A professional who tends vacuum-filter dewaterer and gas-fired pan-drier to prepare flake graphite from mill slurry. Respnsibilities include:

• Starts pumps, filter, and drag mechanism on pan-drier.
• Lights gas burners on drier with torch and turns valves to regulate temperature as judged by color of flame.
• Turns valves to admit graphite slurry into dewaterer which extracts water (by means of vacuum exerted through rotating filter paddles) and discharges damp graphite onto pan of drier.
• Judges degree of dryness of graphite as drag mechanism moves it along length of drier pan.
• Adjusts drying rate by regulating input rate of graphite slurry into dewaterer.
• Removes filter paddles and replaces filter cloths (socks), using mechanic's handtools.