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Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend machines to bleach, shrink, wash, dye, or finish textiles or synthetic or glass fibers.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Ravel seams that connect cloth ends when processing is completed.
    • Soak specified textile products for designated times.
    • Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed.
    • Perform machine maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling equipment, and repair or replace worn or defective parts.
    • Perform machine maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling equipment, and repair or replace worn or defective parts.
    • Mount rolls of cloth on machines, using hoists, or place textile goods in machines or pieces of equipment.
    • Record production information such as fabric yardage processed, temperature readings, fabric tensions, and machine speeds.
    • Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly.
    • Key in processing instructions to program electronic equipment.
    • Install, level, and align components such as gears, chains, dies, cutters, and needles.
    • Sew ends of cloth together, by hand or using machines, to form endless lengths of cloth to facilitate processing.
    • Inspect machinery to determine necessary adjustments and repairs.
    • Confer with coworkers to get information about order details, processing plans, or problems that occur.
    • Study guides, charts, and specification sheets, and confer with supervisors to determine machine setup requirements.
    • Thread ends of cloth or twine through specified sections of equipment prior to processing.
    • Install, level, and align components such as gears, chains, dies, cutters, and needles.
    • Monitor factors such as temperatures and dye flow rates to ensure that they are within specified ranges.
    • Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods.
    • Add dyes, water, detergents, or chemicals to tanks to dilute or strengthen solutions, according to established formulas and solution test results.
    • Study guides, charts, and specification sheets, and confer with supervisors to determine machine setup requirements.
    • Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed.
    • Remove dyed articles from tanks and machines for drying and further processing.
    • Test solutions used to process textile goods to detect variations from standards.
    • Prepare dyeing machines for production runs, and conduct test runs of machines to ensure their proper operation.
    • Perform machine maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling equipment, and repair or replace worn or defective parts.
    • Weigh ingredients, such as dye, to be mixed together for use in textile processing.
    • Examine and feel products to identify defects and variations from coloring and other processing standards.
    • Mount rolls of cloth on machines, using hoists, or place textile goods in machines or pieces of equipment.
    • Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions.

    Skills

    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    Knowledge

    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    Less than 1 month on-the-job training

    Pay

    U.S. Annual Salary
    37320/yr
    U.S. Hourly Wage
    17.94/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    20
    Yearly Projected Openings
    0

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Perseverance
    • Integrity

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Bleaching machines
    • Calipers
    • Carding machine
    • Dyeing machines
    • Fine spinning machine
    • Forklifts
    • Hoists
    • Intensive mixers
    • Sewing machines
    • Spinning machines
    • Tape measures
    • Thickness measuring devices
    • Twisting machines
    • Winding or reeling or spooling machines

    Technology

    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software