Metal Pickling Equipment Operator
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersDescription
Operate and tend acid pickling equipment to clean and descale metal products, removing oxides, rust, and mill scale to prepare surfaces for coating or further processing.
- • Operate and tend pickling tanks or lines to remove scale, rust, and oxides from metal products.
- • Add specified acids, inhibitors, and water to maintain bath levels and concentrations.
- • Drain, neutralize, clean, and refill pickling and rinse tanks at scheduled intervals.
- • Measure, mix, and prepare pickling and rinse solutions using calibrated equipment.
- • Sample baths and test for acidity, iron content, and specific gravity; adjust to specifications.
- • Monitor gauges, temperatures, flow, and agitation; adjust controls to maintain conditions.
- • Set and regulate bath temperature, dwell time, conveyor or hoist speed, pumps, and agitators.
- • Inspect equipment and product surfaces to detect malfunctions or pickling defects.
- • Record chemical usage, test results, lot numbers, and processing times in production logs.
- • Clean, adjust, and lubricate equipment; replace filters and spray nozzles as needed.
- • Load and unload coils, sheets, or parts with hoists or conveyors; stage on racks for drying or further processing.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
