Extruder Operator

SUMMARY

Responsible for all activities associated with safely operating Plastics Extrusion Machinery including but not limited to setup, operation, cleanup, and recommendation of improvements to meet customer demand.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work safely at all times, be aware of surroundings and understand and comply with Pratt Industries Safety rules and GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Setup extrusion lines producing bubble-wrap film from resin.
• Load resin, additives, and blends into hoppers; verify correct material types and ratios.
• Complete or assist with roll changes on the machine as needed throughout the shift.
• Constantly monitor the machine and its output; adjust as needed.  This included, but is not limited to:
• Melt temperatures and pressures
• Bubble height and inflation
• Bubble uniformity
• Cooling systems
• Quickly identify and correct machine issues including bubble breaks, wrinkles, jams, poor clarity and die lines.  Any higher level mechanical concerns should be reported to the Production Supervisor, Production Manager or Plant Maintenance Tech or Manager through the use of Maintenance work orders.
• Complete/be proactive in necessary upkeep of machine – die cleaning, screen changes, and filter changes.
• Housekeeping and cleaning of work areas – keep clean and free of tripping hazards during shift and end of shift cleaning of the area.
• Learn and comply with Pratt Industries quality procedures and policies. Stop bad quality from leaving the facility to the Customer.  
• Learn and understand capability and capacity of machine and drive efficiencies limiting waste and downtime. Do not sacrifice quality for machine speeds – must have both excellent quality and high efficiencies with minimal downtime.  
• Train and assist other extrusion Machine Operators with job duties on the machine, downtime, setup times and quality.
• Complete necessary reports in an accurate and timely manner, including but not limited to:  Production Data, Machine Operational Status, Safety Data, Quality Data.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures, including safety and good housekeeping.
• Adhere to production schedule.  Make recommendations for optimizing the schedule to meet cost, quality and service goals.  Report any unusual scheduling issues to Supervisor.
• Must be able to work overtime as necessary, sometimes on short notice. We serve our customers 24x7 – 365 days a year and sometimes work on holidays not avoidable.
• Additional duties may be assigned by management.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or GED.
• Candidates are PREFERRED who offer the following:
  • Prior work experience in the packaging industry; paper, plastics, converting
  • 1 year experience working on cast-film extrusion machines.
  • Experience with Production Software (Vorne, etc.)
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with flexibility. Product/Jobs will change frequently throughout a shift, must be able/willing to work through these changes efficiently. 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Able to read and follow instructions; quality, safety, job packets

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Able to read a tape measure with speed and accuracy.  Able to calculate figures and amounts such as percentages, measurement, volume and rate.  Able to use/work with metric system.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or graphic form.  Ability to deal with problems and come up with real-time solutions to the issues.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Will be required to be certified for and maintain a Pratt Lift Truck Operator License.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally push/pull product with the assistance of tools/machinery up to 130 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts, some of which can become extremely hot.  The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions.  The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; and vibration.  The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

Qualifications:

Pratt Industries is America's 5th largest paper and packaging company with more than 9,000 highly skilled green collar employees dedicated to the environment and sustainability. Pratt Industries is one of the largest corrugated packaging companies in America, with sophisticated manufacturing facilities in more than twenty states. The company operates several of the most modern, cost effective paper mills in the country, as well as a series of sheet and box plants strategically placed throughout the United States offering a wide range of creative packaging solutions. Pratt Industries is committed to recycling and the environment by harvesting the urban forest.

Pratt Industries offers competitive compensation plans with full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, All State, Pre-Paid Legal, and 401(k) with company match, paid vacation, paid holidays, and childbearing and parental leave.