Heat Treater
Heat treaters control furnaces and cooling equipment to change the physical properties of metals and metal objects, making them hard, tough, resilient or suitable for machining.
Heat treaters may perform the following tasks:
- load items to be treated into the furnace and bring the metal to a specified temperature
- use computer controlled furnaces
- use new technologies, such as advanced vacuum furnaces
- check all gauges and controls during treatment to make sure they are working correctly
- harden metal by heating it to the required temperatures (this varies with different metals) and dipping it in oil, water, brine or other solutions
- surface-harden metal components to improve their thin resistance to wear and abrasion
- use special instruments to test the hardness and mechanical properties of treated metals.
Specialisations:
With experience and sometimes further training, it is possible to become a leading hand or supervisor.
Heat treaters often work in hot environments.
Personal Requirements:
- enjoy practical and manual work
- able to work as part of a team
- enjoy working with mechanical equipment
- basic computer skills.
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