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Operate cutting or grinding equipment

Work activity · O*NET

Operate cutting or grinding equipment is an intermediate work activity in the O*NET database — a concrete task that recurs across many occupations , grouped under Controlling Machines and Processes. 44 occupations report doing it as part of their work.

What it involves

The most common detailed activities O*NET records under this category, ranked by how many occupation tasks map to each.

  • Operate grinding equipment
  • Operate cutting equipment
  • Operate textile cutting or production equipment
  • Operate woodworking equipment

How AI is applied to this activity

Microsoft's "Working with AI" study mapped real Bing Copilot conversations to O*NET work activities. The figures below are their measurements for this activity — they describe how AI is used today in one assistant's data, not a forecast that the activity will be automated.

AI completes it successfully 100.0% When Copilot attempts this activity, how often it finishes the task
Scope AI handles 50.0% How much of the activity AI carries within a conversation
Positive user feedback 60.0% Share of interactions users rated positively
How often AI is applied here 3rd pct Percentile across all measured activities by how often AI performs them

Source: Microsoft "Working with AI" (working-with-ai). A high completion rate means AI can assist the activity in isolation — it does not mean an occupation that performs it is being automated, since every job blends many activities.

Detailed work activities

The more granular units of work O*NET groups under this activity, ordered by how many occupations perform them.

Occupations that perform this activity

Ranked by how many of the occupation's tasks map to this activity.

Occupation Tasks
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 6
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 6
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 5
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 5
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 5
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 5
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand 4
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters 4
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 4
Machinists 3
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 3
Tool and Die Makers 3
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 3
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic 2
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic 2
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 2
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood 2
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners 2
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers 1
Bakers 1
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters 1
Crematory Operators 1
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers 1
Etchers and Engravers 1
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 1
Furniture Finishers 1
Gem and Diamond Workers 1
Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers 1
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand 1
Medical Appliance Technicians 1
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1
Model Makers, Wood 1
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians 1

Showing 40 of 44 occupations.

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay AI task-overlap (horizontal) versus median pay (vertical), each as a percentile across all scored occupations, for 40 occupations in occupations that perform Operate cutting or grinding equipment.. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Furniture Finishers Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Engine and Other Machine Assemblers AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
Occupations that perform Operate cutting or grinding equipment., by AI task-overlap and median pay

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Operate cutting or grinding equipment." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/activities/operate-cutting-or-grinding-equipment

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Operate cutting or grinding equipment. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/activities/operate-cutting-or-grinding-equipment

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-operate-cutting-or-grinding-equipment,
  title  = {Operate cutting or grinding equipment},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/activities/operate-cutting-or-grinding-equipment}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.