Plating Technician - 1st shift

Morgan Advanced Materials is a world leader in advanced materials science and engineering of ceramics, carbon and composites. We operate in a series of well-defined markets where our applications expertise offers our customers a valuable differentiator, engineering high-specification materials, components and sub-assembly parts that solve their challenging technical problems.

The Technical Ceramics business of Morgan Advanced Materials engineers high performance functional and structural ceramic materials, components and sub-assemblies to address customer-specific technical challenges.

The business employs advanced materials science and applications expertise to produce parts that enhance reliability or improve the performance of its customers’ products. Much of what the global business unit makes is used in demanding, harsh or critical environments. Our Technical Ceramics business works in selected segments of the electronics, energy, healthcare, industrial, petrochemicals, security and transport markets, typically in close collaborative customer relationships.

Group Key Figures: Revenue £910m (2020), ~7,500 employees, manufacturing in 30+ countries, and customers in 100+ countries. A UK PLC with head office located in Windsor, Berkshire UK.  Listed on London Stock Exchange; Member of the FTSE 250 Index.

Job Purpose:   

The Plating Tech is a member of the Plating Department reporting directly to the Production Supervisor. Technical knowledge, precision, problem-solving skills, and a strong commitment to environmental and safety standards are essential in this role. The technician plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and effectiveness of metal plating by the department.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform chemical drainage, tank cleaning, passivation and refilling as needed: The plating technician meticulously cleans tanks and equipment using chemicals such as nitric acid, ensuring all safety measures are in place. They monitor the cleaning process, control exposure times, and manage the disposal of waste materials in compliance with environmental standards. They also perform passivation of tanks and conduct tests to verify the effectiveness of the passivation process.
• Bath Preparation and Chemical Handling: The technician prepares plating baths, which involves mixing chemicals in precise proportions. They must have a deep understanding of the chemicals used, including their properties and safety protocols.
• Titration and pH Adjustment: Regular titration is necessary to determine the concentration of specific chemicals in the plating bath. The technician makes adjustments as needed.
• Anode and Electrical Current Management: The technician regularly inspects the anodes for wear and degradation, replacing them as needed to maintain consistent plating quality. The technician also monitors and adjusts the electrical current and resistance across the plating tank to ensure even distribution of plating material.
• Measurement and Process Verification: Work with vendor to create DefMA and standards. Maintain repository of approved and calibrated standards. Use the standards to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) equipment. This involves comparing the readings from the XRF machine with known values from the standards, adjusting the machine's settings as necessary to align with these benchmarks.
• Support production needs by preparing parts for plating, processing components through electroless or electroplating and drying processes to impart a protective coating of the desired type. e.g. copper, nickel, gold, silver, etc. to required thickness, drying and inspection of finished parts.
• Perform in-process quality checks and maintain accurate documentation and system inputs (shop traveler, labor charging, production tracking apps, inspection results, etc.)
• Environmental Safety and Waste Management: The technician must manage waste and emissions according to environmental regulations, ensuring safe disposal of hazardous materials and minimizing environmental impact. Assisting with monitoring of wastewater treatment.
• Continuous Learning and Adaptation: The field of metal plating is constantly evolving with new techniques and materials. A technician must stay informed about these developments to improve processes and maintain a competitive edge.
• Maintains work area to 6S requirements
• Assist with the training/cross-training of all department employees.
• Conduct all tasks in a safe and efficient manner complying with all local, state, and federal EHS regulations and with Morgan New Bedford, MA EHS Guidelines. Guidelines include but not limited to participation in required EHS training and use of proper PPE. Employees are responsible for reporting hazardous conditions and job-related injuries or illnesses to their supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications and Education Requirements:

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) and three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Wastewater licnese preferred
• This position requires use of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
• Basic knowledge of Chemistry.
• Company will support candidate to obtain Waste Water Treatment Grade 2 certification.
• Individual must be a:
  • Citizen of the United States, or
  • Permanent resident alien of the United States, or
  • Protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) as defined by 22CFR120.15

Additional Requirements:

• Must be familiar with Microsoft Word-Processing and Spreadsheet (Excel) software.
• Must be able to carry out written, oral, or diagram form instructions.
• Basic math skills required.

Physical Requirements:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Required to talk or hear.
• Required to pass eye tests.
• Required to stand, walk, and sit.
• Required to use finger, handle, feel & reach with hands & arms.
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 25 lbs, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 lbs.
• Vision abilities include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus, close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Pay Range:

• $24+ per hour 

Morgan Advanced Materials is an EEO/AA/M/W/D/V Employer.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description does not state or imply that all duties to be performed are specifically identified above. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested or instructed by an authorized person of the Company. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.