What does a plastics fabricator do?
Plastics fabricator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real plastics fabricator resumes:
- Fabricate fiberglass piping, use tape measure, see, forklifts.
- Assist with wet layup fiberglass repair as well as resin infusion projects to restore composite components on naval vessels.
- Glass glazing/commercial aluminum window panel fabrication
- Install thermal plastic parts into tools for bond in autoclaves.
- Glass glazing/commercial aluminum window panel fabrication
Plastics fabricator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 37% of Plastics Fabricators are proficient in Extrusion, Hand Tools, and Fiberglass. They’re also known for soft skills such as Color vision, Dexterity, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Plastics Fabricators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Extrusion, 37%
Designed, manufactured, and assembled plastic products through one of a number of methods such as molding and extrusion.
- Hand Tools, 20%
Operated table saw, hand and table routers, torches, drills, and many hand tools for fabricating and detailing.
- Fiberglass, 13%
Assembled fiberglass aircraft louvers in accordance with standard operating procedures while adhering to applicable safety regulations.
- Customer Service, 4%
Demonstrated professionalism in customer service.
- PVC, 4%
Fabricate water systems - PVC piping systems integrated with sensors and various flow components.
- Sketch, 3%
Design of customer requested custom parts, sketch initial diagrams, raw stock dimension analysis, and assembly line set up.
Most plastics fabricators use their skills in "extrusion," "hand tools," and "fiberglass" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential plastics fabricator responsibilities here:
Color vision. One of the key soft skills for a plastics fabricator to have is color vision. You can see how this relates to what plastics fabricators do because "assemblers and fabricators who make electrical and electronic products must distinguish different colors, because the wires they often work with are color coded." Additionally, a plastics fabricator resume shows how plastics fabricators use color vision: "use vision router tables, spray booth, vinyl printer, edge prints. "
Dexterity. Another essential skill to perform plastics fabricator duties is dexterity. Plastics fabricators responsibilities require that "assemblers and fabricators should have a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination, as they must grasp, manipulate, or assemble parts and components that are often very small." Plastics fabricators also use dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "fabricate fiberglass piping, use tape measure, saw, forklifts. "
Math skills. plastics fabricators are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to plastics fabricator responsibilities, because "assemblers and fabricators must know basic math and be able to use computers, because the manufacturing process continues to advance technologically." A plastics fabricator resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "interpret blueprints, calculate dimensions and tolerances using knowledge from mathematics and instruments such as micrometers and vernier calipers. "
Mechanical skills. plastics fabricator responsibilities often require "mechanical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "modern production systems require assemblers and fabricators to use programmable motion-control devices, computers, and robots on the factory floor." This resume example shows what plastics fabricators do with mechanical skills on a typical day: "promoted to position with additional responsibilities skills used mechanical , hand tools, power tools , communication skills, leadership skills"
Physical strength. Another common skill required for plastics fabricator responsibilities is "physical strength." This skill comes up in the duties of plastics fabricators all the time, as "assemblers and fabricators must be strong enough to lift heavy components or pieces of machinery." An excerpt from a real plastics fabricator resume shows how this skill is central to what a plastics fabricator does: "assembled and maintained physical structures, using hand tools or power tools. "
Technical skills. Lastly, "technical skills" is an important element of what a plastics fabricator does. Plastics fabricator responsibilities require this skill because "assemblers and fabricators must understand technical manuals, blueprints, and schematics for a wide range of products and machines in order to manufacture the final product properly." This resume example highlights how plastics fabricator duties rely on this skill: "interpret blueprints and technical drawings to correctly assemble products. "
The three companies that hire the most plastics fabricators are:
- NEXTAFF3 plastics fabricators jobs
- Mega Fluid Systems3 plastics fabricators jobs
- Graco2 plastics fabricators jobs
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Compare different plastics fabricators
Plastics fabricator vs. Warehouse assembler
A warehouse assembler takes on several responsibilities. They are responsible for preparing work that needs to be accomplished by studying and following assembly instructions to put together parts. They also interpret engineering blueprints and technical jargon. They are expected to verify accurate quantities of components and to check that the items are completed to ensure quality. They manage the inventory of parts and tools that are used in the process of assembly.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a plastics fabricator are more likely to require skills like "extrusion," "fiberglass," "iii," and "customer service." On the other hand, a job as a warehouse assembler requires skills like "basic math," "assembly line," "pallets," and "part numbers." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Warehouse assemblers earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $31,847. On the other hand, plastics fabricators are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $38,391.The education levels that warehouse assemblers earn slightly differ from plastics fabricators. In particular, warehouse assemblers are 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a plastics fabricator. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Plastics fabricator vs. Furniture assembler
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, plastics fabricator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "extrusion," "fiberglass," "iii," and "customer service." Meanwhile, a furniture assembler has duties that require skills in areas such as "office furniture," "delivery truck," "assembly line," and "safety procedures." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Furniture assemblers earn a lower average salary than plastics fabricators. But furniture assemblers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $34,228. Additionally, plastics fabricators earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $38,391 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Furniture assemblers tend to reach similar levels of education than plastics fabricators. In fact, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Plastics fabricator vs. Machine assembler
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, plastics fabricators are more likely to have skills like "extrusion," "fiberglass," "iii," and "customer service." But a machine assembler is more likely to have skills like "machine assembly," "machine shop," "assembly blueprints," and "assembly line."
Machine assemblers earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $43,704. Comparatively, plastics fabricators have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $38,391.Most machine assemblers achieve a similar degree level compared to plastics fabricators. For example, they're 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Plastics fabricator vs. Window assembler
Types of plastics fabricator
Updated January 8, 2025
