# Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic > Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material. - Code: 51-4031.00 (O*NET-SOC; SOC 2018 51-4031) - Family: [Production](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations#family-51), one of its 114 occupations - Tasks: 32 tasks (18 core and 14 supplemental) - Page: https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/51-4031.00 - JSON: https://foundation.org.ai/data/tasks/51-4031.00.json ## What the work is made of 1. Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws. Core task · Task 10111 · Rated by 130 people who do the job, July 2015 2. Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. Core task · Task 10110 · Rated by 123 people who do the job, July 2015 3. Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes. Core task · Task 10127 · Rated by 130 people who do the job, July 2015 4. Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data. Core task · Task 10115 · Rated by 125 people who do the job, July 2015 5. Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material. Core task · Task 10114 · Rated by 127 people who do the job, July 2015 6. Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools. Core task · Task 10116 · Rated by 126 people who do the job, July 2015 7. 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. Core task · Task 10117 · Rated by 125 people who do the job, July 2015 8. 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 · Task 10112 · Rated by 130 people who do the job, July 2015 9. Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices. Core task · Task 10124 · Rated by 127 people who do the job, July 2015 10. Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies. Core task · Task 10119 · Rated by 124 people who do the job, July 2015 11. Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. Core task · Task 10113 · Rated by 125 people who do the job, July 2015 12. Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools. Core task · Task 10122 · Rated by 125 people who do the job, July 2015 13. Clean and lubricate machines. Core task · Task 10118 · Rated by 131 people who do the job, July 2015 14. Mark identifying data on workpieces. Core task · Task 10130 · Rated by 129 people who do the job, July 2015 15. Clean work area. Core task · Task 20820 · Rated by 131 people who do the job, July 2015 16. Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials. Core task · Task 10132 · Rated by 128 people who do the job, July 2015 17. Operate forklifts to deliver materials. Core task · Task 20821 · Rated by 127 people who do the job, July 2015 18. Lubricate workpieces with oil. Core task · Task 10128 · Rated by 127 people who do the job, July 2015 19. Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations. Supplemental task · Task 10131 · Rated by 128 people who do the job, July 2015 20. Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications. Supplemental task · Task 10120 · Rated by 123 people who do the job, July 2015 21. Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges. Supplemental task · Task 10123 · Rated by 125 people who do the job, July 2015 22. Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs. Supplemental task · Task 10126 · Rated by 128 people who do the job, July 2015 23. Thread ends of metal coils from reels through slitters and secure ends on recoilers. Supplemental task · Task 10125 · Rated by 126 people who do the job, July 2015 24. Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks. Supplemental task · Task 10134 · Rated by 126 people who do the job, July 2015 25. Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings. Supplemental task · Task 10136 · Rated by 127 people who do the job, July 2015 26. Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools. Supplemental task · Task 10129 · Rated by 124 people who do the job, July 2015 27. Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches. Supplemental task · Task 10121 · Rated by 128 people who do the job, July 2015 28. Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors. Supplemental task · Task 10138 · Rated by 122 people who do the job, July 2015 29. Hand-form, cut, or finish workpieces, using tools such as table saws, hand sledges, or anvils. Supplemental task · Task 10133 · Rated by 124 people who do the job, July 2015 30. Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches. Supplemental task · Task 10139 · Rated by 125 people who do the job, July 2015 31. Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes. Supplemental task · Task 10135 · Rated by 126 people who do the job, July 2015 32. Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks. 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