Metal Worker, Foundry

Foundry workers carry out a variety of tasks to make products from metal. There are many jobs in the different stages of the work process. For example, preparing moulds, operating furnaces, dealing with molten metal and finishing work.

Work Activities

Foundry workers produce cast metal products, ranging from car parts to ships’ propellers or church bells. Metal is melted in a furnace and the molten metal is poured into moulds made out of sand or metal. Once the metal casting has set, the mould is removed.

There are a number of different occupations within the foundry industry, because there are so many different processes involved.

Sand mixers or sand mill operators mix the sand mixture used for moulding, or operate sand mixing machinery. Machine moulders operate automated or hand operated moulding machinery, check moulds for faults and carry out repairs. Furnace operators load up different kinds of furnaces with a metal mixture. They check temperatures and supervise the melting process.

Casters then pour the molten metal into moulds. The metal is poured using large ladles suspended from cranes or small hand-held containers known as shanks.

Knock-out operators use a variety of techniques to remove the mould once the casting has cooled.

Finally, fettlers, grinders and shot blasters use a variety of techniques to remove any surplus metal from the casting.

Many processes are automated, so much of the heavy physical labour is eliminated.

Foundry workers may have to work in hot and noisy, and sometimes dark and dirty conditions. They wear safety clothing including overalls, shoes, gloves, helmets and eye shields.

Personal Qualities and Skills

You will need good hand skills and an aptitude for practical work. Some jobs, particularly in the smaller, less mechanised foundries, require physical strength for lifting and carrying.

You will have to work carefully and accurately, following safety procedures.

You also need to be able to work well with others, as part of a team.

Activity 3 Answer the questions.

1. What do foundry workers do?

2. Are there many jobs in the different stages of the work process?

3. What stages of the work process do you know?

4. What do foundry workers produce?

5. Metal is melted in a furnace, isn`t it?

6. Is the molten metal poured into moulds made out of sand or metal?

7. Are there a number of different occupations within the foundry industry? Why?

8. What occupations within the foundry industry do you know?

9. Many processes are automated, aren`t they?

10. In what conditions do foundry workers may have to work?

11. What do they wear?

12. What personal qualities and Skills do you know?

2.2 Safety issues

Activity 4 Read the text and do the tasks.

a) Read the words and word-combinations with the translation.

hazard ['hæzəd]	ризик; небезпека
crucible ['kruːsəbl]	тяжке випробування
create [krɪ'eɪt]	створювати
fume [fjuːm]	дим; кіптява;пара; випар
sand molding materials	матеріали формувального піску
silica ['sɪlɪkə]dust	кварцовий пил
chipping, sandblasting, and grinding	дроблення, піскоструминна обробка, шліфування
conveyors [kən'vāər], crushers ['krʌʃə], and stamping machines	конвеєри, дробарки, і штампувальні машини
pose	показувати
adequate ['ædɪkwɪt] ventilation [ˌventɪ'leɪʃ(ə)n]	адекватна вентиляція
personal protective equipment [ɪ'kwɪpmənt]	засоби індивідуального захисту
leather ['leðə] shoes, gloves [glʌv], and safety glasses	шкіряне взуття, рукавички та надійні окуляри
a side shield [ʃiːld]	бічний щит
brim	край
directly [d(a)ɪ'rektlɪ]	безпосередньо
flame	полум'я
apron ['eɪprən]	фартух
cape [keɪp]	накидка (з капюшоном)
leggings ['legɪŋz]	гамаші
spats [spæts]	короткі гетри
aluminized glass fabrics ['fæbrɪk]	алюмінійована склотканина
synthetic [sɪn'θetɪk]fabrics	синтетичні тканини
wool	шерсть
furnace ['fɜːnɪs]	горно; піч
crucible ['kruːsəbl]	тигель
remain [rɪ'meɪn]	залишатися
cautious ['kɔːʃəs]	обережний; передбачливий
unfamiliar [ˌʌnfə'mɪlɪə]	незнайомий, невідомий
conscious ['kɒnʃəs]	свідомий, який усвідомлює
operate properly	діяти належним чином
іnspect	оглядати
frequent ['friːkwənt]	частий; звичайний
introduce [ˌɪntrə'djuːs]	вводити; впроваджувати
а trace amount	незначна кількість
explosion [ɪk'spləuʒ(ə)n]	вибух
рour	лити
melt	топити(ся); розчинятися; танути
nonflammable	not catching fire easily
spill	розливати(ся), розхлюпувати(ся); розсипати(ся)
мolten metal	розтоплений метал
extinguisher [ɪk'stɪŋgwɪʃə]	вогнегасник
shovel ['ʃʌv(ə)l]	лопата
extinguishing	який анулює (або скасовує)
hazardous ['hæzədəs]	ризикований, небезпечний
breathe [briːð]	дихати
possible ['pɒsəb(ə)l]	можливий, імовірний
feedstock	сировина
мelting scrap metals	металевий брухт, сварка
paints, lubricants ['luːbrɪkənt], and coatings	фарби, мастильні матеріали і покриття
lead, nickel, or chromium ['krəumɪəm]	свинець, нікель чи хром
additive ['ædətɪv]	добавка
through [θruː] exhaust [ɪg'zɔːst] hoods [hʊd]	через витяжні шафи
respirator ['respəreɪtə]	респіратор; протигаз
trained	підготовлений; тренований
мolding sand	пісок
silica ['sɪlɪkə]	кварц
silica dust exposure [ɪk'spəuʒə]	lead to silicosis, a lung disease, or lung cancer
non-toxic binding ['baɪndɪŋ] materials	нетоксичні зв'язуючіі матеріали
packing the molds	упаковка прес-форм
shake out	витрусити

b) Read and translate the text.