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Operator of the glass industry equipment
The profession of a glassmaking equipment operator has been in high demand ever since the industry became automated. Before that, all activities were performed manually. The products were heated in stoves and then blown. These days, glassmaking equipment operators handle the automated machines.
Currently, the glass production process begins with molten glass. The whole process is controlled and monitored by a computer. Then the material is properly formed and finally the product is hardened, processed, coloured and decorated.
Despite mostly computer‑aided manufacturing, many traditional tools such as ladles, polishers, wooden and metal moulds, swages, hammers and spanners are still very much needed and commonly used.
A glassmaking equipment operator is responsible for operating the machines, preparing the glass batch and molten glass, operating forming equipment, finishing, decorating and processing glassware, as well as shaping it manually. Their tasks also include managing the technical documentation and the operation and maintenance manuals, forming and ornamenting glassware and proper usage and maintenance of tools, devices and machines.
Poland is one of the Europe’s leading manufacturers as far as glassmaking is concerned. People who wish to become glassmaking equipment operators should possess the following skills and character traits: manual and technical skills, spatial imagination, notable attention span and multitasking, persistence, patience, resistance to stress and weariness, good health condition and basic knowledge of mechanics, electrics, and electronics.
A well‑qualified specialist will find employment in glassworks specialising in production of flat, domestic, packaging, and technical glass, facilities where different types of glass, glass fiber, or mineral wool are produced, glass processing plants and glass decorating plants.
Glass technology technician
The profession of a glass technology technician has become one that requires a number of skills and character traits. These are mostly: the knowledge of glassmaking equipment, manual and technical skills, spatial imagination, notable attention span and multitasking, self‑reliance, independent thinking, persistence, patience, resistance to stress and weariness, good health condition and physical ability, interpersonal and organisational skills.
A glass technology technician handles the following tasks: operating machines and devices used to produce the glass batch, molten glass, operating machines and devices used to shape, finish, decorate and process glassware, manual production of glassware, organising and managing the process of glassware production.
A person who works in this profession is also responsible for:
reading and drawing diagrams of machines, devices and entire installations,
organising and overseeing the building, packaging, domestic and technical glass production,
ensuring compliance with technological instructions,
selecting and applying proper formulas and ingredients used to make glass batch,
choosing and regulating the parameters of the technological process of glass production and analysing their influence on the quality of the final products,
cooperating with artists while finishing and ornamenting glassware with various techniques.
It is a glass technology technician’s duty to monitor unit operations related to the production of building, domestic and technical glass and to draw documentation on the production volume and the conditions it’s conducted in.
A properly qualified technician will find employment in glassworks specialising in production of flat, domestic, packaging and technical glass, as well as facilities where different types of glass, glass fiber or mineral wool are produced, glass processing plants and glass decorating plants.