Job Description:

• 1) Controls cupola furnace to melt and refine iron, scrap metal, and other additives to produce gray iron castings: Closes and props door in bottom of cupola.

• 2) Shovels sand into cupola and tamps sand to form wedge-shaped layer on cupola bottom sloping toward taphole.

• 3) Kindles fire, using gas torch, to ignite coke bed in cupola, and starts and sets speed of blowers that supply air to cupola.

• 4) Signals CUPOLA CHARGER to begin charging metal, coke, and limestone into cupola.

• 5) Reads gauges indicating temperature of molten metal in cupola and amount of air flowing into and out of cupola, and adjusts controls accordingly.

• 6) Taps molten metal from cupola.

• 7) Estimates, from color of slag draining from surface of molten metal, physical properties of metal being melted.

• 8) Pulls prop from bottom doors of cupola, when shutting down furnace, to allow residual materials to drop out.

• 9) May charge layer of excelsior, rags, and wood over sand bed to protect cupola from initial charge of coke and to ignite fuel.