Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.

“Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.” is a supplemental task performed by Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Among the occupation's 32 rated tasks, workers place it 6th by importance (#27 most important). About 58% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Position materials or components for assembly. in Handling and Moving Objects

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E2. Exposure with tools — software built on top of a language model (not the model alone) could cut the time by at least half.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.50. Automation potential label: T1.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. · importance 4.7
• Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws. · importance 4.6
• Lubricate workpieces with oil. · importance 4.5
• Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances. · importance 4.5
• Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools. · importance 4.5
• Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data. · importance 4.5
• Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material. · importance 4.4
• Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools. · importance 4.4
• Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies. · importance 4.3
• Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. · importance 4.2
• Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools. · importance 4.2
• Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes. · importance 4.2
• Clean and lubricate machines. · importance 4.1
• Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices. · importance 4.0

See all tasks on the Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic page.

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-task-10120,
  title  = {Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or 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/tasks/task-10120}
}