What Do Refractory Materials Repairers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Refractory Materials Repairers build or repair equipment such as furnaces, kilns, cupolas, boilers, converters, ladles, soaking pits and ovens, using refractory materials. They also measure furnace walls to determine dimensions and cut required number of sheets from plastic block, using saws.

Other tasks include:

• Reline or repair ladles and pouring spouts with refractory clay, using trowels.
• Tighten locknuts holding refractory stopper assemblies together, spread mortar on jackets to seal sleeve joints, and dry mortar in ovens.
• Dry and bake new linings by placing inverted linings over burners, building fires in ladles, or by using blowtorches.
• Remove worn or damaged plastic block refractory linings of furnaces, using hand tools.
• Fasten stopper heads to rods with metal pins to assemble refractory stoppers used to plug pouring nozzles of steel ladles.
• Chip slag from linings of ladles or remove linings when beyond repair, using hammers and chisels.

We asked Refractory Materials Repairers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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67% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 52% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Refractory Materials Repairers tighten locknuts holding refractory stopper assemblies together, spread mortar on jackets to seal sleeve joints, and dry mortar in ovens. They dry and bake new linings by placing inverted linings over burners, building fires in ladles, or by using blowtorches.

A typical day for a Refractory Materials Repairer will also include:

• Spread mortar on stopper heads and rods, using trowels, and slide brick sleeves over rods to form refractory jackets.
• Chip slag from linings of ladles or remove linings when beyond repair, using hammers and chisels.
• Climb scaffolding, carrying hoses, and spray surfaces of cupolas with refractory mixtures, using spray equipment.
• Reline or repair ladles and pouring spouts with refractory clay, using trowels.
• Fasten stopper heads to rods with metal pins to assemble refractory stoppers used to plug pouring nozzles of steel ladles.

We asked some Refractory Materials Repairers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	9% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	34% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	62% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	15% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	27% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Refractory Materials Repairers also dump and tamp clay in molds, using tamping tools. They may also drill holes in furnace walls, bolt overlapping layers of plastic to walls, and hammer surfaces to compress layers into solid sheets.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Refractory Materials Repairers Transfer clay structures to curing ovens, melting tanks, and drawing kilns, using forklifts. They might also Disassemble molds, and cut, chip, and smooth clay structures such as floaters, drawbars, and L-blocks.

In addition, they Remove worn or damaged plastic block refractory linings of furnaces, using hand tools.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Measure furnace walls to determine dimensions and cut required number of sheets from plastic block, using saws.

To some Refractory Materials Repairers, it is also their responsibility to Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, mortar powder, and water to form refractory clay or mortar, using shovels or mixing machines.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Refractory Materials Repairer, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

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