Job Description:

• 1) Operates preexpander and continuous molding machine that expands and molds polystyrene beads under heat and pressure, forming bead board: Reads work order to determine resin type and density requirements for bead board production.

• 2) Shoves intake tube in resin and presses tube into coupling of venturi feed system.

• 3) Presses buttons and turns valves to activate centrifuge, supply steam, and feed resin to expander.

• 4) Fills volumetric can with beads and weighs beads to determine density, using balance scale.

• 5) Compares bead density with production requirements.

• 6) Reads steam pressure and temperature gauges and turns steam valve or rotates auger disk, adjusting heat and resin feed rate to control bead density.

• 7) Connects hose of molder feed hopper to aging bin and pushes feed hopper into place to feed molding machine.

• 8) Turns venturi feed valve, sending air through feeder to draw beads from hopper into molder.

• 9) Starts molding machine.

• 10) Guides bead board from molder through rollers of trimmer and saw to start board.

• 11) Monitors gauges and observes operation of molding machine and equipment to ensure operation according to specifications.

• 12) Inspects bead board for specified fusion and finish.

• 13) Turns steam and air valves to adjust heat and bead feed rate to prevent machine overload and to correct flaws in bead board.

• 14) Records lot number of resin, feed rate, and steam pressure, for various densities and board dimensions.

• 15) Computes production in board feet to determine output.