Load materials into production equipment.

Load materials into production equipment. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 40 occupations and seen in 52 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing. in Performing General Physical Activities .

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 52 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.

• Combine measured ingredients in bowls of mixing, blending, or cooking machinery. · Bakers · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Fill processing or cooking containers, such as kettles, rotating cookers, pressure cookers, or vats, with ingredients, by opening valves, by starting pumps or injectors, or by hand. · Food Batchmakers · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Load specified amounts of metal and flux into furnaces or clay crucibles. · Pourers and Casters, Metal · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage. · Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size. · Printing Press Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Fill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives. · Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Dump or pour specified amounts of materials into machinery or equipment. · Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Obtain or mix inks and fill ink fountains. · Printing Press Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles. · Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Unload mixtures into containers or onto conveyors for further processing. · Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Fill tanks of processing machines with solutions such as developer, dyes, stop-baths, fixers, bleaches, or washes. · Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Place rolls of paper or cardboard on machine feed tracks, and thread paper through gluing, coating, and slitting rollers. · Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Calculate, measure, load, or mix biomass feedstock for power generation. · Biomass Plant Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components. · Sewing Machine Operators · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist. · Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Dump or scoop prescribed solid, granular, or powdered materials into equipment. · Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Unwind lengths of yarn, thread, or twine from spools and wind onto bobbins. · Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Fill hoppers, reservoirs, troughs, or pans with material used to coat, paint, or spray, using conveyors or pails. · Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators. · Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing. · Semiconductor Processing Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select and load materials such as workpieces, objects, and machine parts onto equipment used in coiling processes. · Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. · Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Measure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment. · Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Calculate, measure, load, or mix refined feedstock used in biofuels production. · Biofuels Processing Technicians · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances. · Helpers--Production Workers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Deposit recoverable materials into chutes or place materials on conveyor belts. · Recycling and Reclamation Workers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Mount or load material such as paper, plastic, wood, or rubber in feeding mechanisms of cementing or gluing machines. · Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools. · Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists. · Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Secure woodstock against a guide or in a holding device, place woodstock on a conveyor, or dump woodstock in a hopper to feed woodstock into machines. · Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping. · Helpers--Production Workers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Set up or operate glue machines by filling glue reservoirs, turning switches to activate heating elements, or adjusting glue flow or conveyor speed. · Print Binding and Finishing Workers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Fill glue and paraffin reservoirs, and position rollers to dispense glue onto paperboard. · Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Pour, scoop, or dump specified ingredients, metal assemblies, or mixtures into sections of machine prior to starting machines. · Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Load materials into extruding and forming machines, using hand tools, and adjust feed mechanisms to set feed rates. · Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Load circuit boards, racks or rolls of film, negatives, or printing paper into processing or printing machines. · Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Wind chafers and breakers onto plies. · Tire Builders · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Lift tote boxes of finished cartons, and dump cartons into feed hoppers. · Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Mount rolls of cloth on machines, using hoists, or place textile goods in machines or pieces of equipment. · Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Load machine hoppers with mixed materials, using augers, or stuff rolls of plastic dough into machine cylinders. · Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Bakers
• Food Batchmakers
• Pourers and Casters, Metal
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Printing Press Operators
• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
• Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators
• Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
• Sewing Machine Operators
• Biomass Plant Technicians
• Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
• Semiconductor Processing Technicians
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Biofuels Processing Technicians
• Helpers--Production Workers
• Recycling and Reclamation Workers
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
• Print Binding and Finishing Workers
• Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
• Tire Builders
• Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
• Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators

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-load-materials-into-production-equipment,
  title  = {Load materials into production equipment.},
  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/load-materials-into-production-equipment}
}