How to become Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic in 2024

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Mold, shape, form, cast, or carve products such as food products, figurines, tile, pipes, and candles consisting of clay, glass, plaster, concrete, stone, or combinations of materials.

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is Also Know as

In different settings, Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is titled as

  • Bed Laborer
  • Caster
  • Fabricator
  • Injection Molding Machine Operator
  • Machine Operator
  • Mold Mechanic
  • Molder
  • Molding Line Operator
  • Press Operator

Education and Training of Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is categorized in Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Education Required for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Degrees Related to Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Training Required for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic in different industries are

What Do Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic do?

  • Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.
  • Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws.
  • Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage.
  • Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products.
  • Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges.
  • Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts.
  • Separate models or patterns from molds and examine products for accuracy.
  • Set the proper operating temperature for each casting.
  • Load or stack filled molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on storage racks or carts.
  • Align and assemble parts to produce completed products, using gauges and hand tools.
  • Operate and adjust controls of heating equipment to melt material or to cure, dry, or bake filled molds.
  • Select sizes and types of molds according to instructions.
  • Patch broken edges or fractures, using clay or plaster.
  • Withdraw cores or other loose mold members after castings solidify.
  • Repair mold defects, such as cracks or broken edges, using patterns, mold boxes, or hand tools.
  • Measure and cut products to specified dimensions, using measuring and cutting instruments.
  • Smooth surfaces of molds, using scraping tools or sandpaper.
  • Measure ingredients and mix molding, casting material, or sealing compounds to prescribed consistencies, according to formulas.
  • Remove excess materials and level and smooth wet mold mixtures.
  • Operate molding machines that compact sand in flasks to form molds.
  • Place forms around models and separately immerse each half portion of a model in plaster, wax, or other mold-making materials.
  • Verify dimensions of products, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, vernier gauges, or protractors.
  • Bore holes or cut grates, risers, or pouring spouts in molds, using power tools.
  • Locate and scribe parting lines on patterns, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, squares, or depth gauges.
  • Tap or tilt molds to ensure uniform distribution of materials.
  • Construct or form molds for use in casting clay or plaster objects, using plaster, fiberglass, rubber, casting machines, patterns, or flasks.
  • Pour, pack, spread, or press plaster, concrete, or other materials into or around models or molds.

Qualities of Good Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

  • Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
  • Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
  • Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
  • Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
  • Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
  • Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
  • Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Tools Used by Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

  • Adjustable hand wrenches
  • Band saws
  • Belt conveyors
  • C clamps
  • Centrifugal casting machines
  • Cleaning scrapers
  • Combination squares
  • Compressing machines
  • Computer terminals
  • Continuous casting machines
  • Depth gauges
  • Desktop computers
  • Dial calipers
  • Die casting machines
  • Digital micrometers
  • Drying oven units
  • Extrusion blow molding machines
  • Forklifts
  • Foundry mold boxes
  • Foundry molding flasks
  • Grease guns
  • Grinding machines
  • Hand ladles
  • Holding clamps
  • Industrial platform scales
  • Injection molding machines
  • Melting kettles
  • Propane torches
  • Protractors
  • Pulverizers
  • Rotary dryers
  • Squeeze molding machines
  • Straight screwdrivers
  • Stretch blow molding machines
  • Tap sets
  • Trimming knives
  • Utility knives
  • Vernier calipers

Technology Skills required for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

  • Computer aided design CAD software
  • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
  • Inventory control software
  • Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Timekeeping software