Extruder Operator
Position Summary:
The Extruder Operator sets up, operates, monitors, and maintains Union and Agripak extrusion lines used to manufacture plastic sheet and hollow-profile products. The operator controls material feed and process settings, monitors the extruder and downstream equipment, verifies product dimensions and appearance, completes changeovers, and responds to process variations to meet established safety, quality, output, and scrap targets.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Set up, start, operate, monitor, and shut down Union and Agripak extrusion lines according to work orders, specifications, and standard operating procedures.
- Verify the correct resin, color, additives, regrind percentage, tooling, dies, calibrators, and line configuration before production.
- Load and blend raw materials and maintain continuous material flow to the extruder while preventing contamination or material mix-ups.
- Monitor barrel and die temperatures, melt pressure, screw speed, cooling, vacuum, haul-off speed, line speed, and other process conditions throughout the run.
- Operate and monitor downstream equipment used for hollow-profile plastic sheet production, including calibration and cooling equipment, pullers, cutters, conveyors, and stacking or packaging stations.
- Make approved adjustments to maintain sheet width, thickness, length, profile geometry, cell structure, flatness, surface appearance, color, and overall product quality.
- Measure and inspect finished sheet and hollow-profile products using calipers, tape measures, gauges, scales, templates, or other required testing equipment.
- Identify defects such as warping, bowing, uneven thickness, poor cell formation, surface marks, color variation, contamination, or out-of-tolerance dimensions; contain affected product and notify supervision or quality personnel.
- Perform product and tooling changeovers, line clearance, die and equipment cleaning, start-up checks, and first-piece verification.
- Monitor trim, scrap, and regrind generation; separate materials correctly and support scrap reduction and material-recovery goals.
- Troubleshoot minor process and equipment issues involving material feed, heat, pressure, cooling, vacuum, cutting, conveying, or product handling, and coordinate repairs with maintenance when needed.
- Complete production records, process checks, quality inspections, material usage, downtime, scrap, and shift handoff documentation accurately and on time.
- Package, label, count, stack, protect, and stage finished sheets or profiles according to customer and work-order requirements.
- Perform routine operator care, cleaning, inspection, and basic preventive maintenance on the extrusion line and surrounding equipment.
- Maintain a clean, organized work area and keep resin, regrind, tools, packaging materials, and finished product properly identified and stored.
- Follow all plant safety procedures, including lockout/tagout, machine guarding, hot-surface awareness, safe knife and cutting practices, personal protective equipment, and powered industrial truck rules.
- Communicate production status, process changes, quality concerns, downtime, and material needs with operators, quality personnel, maintenance, material handlers, warehouse employees, and supervisors.
- Support continuous improvement activities focused on safety, quality, throughput, changeover time, waste reduction, and equipment reliability.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- High school diploma or GED, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Previous plastics manufacturing, extrusion, or machine-operation experience preferred; experience with Union or Agripak equipment is an advantage.
- Ability to read work orders, product specifications, process settings, inspection requirements, and production documents.
- Ability to use calipers, tape measures, gauges, scales, and templates to verify sheet and hollow-profile dimensions.
- Basic mechanical aptitude and ability to troubleshoot extrusion and downstream-equipment issues.
- Basic math skills, including decimals, fractions, measurement, and simple production calculations.
- Ability to distinguish resin, color, additives, regrind, finished products, and nonconforming materials through labels and work instructions.
- Ability to follow written and verbal instructions, complete accurate records, and communicate clearly during shift handoffs.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Reliable attendance and willingness to work assigned shifts, overtime, weekends, or holidays as production needs require.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Working knowledge of plastic extrusion processes, safe machine operation, and manufacturing quality practices.
- Ability to understand how temperature, pressure, screw speed, cooling, vacuum, and line speed affect hollow-profile sheet quality.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to recognize changes in product dimensions, cell structure, surface appearance, sound, or equipment performance.
- Effective communication, organization, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
- Ability to prioritize tasks, respond to changing production demands, and meet output and scrap expectations.
- Forklift or powered industrial truck certification preferred or ability to obtain certification, if required.
Physical Requirements:
- Regularly stand and walk for extended periods and frequently bend, reach, push, pull, and use hands to handle materials or controls.
- Frequently lift and carry up to 50 pounds, with assistance or lifting equipment used when appropriate.
- Ability to see and distinguish product details, read gauges and labels, and communicate in a manufacturing environment.
- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.
- Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions of the position.
Work Environment
Work is performed primarily in a plastics manufacturing facility around Union and Agripak extrusion lines, moving mechanical equipment, heated barrels and dies, cutters, conveyors, and material-handling equipment. The environment may include elevated noise, heat, plastic-resin dust or pellets, odors, and temperature changes. Employees must follow posted safety rules and wear required personal protective equipment, which may include safety glasses, hearing protection, safety footwear, cut-resistant gloves, and heat-resistant gloves appropriate to the task.
Equal Opportunity Employment
The Company is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.
Pay: $20.00 - $28.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person