Will “Chopper Gun Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-2091.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 33,020.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 15.00
• Currently, there are 19,400 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators”.

Also Known As…

• Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
• Roller
• Laminator
• Hull Line Crew Member
• Gel-Coater
• Fiberglasser
• Fiberglass Laminator
• Fiberglass Finisher
• Chopper Gun Operator
• Boat Carpenter
• Boat Builder
• Winding Operator
• Ski Maker
• Pre-Fabricator
• Lamination Technician
• Lamination Operator
• Lamination Builder
• Laborer
• Golf Cart Maker
• Golf Cart Assembler
• Foam Tank Laminator
• Fiberglass Ski Maker
• Fiberglass Roller
• Fiberglass Machine Operator
• Fiberglass Luggage Molder
• Fiberglass Grinder
• Fiberglass Fabricator
• Fiberglass Container Winding Operator
• Fiberglass Boat Maker
• Fiberglass Boat Finisher
• Fiberglass Boat Builder
• Composite Technician
• Composite Mechanic
• Composite Bond Technician
• Boat Assembler

Tasks for “Chopper Gun Operator”

• Mask off mold areas not to be laminated, using cellophane, wax paper, masking tape, or special sprays containing mold-release substances.
• Cure materials by letting them set at room temperature, placing them under heat lamps, or baking them in ovens.
• Trim excess materials from molds, using hand shears or trimming knives.
• Apply layers of plastic resin to mold surfaces prior to placement of fiberglass mats, repeating layers until products have the desired thicknesses and plastics have jelled.
• Bond wood reinforcing strips to decks and cabin structures of watercraft, using resin-saturated fiberglass.
• Check all dies, templates, and cutout patterns to be used in the manufacturing process to ensure that they conform to dimensional data, photographs, blueprints, samples, or customer specifications.
• Select precut fiberglass mats, cloth, and wood-bracing materials as required by projects being assembled.
• Spray chopped fiberglass, resins, and catalysts onto prepared molds or dies using pneumatic spray guns with chopper attachments.
• Apply lacquers and waxes to mold surfaces to facilitate assembly and removal of laminated parts.
• Release air bubbles and smooth seams, using rollers.
• Inspect, clean, and assemble molds before beginning work.
• Mix catalysts into resins, and saturate cloth and mats with mixtures, using brushes.
• Pat or press layers of saturated mat or cloth into place on molds, using brushes or hands, and smooth out wrinkles and air bubbles with hands or squeegees.
• Repair or modify damaged or defective glass-fiber parts, checking thicknesses, densities, and contours to ensure a close fit after repair.
• Trim cured materials by sawing them with diamond-impregnated cutoff wheels.
• Check completed products for conformance to specifications and for defects by measuring with rulers or micrometers, by checking them visually, or by tapping them to detect bubbles or dead spots.

Related Technology & Tools

• Rulers
• Power grinders
• High-volume low-pressure HVLP spray guns
• Pneumatic spray guns
• Heat lamps
• Chopper guns
• Vacuum bags
• Hand shears
• Fiber reinforced polymer FRP rollers
• Pressure-fed roller applicators
• Paint application rollers
• Squeegees
• Personal computers
• Respirators
• Cutoff saws
• Paint spray guns
• Power drills
• Trimming knives
• Ladders
• Rotating mandrels
• Curing ovens
• Paint application brushes
• Power sanders
• Vacuum pumps
• Micrometers
• Power drivers
• Scaffolding

• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software
• Data entry software