Equipment operators in a plant-based meat company play a support function for manufacturing, scale-up, and product development. Their responsibility is to operate and maintain machinery during the various stages of production. These include extruders, mixers, grinders, and other machinery used to process plant-based proteins.

Equipment operators work closely with the product development team to implement changes in machinery settings based on new formulations or processing techniques. Their hands-on expertise allows them to adjust parameters such as temperature, pressure, and speed to achieve the desired texture and quality in the final product. They also contribute valuable insights into the scalability and efficiency of production processes, helping to bridge the gap between lab-, pilot-, and large-scale manufacturing.

Their expertise in equipment operation and troubleshooting is crucial for achieving consistency in the development and production of PBM products.