Bag Machine Operator

Pratt Industries

Key Responsibilities

• Safely operate, set up, adjust, and maintain paper bag machines and flexographic printing presses.
• Ensure efficient production, maintain high-quality standards, and carry out routine mechanical adjustments.
• Prepare raw materials for production, including stripping, preparing, setting, and changing paper rolls and ink.
• Mount photopolymer flexo plates to cylinders/sleeves and make precise machine adjustments.
• Maximize machine speed and capacity while maintaining zero-defect quality.
• Reduce set-up time and operational downtime.
• Perform preventative maintenance, basic troubleshooting, repairs, and adjustments following minor malfunctions.
• Identify mechanical concerns and report escalations.
• Assist in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Perform initial ("first bag out") quality checks and continuous inline inspections for packaging integrity, dimensions, weights, and print quality.
• Isolate non-conforming product/waste.
• Adhere to plant safety rules, company policies, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Gather, count, and package finished bags; stack and secure pallet loads.
• Complete accurate daily production entries, including status reports, safety records, scrap counts, and quality tracking.
• Train, assist, and mentor Assistant Operators, Machine Operators, Machine Helpers, and Production Utility personnel.
• Actively participate in the Plant Safety Committee and cross-train across various plant machines/roles.
• Maintain a clean, organized work area (5S/housekeeping).
• Work overtime, short-notice shift variations, and holiday schedules as required.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• High School Diploma or GED preferred.
• Minimum: 6+ months manufacturing/production experience.
• Preferred: 2 to 4 years of prior experience operating paper bag, envelope, or flexo-folder gluer machines within the packaging/converting industry.
• Basic reading comprehension and ability to read work order packets.
• Working knowledge of flexographic printing and paper converting machinery.
• Proficient with touch-screen controls, basic mechanical troubleshooting, and using a tape measure with speed and accuracy.
• Ability to apply practical high school math concepts (percentages, rates, measurements, volumes).
• Lift Truck Operator License (or ability to obtain/maintain one).

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Regularly required to stand, walk, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and talk/hear.
• Frequently uses hands and fingers to handle or feel materials.
• Must be able to regularly lift and move up to 50 lbs.
• Vision: Close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Environment: Active manufacturing plant with exposure to moving mechanical parts, loud noise, wet/humid conditions, occasional airborne particles, fumes, or machinery vibration.