Will AI replace Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
AI can do 1% of the work Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 1 of them. Robots can technically handle 29 physical tasks. 2 still need a person.
AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.
AI could do this next1 · 1% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials.1% of time
Robots can technically do this29 · 94% of time
Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.
- Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.Robots: purpose built settings22% of time
- Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.Robots: purpose built settings9% of time
- Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
- Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
- Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
- Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
- 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.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
- Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.Robots: structured workplaces4% of time
- Clean work area.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Clean and lubricate machines.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Thread ends of metal coils from reels through slitters and secure ends on recoilers.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
- Lubricate workpieces with oil.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
- Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Mark identifying data on workpieces.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
- Hand-form, cut, or finish workpieces, using tools such as table saws, hand sledges, or anvils.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
- Operate forklifts to deliver materials.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
- Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks.Robots: purpose built settingsunder 1% of time
- Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches.Robots: purpose built settingsunder 1% of time
Still needs a person2 · 5% of time
No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.
- Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.4% of time
- Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings.1% of time
Your week is not the average
Describe what you actually do and get a personal report: your own tasks, what AI can already do, what stays yours and a 90 day plan.
What this means
Little of this work suits AI. The bigger change here is robots: today's robots can technically do 94% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.
What to do next
- Get ahead on the 1 task AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Keep an eye on the 29 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
- Build on the 2 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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