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51-9032.00 · Task explorer

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

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This source lists 28 tasks, including 19 marked Core and 9 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: 08/2026.

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28 tasks shown

Core · Task 12421 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.

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Core · Task 12424 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.

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Core · Task 12426 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.

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Core · Task 12422 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.

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Core · Task 12419 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.

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Core · Task 12423 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.

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Core · Task 12416 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.

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Core · Task 12427 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.

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Core · Task 12418 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material.

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Core · Task 12420 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Type instructions on computer keyboards, push buttons to activate computer programs, or manually set cutting guides, clamps, and knives.

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Core · Task 12428 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools.

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Core · Task 12433 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Position stock along cutting lines, or against stops on beds of scoring or cutting machines.

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Core · Task 12425 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment.

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Core · Task 12432 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels.

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Core · Task 12429 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Move stock or scrap to and from machines manually, or by using carts, handtrucks, or lift trucks.

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Core · Task 12435 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Change or replace saw blades, cables, cutter heads, and grinding wheels, using hand tools.

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Core · Task 12430 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans.

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Core · Task 12417 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

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Core · Task 12436 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes.

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Supplemental · Task 12434 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Start pumps to circulate water and abrasives onto blades or cables during cutting.

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Supplemental · Task 12439 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Direct workers on cutting teams.

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Supplemental · Task 12431 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Operate cranes, or signal crane operators to position or remove stone from cars or saw beds.

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Supplemental · Task 12440 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Tighten pulleys or add abrasives to maintain cutting speeds.

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Supplemental · Task 12438 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Position width gauge blocks between blades, and level blades and insert wedges into frames to secure blades to frames.

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Supplemental · Task 12442 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Sharpen cutting blades, knives, or saws, using files, bench grinders, or honing stones.

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Supplemental · Task 12441 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels.

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Supplemental · Task 12437 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Turn cranks or press buttons to activate winches that move cars under sawing cables or saw frames.

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Supplemental · Task 12443 · 08/2026 · Incumbent

Wash stones, using water hoses.

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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.