Career profile for Gluer Machine Operator

What does a Gluer Machine Operator do?

Gluer Machine Operators operate or tend bonding machines that use adhesives to join items for further processing or to form a completed product.

In addition, Gluer Machine Operators processes include joining veneer sheets into plywood; gluing paper; or joining rubber and rubberized fabric parts, plastic, simulated leather, or other materials.

What kind of tasks does a Gluer Machine Operator perform regularly?

Gluer Machine Operators are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Align and position materials being joined to ensure accurate application of adhesive or heat sealing.
Adjust machine components according to specifications such as widths, lengths, and thickness of materials and amounts of glue, cement, or adhesive required.
Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems.
Start machines, and turn valves or move controls to feed, admit, apply, or transfer materials and adhesives, and to adjust temperature, pressure, and time settings.
Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives.
Perform test production runs and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that completed products meet standards and specifications.
Examine and measure completed materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as tape measures, gauges, or calipers.
Read work orders and communicate with coworkers to determine machine and equipment settings and adjustments and supply and product specifications.
Remove and stack completed materials or products, and restock materials to be joined.
Observe gauges, meters, and control panels to obtain information about equipment temperatures and pressures, or the speed of feeders or conveyors.
Maintain production records such as quantities, dimensions, and thicknesses of materials processed.
Remove jammed materials from machines and readjust components as necessary to resume normal operations.
Mount or load material such as paper, plastic, wood, or rubber in feeding mechanisms of cementing or gluing machines.
Transport materials, supplies, and finished products between storage and work areas, using forklifts.

The above responsibilities are specific to Gluer Machine Operators. More generally, Gluer Machine Operators are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Controlling Machines and Processes		Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Controlling Machines and Processes

Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

What is a Gluer Machine Operator salary?

The median salary for a Gluer Machine Operator is $36,280, and the average salary is $37,640. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Gluer Machine Operator salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Gluer Machine Operators earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Gluer Machine Operators earn less than $25,250 per year, 25% earn less than $29,410, 75% earn less than $45,030, and 90% earn less than $51,960.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Gluer Machine Operators is expected to change by 0.8%, and there should be roughly 1,500 open positions for Gluer Machine Operators every year.

Median annual salary: $36,280
Typical salary range: $25,250 - $51,960
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 0.8%

What personality traits are common among Gluer Machine Operators?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Gluer Machine Operator are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Gluer Machine Operators typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Gluer Machine Operator tend to value Support, Relationships, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Gluer Machine Operators strongly value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Gluer Machine Operators moderately value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Lastly, Gluer Machine Operators somewhat value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Gluer Machine Operators must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, dependability, and cooperation.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Gluer Machine Operators, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Persistence		Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Persistence

Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

What education and training do Gluer Machine Operators need?

Working as a Gluer Machine Operator usually requires a high school diploma.

Gluer Machine Operators need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Gluer Machine Operators

18.7% did not complete high school or secondary school
43.3% completed high school or secondary school
21.8% completed some college coursework
12.8% earned a Associate's degree
1.5% earned a Bachelor's degree
1.9% earned a Master's degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Gluer Machine Operators

Gluer Machine Operators may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as production and processing, mechanical, or customer and personal service knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Gluer Machine Operators might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Production and Processing		Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Important Abilities needed by Gluer Machine Operators

Gluer Machine Operators must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Gluer Machine Operators need abilities such as arm-hand steadiness, manual dexterity, and static strength in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Gluer Machine Operators, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
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.
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.
Static Strength		The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Control Precision		The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
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.

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.

Static Strength

The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Control Precision

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

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.

Critical Skills needed by Gluer Machine Operators

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Gluer Machine Operators frequently use skills like operation and control, operations monitoring, and active listening to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Gluer Machine Operators, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Operation and Control		Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring		Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Gluer Machine Operator

Gluer Machine Operator

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