Tumbling machine operators set up and operate tumbling machines, often wet or drie tumbling barrels, designed to remove excess material and burrs of heavy metal workpieces and precious metals and to improve surface appearance, by rotating the metal pieces in a barrel together with grit and potentially water, allowing for the friction between the pieces mutually and with the grit to cause a rounding, smooth effect.

Tasks

Tasks include -
(a) Operating and monitoring equipment which cleans metal articles in preparation for electroplating, galvanizing, enamelling or similar processes;
(b) Operating and monitoring electroplating equipment;
(c) Operating and monitoring hot-dip equipment used to coat iron and steel products;
(d) Operating and monitoring machines which automatically coat wire with non-ferrous metal;
(e) Operating and monitoring equipment used to spray molten metal or other substances onto metal products to provide a protective or decorative coating or to build up worn or damaged surfaces;
(f) Operating and monitoring equipment used to impart a rust-resistant finish to metal articles by treating them with chemicals and heating them;
(g) Checking proper thickness of plating using micrometers, callipers or other devices recording data and writing production logs;
(h) Preparing and mixing metalizing solutions according to formulas or specifications.