Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.

The occupation "Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders" faces an automation risk of 44.2%, which is closely aligned with its base risk of 44.6%. This moderate risk reflects the balance between tasks that are readily automatable and those requiring more human intervention. Tasks primarily involving the monitoring and adjustment of machinery, such as examining completed work for defects, observing machine operations for malfunctions, and manipulating machine controls, are among the most automatable. Modern advancements in sensors, computer vision, and robotics make it increasingly possible for machines to detect quality issues, monitor equipment status, and perform precise adjustments without human involvement. As industries continue to invest in these technologies to boost efficiency and consistency, the share of production tasks vulnerable to automation rises. However, certain aspects of the job remain relatively resistant to automation. These include manual tasks such as lifting tote boxes of finished cartons into feed hoppers, removing finished cores, and placing or stacking them on conveyors. Additionally, while stamping products can be automated to a certain degree, situations requiring flexibility—such as changing stamp information or handling irregular items—often necessitate human control or oversight. The physical nature of these activities, combined with the need for adaptability in a dynamic production environment, presents ongoing technical and cost-related challenges for full automation. As a result, the human workforce continues to play a crucial role in sections of the production line where versatility and physical manipulation are required. A pivotal factor constraining further automation in this occupation is the relatively low requirement for originality, as indicated by the bottleneck skill levels: Originality at 2.3% and 2.1%. Originality, defined as the ability to develop new ideas or creative solutions, is not a central component of the daily workflow in this occupation. Most tasks are routine, repetitive, and governed by standardized processes. Because the job does not heavily depend on uniquely human capacities like complex problem-solving or generating innovative improvements, technological systems are more likely to handle core responsibilities. Still, the modest measure of originality required may prove to be a nontrivial bottleneck for automation, as some degree of situational judgment and response to unexpected machine behavior is often necessary, keeping complete automation just out of reach for now.