Select production equipment according to product specifications.

Select production equipment according to product specifications. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 23 occupations and seen in 28 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Select materials or equipment for operations or projects. in Making Decisions and Solving Problems .

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 28 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 4 (14%) 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.

• Determine the sequence of machine operations, and select the proper cutting tools needed to machine workpieces into the desired shapes. · Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers · importance 4.6 · direct LLM exposure
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications. · Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures. · Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths. · Prepress Technicians and Workers · importance 4.4 · exposure with tools
• Select and install machine components, such as dies, molds, and cutters, according to specifications, using hand tools and measuring devices. · Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications. · Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select machine tooling to be used, using knowledge of machine and production requirements. · Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools. · Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select and install cutting tools and other accessories according to specifications, using hand tools or power tools. · Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select appropriate pressing machines, based on garment properties such as heat tolerance. · Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications. · Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals. · Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques. · Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers · importance 4.1 · direct LLM exposure
• Select rolls, dies, roll stands, and chucks from data charts to form specified contours and to fabricate products. · Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Select files or other abrasives, according to materials, sizes and shapes of workpieces, amount of stock to be removed, finishes specified, and steps in finishing processes. · Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Select saw blades, types or grades of stock, or cutting procedures to be used, according to work orders or supervisors' instructions. · Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records. · Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Select chisels, pneumatic or surfacing tools, or sandblasting nozzles, and determine sequence of use. · Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools. · Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Select sizes and types of molds according to instructions. · Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Select, align, and bolt positioning fixtures, stops, and specified dies to rams and anvils, forging rolls, or presses and hammers. · Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools. · Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Select and install blades, tools, or other attachments for each operation. · Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Select shaping wheels for tasks, and mix and apply abrasives, bort, or polishing compounds. · Gem and Diamond Workers · importance 3.6 · no direct exposure
• Select, install, and adjust machine components, including pressing forms, rollers, and guides, using hoists and hand tools. · Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials · importance 3.6 · no direct exposure
• Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors. · Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.6 · no direct exposure
• Select cutting tools and tooling instructions, according to written specifications or knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics. · Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.5 · direct LLM exposure
• Select nozzles, spacers, and wire guides, according to diameters and lengths of rods. · Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.4 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers
• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
• Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
• Prepress Technicians and Workers
• Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Gem and Diamond Workers
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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-select-production-equipment-according-to-product-specifications,
  title  = {Select production equipment according to product specifications.},
  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/select-production-equipment-according-to-product-specifications}
}