A professional who sets up and operates extrusion press to shape hot billets into products, such as bars, tubing, structural shapes, and rods. Respnsibilities include:

• Installs dies, mandrels, containers, heating coils, press tools, extrusion heads, and run-out bridging in press, according to size and type of product, using handtools.
• Removes billet from furnace when color indicates specified temperature and guides it along extrusion press conveyor onto press bed, and into billet container, using tongs.
• Starts ram that spreads billet into container and forces it through press.
• Regulates rate of extrusion to prevent metal rupture and adherence of metal to container walls.
• Starts press run-out table and butt shears to guide extrusion from press, and to trim flash.
• Pulls extrusion along conveyor to racking table.
• Sprays die with lubricant and caustic, and oils blocks and mandrels.
• Records data, such as crew time, number of billets used, and items processed.
• May operate extrusion press equipped with furnace that ejects hot billets into press chamber for ram to force through die.
• May set up and operate extrusion press to shape hot, radioactive uranium fuel elements.