Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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

The occupation of Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has an automation risk of 44.5%, which closely aligns with its base risk of 45.0%. This moderate level of risk can be attributed to the repetitive, rules-based nature of many core job responsibilities, making them susceptible to automation technologies. For instance, the most automatable tasks include setting up, operating, or tending machines that cut or slice various materials, which can be efficiently managed by automated machinery. Additionally, reviewing work orders, blueprints, or specifications to adjust machine settings can be translated into algorithmic processes with the aid of sensors and digital control systems. Examining, measuring, and weighing materials or products for quality assurance is also increasingly feasible for machines equipped with vision systems and electronic measuring devices. On the other hand, several tasks remain resistant to automation, preventing the automation risk from being even higher. Manual preparation of stock for machine cutting, using hand tools like knives or saws, requires adaptability and dexterity that is still challenging for robots to replicate cost-effectively in varied production environments. Performing maintenance tasks such as tightening pulleys or adding abrasives to maintain cutting speeds requires an understanding of nuanced mechanical adjustments and judgment that automated systems may not reliably achieve. Activating winches manually to move heavy components according to situational needs also involves a level of situational awareness and human decision-making that current automation technologies struggle to emulate. A key bottleneck for full automation in this occupation is the low demand for originality—a skill measured at just 2.0%. This low percentage indicates that most tasks in this job rely heavily on routine procedures rather than creativity or novel problem-solving. While the repetitive nature of most responsibilities increases susceptibility to automation, the tasks that do require hands-on intervention, real-time adjustments, or judgment continue to act as barriers. Therefore, while automation technologies are likely to further encroach on this profession, the occupation’s risk level rests in the mid-range due to both the straightforward automatable tasks and the small but significant set of manual and adaptive operations resistant to full automation.