Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.

Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 9 occupations and seen in 9 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Maintain tools or equipment. in Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 9 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 0 (0%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Lubricate workpieces with oil. · Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Clean, oil, or coat system components, as necessary, before assembly or attachment. · Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Clean and lubricate timepiece parts and assemblies, using solvents, buff sticks, and oil. · Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces. · Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts. · Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Brush or spray lubricating compounds on workpieces, or turn valve handles and direct flow of coolant against tools and workpieces. · Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Maintain and lubricate parts or components. · Engine and Other Machine Assemblers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Cool products after processing to prevent distortion. · Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Clean and lubricate parts and subassemblies, using grease paddles or oilcans. · Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters
• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers

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.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

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

@misc{singulariki-apply-lubricants-or-coolants-to-workpieces,
  title  = {Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/apply-lubricants-or-coolants-to-workpieces}
}