Experienced Paint Line Operator

This Experienced Paint Line Operator independently operates, monitors, and troubleshoots the complete automated powder coating line, including the pretreatment washer, dry-off and cure ovens, conveyor, automatic powder guns, manual touch-up, and powder recovery systems. The role owns routine process checks, water sampling and approved chemical additions, assigned preventive maintenance, quality response, and training of less experienced operators. The focus is maintaining a safe, stable process that produces consistent finish quality while minimizing downtime, rework, contamination, and powder waste.

Duties, Tasks and Responsibilities

· Independently completes line start-up, operation, monitoring, changeover, and shutdown in accordance with standard work

· Reviews production requirements and confirms the correct powder, recipe, hang pattern, part orientation and spacing, masking, and overall line readiness before releasing work

· Operates the line HMI and PLC controls and adjusts approved settings, including conveyor speed, gun position and triggering, kV, current, powder and air flow, washer parameters, and oven parameters

· Sets up and operates the automatic powder guns and performs manual touch-up on complex or recessed areas while controlling coverage, film build, and powder use

· Leads cleaning of the booth, guns, pumps, hoses, feed center, and reclaim components to prevent contamination

· Owns required washer and water sampling; tests and records specified pH, concentration or titration, conductivity, temperature, and other required values; safely makes approved chemical additions and verifies the result

· Monitors critical line conditions, including washer pressure and nozzle performance, dry-off and cure temperatures, conveyor operation, booth airflow and filters, powder feed and reclaim, part grounding, and system alarms

· Inspects coated parts for coverage, color, appearance, film thickness, adhesion, and cure as required by work instructions; contains nonconforming product and corrects the process before additional product is affected

· Diagnoses coating and equipment issues such as poor adhesion, thin or heavy film, recessed-area coverage, contamination, pinholes, orange peel, gun spitting or surging, grounding, cure, and line alarm problems

· Performs and documents assigned operator PMs and routine maintenance on washer nozzles and strainers, guns and nozzles, pumps and hoses, booth and reclaim equipment, filters and sieves, conveyor and hangers, ovens, and related safety checks within established training and authorization

· Follows all safety procedures for powder handling, chemicals, ovens, moving equipment, compressed air, PPE, and lockout/tagout; stops and escalates unsafe or out-of-control conditions and never bypasses interlocks or safeguards

· Trains and coaches Level 1 and Level 2 operators on standard work, spray technique, sampling and chemical handling, cleaning, PMs, defect recognition, and safe operation; verifies understanding through hands-on demonstration

· Serves as the go-to technical resource during downtime, quality issues; maintains accurate process, chemical, PM, quality, scrap, rework, and downtime records; supports improvements to first-pass yield, powder use, changeover time, uptime, safety, and 5S

· Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Critical Skills & Knowledge

· Deep understanding of how pretreatment chemistry, water quality, drying, grounding, powder application, film thickness, and cure work together to create the final finish

· Working knowledge of the full automated line, including washer stages, dry-off and cure ovens, conveyor, HMI and PLC controls, automatic and manual guns, feed center, reclaim system, filtration, alarms, and safety interlocks

· Skilled in manual powder application and automatic gun setup, including how part geometry, hang orientation, grounding, kV, current, powder flow, and air settings affect coverage and transfer efficiency

· Ability to use samples, test results, gauges, process readings, alarm history, and defect patterns to separate equipment, material, chemistry, handling, and setup causes

· Ability to read and apply work instructions, quality standards, equipment manuals, PM instructions, safety rules, and Safety Data Sheets

· Strong mechanical aptitude, sound judgment, and clear understanding of when to make an authorized adjustment, stop the line, or escalate to Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, or leadership

· Ability to train others clearly, provide effective shift handoffs, and understand how paint line decisions affect material flow, quality, schedule, and cost

· Regular attendance is essential

Minimum Qualifications

· High school diploma or general education degree (GED), or an equivalent combination of education and experience

· At least three years of industrial powder coating experience, including experience on an automated conveyorized powder coating line

· Demonstrated ability to independently operate the complete line, perform manual touch-up, complete required sampling and chemical additions, perform assigned PMs, and respond effectively to common quality and equipment problems

· Ability to use line controls, computers, gauges, and test equipment; perform basic math; and maintain accurate records

· Ability to perform the physical requirements of the position and wear all required PPE while working safely around chemicals, powder, ovens, and moving equipment

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Referral program
• Vision insurance