Textile Machine Operator
A Textile Machine Operator is a skilled professional responsible for overseeing the machinery used in the production of various textiles, including fabrics for clothing, tires, and roofing materials. Their primary duties involve loading, starting, controlling, and maintaining textile machines, as well as ensuring the quality of the produced textiles through regular inspections. This role demands physical fitness and acute attention to detail, as operators must navigate a noisy and potentially hazardous work environment, often requiring protective gear.
Operators work in textile mills, which are typically well-ventilated to manage the heat and airborne materials generated during production. Collaboration is vital in this occupation, as operators frequently interact with coworkers and supervisors to troubleshoot and ensure smooth operations. While many employers prefer candidates with a high school diploma, relevant training from technical schools can enhance job prospects, particularly in machine repair and maintenance. Overall, the position offers a median annual salary of around $37,130, but the job outlook indicates little to no change in employment opportunities within the field.
Textile Machine Operator
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Manufacturing
Interests: Machinery, machine maintenance and repair, inspection, quality control, manufacturing
Earnings (Yearly Median): $37,130 annual $17.85 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 0% (Little or no change)
Overview
Sphere of Work. Textile machine operators control equipment that produces textiles for various products, including clothes, tires, and roofing material. They are responsible for tending to the equipment and ensuring everything works correctly. Workers load, start, control, stop, and clean the machinery. They inspect the textiles produced by the machines for quality control. It is a physical job that requires great attention to detail and the ability to perform several physically demanding tasks.
Work Environment. Commonly, a textile machine operator works in a textile mill. Many of these facilities are well-ventilated and use climate control to counter the heat generated by the machines. The machines create a noisy environment, so workers usually wear ear protection and protective clothing. If the machine operator is around any chemical compounds used to treat textiles, such as bleach, protective breathing equipment may also be required.
Occupation Interest. The physical demands of working as a textile machine operator require an individual to be in good shape. It is also important for workers to be mindful of their surroundings because the machines work at high speeds and can easily injure a person. Textile machine operators are collaborative people who enjoy working with others to create a quality product. Workers with a variety of backgrounds enter the field, but a strong knowledge of machinery is preferred.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Different machines and textile products call for different tasks. Before loading the machine with either natural or synthetic fibers, an operator inspects the machine to guarantee it works properly. Some workers will first run the machine without any fibers to see that it functions smoothly. This inspection is done regularly throughout the day, particularly during shift changes. Fibers are then inspected and cleaned of any foreign matter through processes called carding and combing.
There are several kinds of carding machines used to treat fiber, including drum carders and cottage carders. These machines straighten, clean, and disentangle fibers. Since these machines operate at high speeds, an operator must be careful not to get limbs or clothing stuck in moving parts. Once cleaned and straightened, the fibers are drawn into a substance called a sliver that is then loaded onto spinning machines. These machines create yarn, either woven, tufted, or bonded through heat or chemicals, depending on the desired final product. Whatever the product may be, the final step is finishing the textile. This is done through dyeing and sometimes treating the textiles with protective products.
During all these processes, textile machine operators monitor the various automated machines and textiles. They work together to report and repair any malfunctions in the machinery. They are in charge of setting the timing on the machinery and threading the yarn onto harnesses. As the yarn is run through the different machines, an operator has to monitor its progress for quality control.
Dye Reel Operators (582.665-014). Dye Reel Operators tend machines that bleach or dye cloth in rope form and machine-sew pieces together.
Bleachers (582.685-102). Bleachers tend machines that dye or bleach yarn wound on beams, tubes, or spring coils.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. A manufacturing setup in a textile mill is the most common environment. Operators labor in close quarters with other workers.
Plant Environment. Because of the airborne materials produced by fibers and chemicals, textile mills are well-ventilated. The machinery generates a lot of noise. Workers have to be careful not to injure themselves on the machines.
Human Environment. Working with textile machinery requires a lot of collaboration. Operators interact with each other to produce quality products and to ensure the machines are working properly. They must often report to supervisors, who oversee production.
Technological Environment. Operators use heavy, automated machinery to produce textiles. These include spinning mules, ring spinners, and weaving machines. Small hand tools such as wrenches and screwdrivers are used to make repairs. Safety equipment such as work boots, gloves, and masks are often mandatory.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. Many textile companies require entry-level workers to have a high school diploma or the equivalent. There are some basic courses offered at high schools that would benefit someone interested in becoming a textile machine operator, including mathematics, mechanical drawing, and any machine-related course.
Postsecondary. Although most textile companies do not require an applicant to have a college education, there are several technical schools and community colleges that provide training relevant to the profession. Some schools offer programs in machine and electrical repair. These programs provide students with formal classroom instruction as well as hands-on training. Any courses concerning machinery repair and maintenance would be beneficial to a potential operator. It would also be helpful to take computer-related courses to build knowledge of new technologies.
Related Occupations
− Computer-Control Machine Tool Operator
− Laundry/Dry Cleaning Machine Operator
Bibliography
“Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail: Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 24 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/about/data-for-occupations-not-covered-in-detail.htm#. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.
“Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022: 51-6063 Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.” Occupational Employment Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes516063.htm. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.