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Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers clean and assemble foundry molds and remove castings from molds. Castings include things such as auto, aircraft, or missile parts, sewer pipes, and construction machinery.  

Job Duties         

Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers may:  

Operate a shell-mold bonding machine that bonds the cope (the upper part of the mold and its contents) and the drag (the lower portion of the mold and its contents) together to form the completed shell mold  

Adjust the dials of a shell-mold bonding machine to specified heat and pressure readings  

Position the drag on the lower pressure plate  

Fill the vibrator pan with the bonding agent, and press a button on the machine which sifts the bonding agent on the edge of the drag  

Place the cope on the drag and apply the hot plate to heat and compress the cope on the drag  

Operate the machine that removes the core pipe from the tubular castings  

Loosen baked sand between casting and core pipe by using a sledge hammer  

Clean castings and blow off loose sand from molds using an airhose and/or a wire brush  

The tools, equipment and materials used may include:  

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES      

Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers may specialize according to the type of operation performed or by the type of equipment operated. They may be known as:  

514.685-026 TUBE-CLEANING OPERATOR (shakeout worker) or  

518.685-030 SHELL-MOLD-BONDING-MACHINE OPERATOR (foundry mold assembly worker).  

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

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS      

Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers may work alone or with other workers. Their work is done in foundries under the general supervision of a group leader or supervisor.  

Working conditions in foundries vary considerably. The Workers are exposed to noise, heat, fumes, and dust in the work place. In newer plants, improved ventilation and air-conditioning systems have significantly reduced hazards. Workers also have improved conditions from federal safety regulations requiring that either lowered noise levels or appropriate ear protection be used by operators.  

The usual workweek is 40 hours. Workers may be assigned to any one of the 8-hour shifts in many foundries. They may have to work overtime in order to meet deadlines and production demands.  

Generally, Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers provide their own safety shoes. They usually receive helmets, jackets, gloves and goggles from their employer.  

They may belong to unions such as the United Steelworkers of America or the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) and pay periodic dues.  

You Should Prefer:  

• Activities dealing with things and objects  

• Activities of a routine, definite, organized nature  

• Activities that involve the use of machines/processes/methods  

You Should Be Able To:  

• Repeat activities/tasks according to a required procedure or sequence  

• Work within precise limits or standards of accuracy  

• See detail and difference in objects, drawings, or shadings  

• Work easily and skillfully with your hands  

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:  

If the supervisor says that temperature in the ovens have to all be lowered by 2% and the ovens are now set at 450 degrees, what is the new temperature?  

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:  

Like work, heat involves a transfer of energy. Heat is energy that is transferred from one object or system to another because of a temperature difference.  

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:  

You should be able to write a report to your supervisor explaining any malfunctions that might have occurred during the day.  

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:  

You should be able to decide the most productive way to complete your job so the least possible time is wasted.  

Because of the hazardous nature of foundry work, federal and state laws prohibit persons under the age of 18 from working in this occupation.  

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***  

0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 2200 MATH , 3200 TECHNICAL DRAWING , 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      

There are few ways to gain experience in this occupation. However, summer and part-time work may be available to individuals over 18 years of age.  

            School-to-Work opportunities include:  

informal apprenticeships  

mentorships  

job shadowing experiences  

touring a local Foundry Mold Assembly Worker employer  

internships  

volunteer work with a Foundry Mold Assembly Worker employer  

community service work with an agency  

The most common method of entry is direct application to local foundries or to the foundry departments of metal products industries. Jobs may be located by consulting local unions representing Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers, local offices of the Michigan Works! agency, and newspaper want ads. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:    

Michigan Talent Bank ( http://www.michworks.org/mtb/user/MTB_EMPL.EntryMainPage )  

Classifieds Employment ( http://www.classifieds2000.com )

Yahoo! Careers ( http://careers.yahoo.com/ ) 

MONSTER.COM  ( http://www.monster.com ) 

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

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT      

Earnings of Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers depend on their specific job duties, extent of unionization, geographic area, and type of foundry for which they work.  

Nationally, the average hourly wage rate of iron and steel foundry workers, including Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers, was $16.34 in late 2001. Workers handling primary nonferrous metals (metals other than iron) had average hourly earnings of $19.86.  The median hourly earnings of  "all" workers in the U.S. were $14.92 in 2001.  

In 2002, Shakeout workers who were employed in the Automotive industry earned about $22.90 to        $23.13 per hour.  They also received cost-of-living increases. In small Michigan foundries, based on limited data, some inexperienced entry-level workers earned from about $6.00 to $8.00 per hour. Experienced Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers had average earnings ranging from about $12.00 to $15.00 $per hour in  mid 2002, depending on their level of experience.  

Depending on the employer, fringe benefits generally include paid holidays and vacations, sick leave, pensions, and health insurance. Some Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers may also receive dental benefits. In the steel industry, other benefits may include earnings protection plans, which provide additional pay to workers assigned to lower paying jobs because of technological changes, and technological severance pay, which is paid to workers laid off because of the use of new equipment.  

Beginners usually start in a labor or production job such as general foundry worker. A possible career ladder may be: from laborer to Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Worker to mold maker or coremaker to supervisor.  

Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers often enter formal apprenticeship programs, such as Mold Maker or Coremaker. Highly skilled and experienced workers may become supervisors. Depending on the employer and union affiliation, promotions may be determined by a job bidding system in which seniority is one of the more important factors considered. Under this system, all jobs are assigned various point values based on the working conditions and the experience, skill, responsibility, and effort required to do the job. For example, a Shakeout Worker may come from any job with fewer points assigned. Later, the Shakeout Worker may bid to be promoted to any other job with more points assigned.  

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK      

Nationally, Foundry Mold and Shakeout Workers were included in the 176,100 Molding, Casting and Coremaking Machine Workers  employed in 2000. The employment of Molding, Casting and Coremaking Machine Workers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for occupations through the year 2010. The need for Metal and Plastic parts is expected to increase for motor vehicles and other durable goods. However, new technological developments and increased foreign imports will decrease the demand for Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers. There were about 600 Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers employed in Michigan. All of them worked in the manufacturing industry, mostly in iron and steel or automotive foundries. Most foundries and metal production facilities are located near large industrial complexes that need castings. Generally, these are found in or near urban areas.  

Employment of Foundry Mold Assembly and Shakeout Workers in Michigan is expected to decline through the year 2008. An average of 20 annual openings is expected through the year 2008 due to replacement of workers who retire, die or leave the labor force for other reasons.  

Certain technological changes, particularly in automobile manufacturing, will affect the need for metal castings. The move to improve fuel economy has resulted in the lowering of passenger car weights by limiting the amount of steel used in their production. Also, the popularity of front-wheel-drive automobiles will decrease the need for castings, since they eliminate a number of cast parts

MICHIGAN'S AREA EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2008    

  EMPLOYMENT                   NUMBER               PERCENT                 PROJECTED YEARLY  

  REGION                               EMPLOYED          GROWTH                   JOB OPENINGS    

  Battle Creek Area                  55                           -31.5                           1  

  Benton Harbor Area               45                           -15.2                           1  

  Detroit MSA                          80                            5.0                              2  

  Grand Rapids Area                60                            -19.7                           2  

  Kalamazoo Area                    15                            -31.2                           0  

  Muskegon Area                      95                           12.6                             3  

  Northwest Lower Peninsula    55                            7.0                              1  

  Saginaw MSA                        25                           -21.7                           1  

  Thumb Area                           40                            21.1                            2  

  Upper Peninsula                     35                          -18.2                             1  

  West Central Michigan           10                            18.2                             0    

MSA designates a Metropolitan Statistical Area    

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION      

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

SUMMARY PROFILE      

The occupation of Foundry Mold Assembly Worker can be summarized by the following:  

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