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ESCO occupation

fibreglass machine operator

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Fibreglass machine operators control and maintain the machine that sprays a mix of resin and glass fibers onto products such as bathtubs or boat hulls to obtain strong and lightweight composite end-products.

8142.5 ISCO 8142 ESCO source
Competences
39
Groups
4
Essential
17
Optional
22

Competences and skills

39 ESCO relations
Essential knowledge 2 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Cross-sector

2 competences
coating substances

The various types of coating, providing a workpiece with one or more finishing layers of resins, powders, inactive and insoluble fillers, waxes, gums, plasticisers, colouring materials, lacquer, and others.

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fibreglass laminating

Process of applying multiple layers of fiberglass, a strong lightweight plastic reinforced with glass fibre woven into mats, using various techniques such as applying pressure or adhesives, welding or heating in order to provide strength and stability to the composite material. The fibreglass can also be sprayed in liquid form onto products.

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Essential skills and competences 15 competences

Occupation specific

3 competences
control glass fibres flow

Control and adjust the parameters to maintain the appropriate pressure, temperature and flow rate of the molten fibreglass through the spray jets.

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feed fibreglass machine

Feed the machine with raw fibreglass according to specifications of the end-products to be developed.

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tend fibreglass machine

Tend the machine used to create fibreglass products such as lawn furniture or boat hulls by spraying molten glassfibre.

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Sector-specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Cross-sector

12 competences
consult technical resources

Read and interpret technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.

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extract products from moulds

Remove finished products from moulds and examine them in detail for anomalies.

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feed hoppers

Feed hoppers with the required materials using various tools such as lifting equipment or shovels.

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monitor automated machines

Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

digital
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monitor gauge

Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.

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monitor processing environment conditions

Verify that the overall conditions of the room where the process will take place, such as temperature or air humidity, meet the requirements, and adjust if necessary.

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optimise production processes parameters

Optimise and maintain the parameters of the production process such as flow, temperature or pressure.

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remove air bubbles from fibreglass

Use brushes and rollers to eliminate air bubbles that could weaken the fibreglass, to ensure perfect adherence of the resin to the product shell or to previous layers, and to avoid any structural defects.

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set up the controller of a machine

Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

digital
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trim excess material

Trim surplus material of fabric such as fiberglass mats, cloth, plastics or rubber.

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troubleshoot

Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

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wear appropriate protective gear

Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.

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Optional knowledge 5 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

3 competences
manufacturing of daily use goods

The manufacturing of items used in the daily life, personal use or daily practice. These products include protective safety equipment, drawing equipment, stamps, umbrellas, cigarette lighters, baskets, candles, and many other miscellaneous articles.

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manufacturing of sports equipment

The manufacture of products and equipment used for both outdoor and indoor sports activities, such as balls, rackets, ski's, surfboards, fishing, hunting, skating or fitness centre equipment.

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polymerisation

Polymerisation is a chemical process which has as output the creation of polymers or polymeric compounds by combining smaller molecules called monomers.

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Cross-sector

2 competences
composite materials

The properties of different materials developped in a laboratory, their usage per type of products, and how to create them.

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plastic resins

The process of heating hydrocarbons, forming and combining polymers to create plastic resins which are used to make different kinds of products.

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Optional skills and competences 17 competences

Occupation specific

0 competences

No competences in this bucket.

Sector-specific

4 competences
form moulding mixture

Form the moulding mixture adding specified amounts of materials, such as sand, clay, silica mud or plastic pellets, according to a fixed recipe, set up the controller of the melting tanks and monitor the melting process.

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maintain moulds

Maintain, repair and clean moulds and mould parts, e.g. by smoothening out imperfections on the surface. Use water, grease or oil to wash and scrape the moulds by hand.

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prevent casting adhesion

Prevent the casting sticking to the moulds by brushing the mould with oil, hot wax or graphite solution, according to the specification of each casting components.

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use non-destructive testing equipment

Use specific non-destructive testing methods and equipment that do not cause any damage to the product, such as X-rays, ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle inspection, industrial CT scanning and others, in order to find defects in and assure quality of a manufactured and a repaired product.

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Cross-sector

13 competences
apply a protective layer

Apply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.

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clean equipment

Perform cleaning routines after equipment use.

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control production flow remotely

Control remotely the flow of production from the start-up operations to the shutdown of the equipments and systems, using the control panel.

digital
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finish plastic products

Finish the product by sanding, branding and polishing the plastic surface.

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inspect quality of products

Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.

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keep records of work progress

Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.

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maintain equipment

Regularly inspect and perform all required activities to maintain the equipment in functional order prior or after its use.

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manage waste

Manage or dispose of significant amounts of waste materials and/or hazardous materials, in accordance with legislation, thereby respecting environmental and company responsibilities. Ensure required licenses and permits are in place and reasonable management practices, industry standards, or commonly accepted farming practices followed.

green
Scope note
Includes recycling regulations.
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measure materials

Measure the raw materials prior to their loading in the mixer or in machines, ensuring they conform with the specifications.

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operate fibreglass spray gun

Operate a gun which cuts the incoming fiberglass strands to the desired lenghts, propels the pieces into the catalyzed resin when it comes out of the gun, and sprays the substance onto products to be laminated.

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perform test run

Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

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repair laminated structures

Inspect fiberglass laminated structures such as boat hulls and decks for deterioration or defects, and perform repair work accordingly.

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report defective manufacturing materials

Maintain required company records and forms in order to report any defective materials or questionable conditions of manufacturing machinery and equipment.

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