles, Bandsaws, Chain falls, Cold chamber die casting machines, Coordinate measuring machines CMM, Deburring tools

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Pourers and Casters, Metal — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.