Press Machine Operators

How AI is changing press machine operators work

1 of 9 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 11%.

This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.

Tasks in this job and recorded AI use

• Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Examine completed workpieces for defects (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Clean work area (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Lubricate workpieces with oil — no recorded AI use
• Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools — no recorded AI use
• Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools — no recorded AI use
• Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies — no recorded AI use
• Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components — no recorded AI use
• Clean and lubricate machines — no recorded AI use
• Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices — no recorded AI use
• Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges — no recorded AI use
• Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools — no recorded AI use
• Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials — no recorded AI use
• Mark identifying data on workpieces — no recorded AI use
• Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs — no recorded AI use
• Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks — no recorded AI use
• Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts — no recorded AI use
• Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes — no recorded AI use
• Operate forklifts to deliver materials — no recorded AI use
• Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors — no recorded AI use
• Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications — no recorded AI use
• Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks — no recorded AI use
• Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches — no recorded AI use
• Use equipment designed to join sheet metal — too new for the AI data
• Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches — no recorded AI use

Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).

Your first steps (guidance)

1. Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
2. Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers”. Try the prompt for: “Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials”.

Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.

Questions about AI and press machine operators

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