WORK PROCESS
PLASTICS FABRICATOR
O*NET/SOC CODE: 51-9199.99 RAPIDS CODE: 0186
Description: Fabricates, assembles, reworks, and repairs plastic products, applying knowledge of working characteristics of plastics and bonding techniques, using precision instruments, handtools, power tools, machines, and equipment: Reads and interprets blueprints, work orders, and related documentation to determine methods and sequence of operations and dimensional and finish specifications. Lays out cutting lines on plastic materials, such as sheet stock and fiberglass or graphite cloth, following template pattern, blueprints, sketches, or sample part, using measuring and marking instruments. Cuts material to size, using shears, knives, cutters, scissors, router, or saw. Mixes ingredients, such as resins, catalysts, fillers, accelerators, and colors, according to formulas, manually or using mixer. Sets up and operates forming machines and presses, or laminates plastic cloth and resins or preimpregnated cloth onto lay-up mold or bonding fixture, to shape parts. Wraps bonding fixture or mold in vacuum bagging materials, attaches fittings to mold or fixture, such as vacuum connections, thermocouples, and probes, and exhausts air from vacuum bag to prepare lamination for curing or bonding. Operates oven to cure parts. Trims, drills, reams, countersinks, grinds, and finishes parts to specifications, using templates, handtools, and power tools. Verifies dimensions of parts, using precision instruments, such as dial indicators, micrometers, and calipers. Fits and assembles parts and attaches hardware and fittings, such as brackets and hinges, using clamps, jigs, fixtures, power tools, and fasteners. Applies tape, foam, or other type of adhesives to assembly for subsequent bonding in autoclave. Repairs and reworks damaged or defective parts and assemblies by lay up, foaming, cementing, molding, potting, casting, or similar methods. May heat parts or materials to facilitate shaping, using oven or heat gun. May fabricate and assemble parts from fiber reinforced plastics (composites) and assorted materials, such as metal and honeycomb. May press, smooth, trim, measure, and adjust composite tape during automatic application of tape onto mold or fixture by numerical-control tape laying machine, using scale, knife, and scraper. May wind fiberglass, graphite, nylon, or other natural or synthetic fiber or filament around parts, using filament winding machine, manually applying layers of resinous materials to part at specified intervals during winding process.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING:
APPROXIMATE HOURS
A. LEARNING OF STOCK
200
1. Pulling stock
2. Placing in proper bins
3. General help with saw man
B. HANDLING CUTTING ORDERS
1000
1. Using saws, saber and skill
2. Table saws
3. Band saw
4. Shears
C. LAYOUT
1400
1. Making patterns
2. Working to blueprints
D. FABRICATING
2000
1. Forming of plastics
2. Cementing of plastics
3. Welding of plastics
4. Metal fabricating
5. Vacuum forming
6. Plastic ductwork
7. Assembling rigid PVC exhaust system
E. MACHINE – LATHE
500
1. Simple turning on center
2. Setting up for chuck work
3. Drilling, reaming and cutting off stock
F. MILLING MACHINE
200
1. Plain milling – vise
2. Plate milling – table
3. Angle milling
4. Milling table-index
G. DRILLING
200
1. Simple drilling and reaming on drill press and bridgeport
H. TANK ASSEMLBY AND TEST
500
1. Line tanks with plastic
2. Testing tanks electrically
3. Repairing leaks
TOTAL HOURS
6000
