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Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators perform various tasks to produce paper from wood, cotton fibers, or both.

NATURE OF THE OCCUPATION

Duties of Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators vary according to the equipment they operate. They may:

Start machines

Operate controls

Examine materials

Adjust the flow of pulp, water, or chemicals

Monitor gages

Inspect samples

Tools and equipment used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators may specialize in these areas:

532.362-010 DIGESTER OPERATORS run stationary or rotary steam digesters to cook wood chips with soda ash or acid to make pulp for use in making paper. They adjust controls and monitor gages to ensure that the chips are cooked according to specifications, test liquid samples from digesters to determine when the cooking process is complete, and signal blowpit operators when the digesters are ready to be emptied.

533.665-010 BLOW-PIT OPERATORS tend blow pits that wash the pulp from the digester to remove the cooking acid. Water is run or sprayed into the pit to wash the pulp to remove the cooking liquor (acids and other chemicals) and to prepare the pulp for screening.

534.665-010 SCREEN TENDERS operate knotters, rifflers, and centrifugal and flat screens that remove knots, sand, coarse fibers, and uncooked chips from cooked wood pulp. They adjust the flow of pulp and water into the screening machine and adjust water sprays to wash the pulp through the screens and into receiving chests. They examine the usable fibers and screened out materials to be sure that the pulp is being cleaned efficiently. They also clean the equipment.

533.362-010 PULP BLEACHERS control equipment to bleach pulp using such chemicals as liquid and gaseous chlorine, sulfur dioxide gas, caustic soda, hypochlorite, and peroxide. The bleaching process may take one or more steps, with the pulp being washed after each step. The bleached pulp is then pumped to the beater room.

530.662-010 BEATER ENGINEERS control beater engines to process pulp, sizing, fillers, and dyes for making paper and related products. They operate controls to adjust the beater settings and the flow of pulp.

530.685-010 COATING-MIXER TENDERS operate machines that mix and strain filling and coating materials for paper.

530.382-010 PULP-REFINER OPERATORS control a battery of machines to refine pulp and shorten fibers in a continuous process to prepare pulp for papermaking.

539.362-014 FOURDRINIER-MACHINE TENDERS operate the wet end of a fourdrinier machine to make paper or sheet pulp from pulp stock. They start the machine and adjust the flow of diluted pulp stock onto a wire mesh belt on which paper or other pulp products are formed. They observe the process and inspect samples. They adjust the volume and speed of the stock flow, the speed and pitch of the wire belt, the frequency and amplitude of belt shake, the rate of water removal by suction boxes and rolls, and the pressure of the rolls on the pulp mats according to the type of pulp stock and the kind, grade, and weight of the product. They also give instructions to the paper machine back tender.

534.662-010 PAPER MACHINE BACK TENDERS operate drier, calender, and winding sections of fourdrinier or cylinder-type papermaking machines to produce paper and wind it onto rolls.

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following MOIScripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Machine Operators in the paper manufacturing industry may work alone or with helpers. Some Operators may be directed by a more highly skilled worker or a supervisor.

Heat, high humidity, noise, and unpleasant odors may be present. Disagreeable odors from chemicals used in the papermaking process may also be present. Although many workers operate large machines or use caustic chemicals, safety equipment and precautions have reduced chances of injury.

Most paper plants operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so workers may be scheduled for day, evening, or night shifts and for weekend work. The average workweek for these Operators was 43.7 hours (late 1997). Employment is normally year-round because paper production is not seasonal.

Tools and safety equipment are generally furnished by the employer.

Most Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators belong to labor unions. The largest union is the United Paperworkers International Union. Union members are required to pay periodic dues.

You Should Prefer:

• Working with things and objects

• Performing work that with use of special machines/processes/methods

You Should Be Able To:

• Evaluate information by standards that can be measured or checked

• Work within precise limits or standards

• See differences in surfaces/colorings/shadings to examine pulp stock

• See differences in surfaces/colorings/shadings of paper surfaces

• Coordinate the use of eyes/hands/fingers to adjust machine controls

• Work easily and skillfully with your hands

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

If there are 3000 pounds of paper ready to be distributed, and a truck is allowed to carry 1 ton of paper, how many trucks will it take to transport this shipment of paper?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

Heat describes energy that is transferred from one object to another because of a temperature difference.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

You should be able to write a report explaining the results of your sample testing for your supervisor.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

You should be able to brainstorm ways to increase the productivity of your plant.

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: On-The-Job Training provided by the employer or a High School Diploma or Equivalent may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the MOIScript:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0500 BUILDING TRADES , 0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 2200 MATH , 3300 TECHNOLOGY

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this MOIScript

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

There are no Postsecondary Programs related to this MOIScript 

  Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

There are no Apprenticeships related to this MOIScript

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***

There are no Military Programs related to this MOIScript

E-Learning Courses and Programs

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Summer jobs as maintenance workers or machine helpers may be available in paper plants. These jobs would provide a chance to observe the process and experience the working conditions where paper is manufactured.

School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Paper Manufacturing Machine Operator employer

internships

volunteer work with a Paper Manufacturing Machine Operator employer

community service work with an agency

The most common method of entry is direct application to employers.

Assistance may be available from unions representing paper industry workers or from local offices of Michigan Works!. Entry- level jobs are often listed in newspaper want ads. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

Michigan Talent Bank

Michigan Jobs & Career Portal

Classifieds Employment

Yahoo! Careers

MONSTER.COM

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Earnings of Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators depend primarily on the level of the job. To some extent, wages depend on the geographic location and the type and size of the mill.

Nationally, hourly earnings for all production workers in the paper and allied products industry averaged $15.63 in late 1998. Production workers in paper mills averaged $20.04 per hour. Fourdrinier-Machine Tenders generally received the highest hourly rates.

In Michigan, production workers in the paper and allied products industry earned an average of $15.89 per hour in 1998. Hourly rates for certain unionized Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators working for a large paper company in early 1999 were:

• Some employers give annual lump-sum bonuses in lieu of wage increases.

In addition to their regular pay, most Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators receive shift premiums for working evening or night shifts. Some workers also receive cost-of-living allowances.

Depending on the employer, fringe benefits received by Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators may include paid vacations and holidays; life, health, accident, and disability insurance; dental and optical insurance; sick pay; a prescription drug plan; and a pension plan. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the employer.

Paper companies generally hire and train inexperienced workers for production jobs. Many employers prefer high school graduates. Beginning workers usually start as laborers or helpers and advance as they gain experience. Because of the specialized processes used in papermaking, advancement is generally limited to skilled jobs within a "work area", which may be a department, a section, or an operation on one type of machine.

Promotions may be slower in older mills while newer mills may offer more rapid advancement. Experience gained in a particular work area usually is not transferable. Therefore, experienced workers who transfer to a new work area must usually start in entry jobs. Advancement depends mainly on experience and ability. Additional training is sometimes required for advancement to supervisory positions.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, there were approximately 75,000 Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators employed in 1996. Employment of Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2006. The industry distribution for Paper Manufacturing Machine Operator looked like this:

Some openings will occur to replace workers who retire, die, or leave their jobs for other reasons.

Widespread concern over solid waste disposal is forcing the paper industry to focus on ways to increase the amount of wastepaper used in its input mix. Since it has been estimated that nearly half of most municipal waste is composed of paper and paperboard products, the need to recycle is urgent. For the first time recently, according to industry reports, more paper and paperboard was recycled than were put in landfills. The United States is currently the largest producer of recovered (recycled) paper. The United States likewise is the world's largest exporter of recovered paper, with most going to Mexico and Asia. At the same time, technology is being developed to reduce the amount of dioxin (a cancer causing agent) produced in the paper bleaching process. These major environmental concerns are contributing to major changes in the paper manufacturing industry.

There were about 2,550 Paper Manufacturing Machine Operators employed in Michigan.

Employment of these Operators is expected to decline through the year 2005. The exact number of openings is not known, but most will be due to replacement of workers who retire, die, or leave the labor force. Production of paper and paper products is expected to grow moderately as population and business activity increase. However, because of excess capacity and improved machinery, employment growth is expected to decline. The paper industry is using more computerized process-control equipment to improve the efficiency of production and the quality of the final product. This has led to a reduced need for some production workers.

MICHIGAN'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2005

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.

SUMMARY PROFILE

The occupation of Paper Manufacturing Machine Operator can be summarized by the following:

MOISCRIPTS are Copyright 2003, Michigan Department of Career Development