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O*NET detailed work activityOperate metal or plastic forming equipment
Stays humanHands-on work
16 jobs30 tasks
This is physical, in-person work with real objects, tools, equipment and places that change from day to day. AI can't do it for you.
Part of Operate industrial processing or production equipment, under the O*NET work activity group Controlling Machines and Processes. Individual tasks below can carry a different label when their own wording calls for it (0 AI-ready, 2 AI-assist, 28 stays human).
Tasks built on this activity
- Adjust and correct machine set-ups to reduce thicknesses, reshape products, and eliminate product defects.
- Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.
- Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
- Set up, adjust, or operate basic or specialized machine tools used to perform precision machining operations.
- Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, drill presses, punch presses, or bandsaws, to fabricate prototypes or models.
- Operate equipment to verify operational efficiency.
- Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
- Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications.
- Press buttons to stop machines when processes are complete or when malfunctions are detected.
- Adjust controls to draw or press metal into specified shapes and diameters.
- Start operation of rolling and milling machines to flatten, temper, form, and reduce sheet metal sections and to produce steel strips.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form filaments from synthetic materials such as rayon, fiberglass, or liquid polymers.
- Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations.
- Move controls to activate and adjust extruding and forming machines.
- Operate or tend wire-coiling machines to wind wire coils used in electrical components such as resistors and transformers, and in electrical equipment and instruments such as bobbins and generators.
- Synchronize speeds of sections of machines when producing products involving several steps or processes.
- Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
- Activate machines to shape or form products, such as candy bars, light bulbs, balloons, or insulation panels.
- Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
- Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal.
- Set up or operate machines or systems to crimp, cut, bend, form, swage, flare, bead, burr, or straighten tubing, according to specifications.
- Operate metal shaping, straightening, and bending machines, such as brakes and shears.
Tasks where it is part of the work
- Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.
- Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
- Manipulate controls and observe dial indicators to monitor, adjust, and regulate speeds of machine mechanisms.
- Select the proper coolants and lubricants and start their flow.
- Fabricate parts needed for assembly or installation, using shop machinery or equipment.
- Set up and operate metalworking machines, such as milling or grinding machines, to shape or fabricate parts.
- Select coolants and lubricants, and start their flow.
- Measure, mix, cut, shape, soften, and join materials and ingredients, such as powder, cornmeal, or rubber to prepare them for machine processing.