51-4031.00 · Task explorer
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: reported tasks and exploration worksheet
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Use the skill profile to plan your next practice →
Read the task inventory
This source lists 31 tasks, including 9 marked Core and 22 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.
Task source dates: 08/2025.
31 tasks shown
Core · Task 10110 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.
Core · Task 10111 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.
Core · Task 10112 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.
Core · Task 10115 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.
Core · Task 10114 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.
Core · Task 10116 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.
Core · Task 10113 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.
Core · Task 10131 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.
Core · Task 20820 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Clean work area.
Supplemental · Task 10128 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Lubricate workpieces with oil.
Supplemental · Task 10117 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
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.
Supplemental · Task 10122 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
Supplemental · Task 10119 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.
Supplemental · Task 10127 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
Supplemental · Task 10118 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Clean and lubricate machines.
Supplemental · Task 10124 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices.
Supplemental · Task 10123 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges.
Supplemental · Task 10129 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools.
Supplemental · Task 10132 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials.
Supplemental · Task 10130 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Mark identifying data on workpieces.
Supplemental · Task 10126 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs.
Supplemental · Task 10137 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks.
Supplemental · Task 10136 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings.
Supplemental · Task 10135 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes.
Supplemental · Task 20821 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Operate forklifts to deliver materials.
Supplemental · Task 10138 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors.
Supplemental · Task 10120 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.
Supplemental · Task 10134 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks.
Supplemental · Task 10121 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches.
Supplemental · Task 24012 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Use equipment designed to join sheet metal, such as spot welders.
Supplemental · Task 10139 · 08/2025 · Incumbent
Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches.
Make the shortlist useful
- Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
- For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
- Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.
The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.
Keep your worksheet
Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.
Source and practice material
Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.
Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.