Will “Billet Heater Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

91% Chance of Automation

“Billet Heater Operator” will probably be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #556 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 heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat-treat metal or plastic objects.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-4191.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 39,010.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 18.00
Currently, there are 19,780 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Billet Heater Operator”

Signal forklift operators to deposit or extract containers of parts into and from furnaces and quenching rinse tanks.
Record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times.
Determine flame temperatures, current frequencies, heating cycles, and induction heating coils needed, based on degree of hardness required and properties of stock to be treated.
Set and adjust speeds of reels and conveyors for prescribed time cycles to pass parts through continuous furnaces.
Reduce heat when processing is complete to allow parts to cool in furnaces or machinery.
Clean oxides and scales from parts or fittings, using steam sprays or chemical and water baths.
Start conveyors and open furnace doors to load stock, or signal crane operators to uncover soaking pits and lower ingots into them.
Stamp heat-treatment identification marks on parts, using hammers and punches.
Remove parts from furnaces after specified times, and air dry or cool parts in water, oil brine, or other baths.
Heat billets, bars, plates, rods, and other stock to specified temperatures preparatory to forging, rolling, or processing, using oil, gas, or electrical furnaces.
Mount workpieces in fixtures, on arbors, or between centers of machines.
Adjust controls to maintain temperatures and heating times, using thermal instruments and charts, dials and gauges of furnaces, and color of stock in furnaces to make setting determinations.
Examine parts to ensure metal shades and colors conform to specifications, using knowledge of metal heat-treating.
Position parts in plastic bags, and seal bags with irons.
Instruct new workers in machine operation.
Position stock in furnaces, using tongs, chain hoists, or pry bars.
Move controls to light gas burners and to adjust gas and water flow and flame temperature.
Place completed workpieces on conveyors, using cold rods, tongs, or chain hoists, or signal crane operators to transport them to subsequent stations.
Read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated.
Test parts for hardness, using hardness testing equipment, or by examining and feeling samples.
Set up and operate die-quenching machines to prevent parts from warping.
Mount fixtures and industrial coils on machines, using hand tools.
Determine types and temperatures of baths and quenching media needed to attain specified part hardness, toughness, and ductility, using heat-treating charts and knowledge of methods, equipment, and metals.
Set up and operate or tend machines, such as furnaces, baths, flame-hardening machines, and electronic induction machines, that harden, anneal, and heat-treat metal.
Load parts into containers and place containers on conveyors to be inserted into furnaces, or insert parts into furnaces.
Repair, replace, and maintain furnace equipment as needed, using hand tools.

Related Technology & Tools

Pallet riders
Power grinding tools
Shot blasters
Lubricant guns
Personal computers
Flame-hardening machines
Chain hoists
Vacuum heat treating furnaces
Slotted screwdrivers
Industrial furnace tongs
Annealing furnaces
Free-standing jib cranes
Winch stackers
Digital thermocouples
Claw hammers
Finger protection gloves
Bridge cranes
Protective clothing
Continuous hardening furnaces
Pry bars
Tempering furnaces
Order pickers
Suction hoods
Soaking pits
Sand blasters
Gas powered generators
Quench presses
Pallet jacks
Steel hardness testers
Vacuum leak detectors
Shock freezers
Wheeled forklifts
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Electronic hand trucks
Open end hand wrenches
Heat resistant face masks
Exhaust gas collection systems
Batch type hardening furnaces
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Carbonitriding equipment
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