Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-4022.00
Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.17–0.18· 3 ISCO-08 groups
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
ILO value for each linked ISCO-08 group
- ISCO-08 7221Blacksmiths, Hammersmiths and Forging Press Workers0.17
- ISCO-08 7223Metal Working Machine Tool Setters and Operators0.18
- ISCO-08 8142Plastic Products Machine Operators0.17
Task-level exposure
Show 12 hidden tasks13 rated tasks · 1 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (7.7%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 1 rated task is not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; its score is kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup.O*NET Task ID 10079 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (12)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications. | Core |
| Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup. | Core |
| Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications. | Core |
| Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations. | Core |
| Confer with other workers about machine setups and operational specifications. | Core |
| Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal. | Core |
| Trim and compress finished forgings to specified tolerances. | Core |
| Remove dies from machines when production runs are finished. | Supplemental |
| Repair, maintain, and replace parts on dies. | Supplemental |
| Position and move metal wires or workpieces through a series of dies that compress and shape stock to form die impressions. | Supplemental |
| Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools. | Supplemental |
| Select, align, and bolt positioning fixtures, stops, and specified dies to rams and anvils, forging rolls, or presses and hammers. | Supplemental |
0.95/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Measure and inspect machined parts to ensure conformance to product specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove dies from machines when production runs are finished. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations. | E2 structured facilities |
| Repair, maintain, and replace parts on dies. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Position and move metal wires or workpieces through a series of dies that compress and shape stock to form die impressions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Trim and compress finished forgings to specified tolerances. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Select, align, and bolt positioning fixtures, stops, and specified dies to rams and anvils, forging rolls, or presses and hammers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Sharpen cutting tools and drill bits, using bench grinders. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 9K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 7K
- Change (2025–35)
- -17.2%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $49,030
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84120 | 단조기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 74030 | 단조원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 7221Blacksmiths, Hammersmiths and Forging Press Workers
- ISCO-08 7223Metal Working Machine Tool Setters and Operators
- ISCO-08 8142Plastic Products Machine Operators
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- drop forging hammer workerESCO 7221.2This occupation is broader
Drop forging hammer workers utilise forging machinery and equipment, specifically machined hammers, in order to form ferrous and non-ferrous metal workpieces to their desired shape. They tend the forging hammers that are dropped onto the workpiece in order to reshape it after the form of the die, which can be closed or open, fully enclosing the workpiece or not.
- hydraulic forging press workerESCO 7221.3This occupation is broader
Hydraulic forging press workers set up and tend hydraulic forging presses, designed to shape ferrous and non-ferrous metal workpieces including pipes, tubes and hollow profiles and other products of the first processing of steel in their desired form by use of compressive forces generated by a piston and fluid pressure.
- mechanical forging press workerESCO 7221.4This occupation is broader
Mechanical forging press workers set up and tend mechanical forging presses, designed to shape ferrous and non-ferrous metal workpieces including pipes, tubes and hollow profiles and other products of the first processing of steel in their desired form by use of preset, compressive forces provided by cranks, cams and toggles at reproducible strokes.
- metal drawing machine operatorESCO 8121.4This occupation is broader
Metal drawing machine operators set up and operate drawing machines for ferrous and non-ferrous metal products, designed to provide wires, bars, pipes, hollow profiles and tubes with their specific form by reducing its cross-section and by pulling the working materials through a series of drawing dies.
- spring makerESCO 8121.6This occupation is broader
Spring makers operate a variety of equipment and machinery designed to manufacture different types of spring, including leaf, coil, torsion, clock, tension, and extension spring.
- stamping press operatorESCO 7223.21This occupation is broader
Stamping press operators set up and tend stamping presses designed to form metal workpieces in their desired shape by applying pressure through the up and down movement of a bolster plate and a die attached to a stamping ram on the metal, resulting in the die producing smaller metal parts of the workpiece fed to the press.
- straightening machine operatorESCO 7223.22This occupation is broader
Straightening machine operators set up and tend straightening machines designed to form metal workpieces into their desired shape using pressing practices. They adjust the angle and the height of the straightening rolls and select the settings for the pressing force required to straighten the workpiece, taking into account the end product's yield strenght and size, without excess work hardening.
- swaging machine operatorESCO 7223.23This occupation is broader
Swaging machine operators set up and tend rotary swaging machines, designed to alter round ferrous and non-ferrous metal workpieces into their desired shape by first hammering them into a smaller diameter through the compressive force of two or more dies and then tagging them using a rotary swager, a process through which no excess material is lost.
- upsetting machine operatorESCO 7223.25This occupation is broader
Upsetting machine operators set up and tend upsetting machines, primarily crank presses, designed to form through forging processes metal workpieces, usually wires, rods, or bars, into their desired shape by having split dies with mulitiple cavities compress the workpieces' length and hereby increasing their diameter.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H2904 | Forgeron industriel / Forgeronne industrielle | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| H2905 | Cisailleur / Cisailleuse en métallurgie | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 8121 | Operadores en instalaciones para la obtención y transformación de metales | This occupation is narrower |
| 7321 | Herreros y forjadores | Related, not a match |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 24122 | Berufe in der Metallumformung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 93512 | Berufe in der kunsthandwerklichen Metallgestaltung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 522 | 鋳物製造・鍛造従事者 | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 492 | 鋳物製造・鍛造設備制御・監視員 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources