Home / Tasks / Load materials into production equipment
In 11 of the 40 jobs that do this, AI or robots already show up on it, most often as robots doing it. In the other 29, there's no evidence yet. Jobs spend a median of 26m of an 8-hour shift on it, and about 5.4 million U.S. workers hold these jobs.
29No evidence yet
11Robots
Every job that does this
Each job words the task its own way. Minutes are that job's estimate for a typical shift; the label is the evidence for that job's version.
| Job and its version of the task | Per shift | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersLoad machines with objects to be processed and unload them after cleaning, placing them on conveyors or racks. | 1h 44m | No evidence yet |
| Semiconductor Processing TechniciansLoad and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing. | 59m | Robots |
| Helpers for Production WorkersLoad and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances. | 56m | No evidence yet |
| Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersSelect and load materials such as workpieces, objects, and machine parts onto equipment used in coiling processes. | 48m | No evidence yet |
| BakersCombine measured ingredients in bowls of mixing, blending, or cooking machinery. | 45m | No evidence yet |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersPlace rolls of paper or cardboard on machine feed tracks, and thread paper through gluing, coating, and slitting rollers. | 43m | Robots |
| Metal Pourers and CastersLoad specified amounts of metal and flux into furnaces or clay crucibles. | 42m | Robots |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersDump or pour specified amounts of materials into machinery or equipment. | 41m | No evidence yet |
| Recycling and Reclamation WorkersDeposit recoverable materials into chutes or place materials on conveyor belts. | 37m | Robots |
| Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersLoad materials into extruding and forming machines, using hand tools, and adjust feed mechanisms to set feed rates. | 36m | No evidence yet |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLoad workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. | 36m | Robots |
| Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and TendersMeasure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment. | 36m | No evidence yet |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and TendersKindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators. | 34m | No evidence yet |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersPour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist. | 33m | No evidence yet |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersDump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage. | 30m | No evidence yet |
| Grinding and Polishing Workers, HandLoad and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools. | 30m | No evidence yet |
| Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticLoad machine hoppers with mixed materials, using augers, or stuff rolls of plastic dough into machine cylinders. | 30m | No evidence yet |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersLoad or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components. | 30m | Robots |
| Printing Press OperatorsLoad presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size. | 30m | Robots |
| Sewing Machine OperatorsPlace spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components. | 26m | No evidence yet |
| Biomass Plant TechniciansCalculate, measure, load, or mix biomass feedstock for power generation. | 24m | Robots |
| Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and TendersMount rolls of cloth on machines, using hoists, or place textile goods in machines or pieces of equipment. | 24m | No evidence yet |
| Stone Cutters and Carvers, ManufacturingLoad sandblasting equipment with abrasives, attach nozzles to hoses, and turn valves to admit compressed air and activate jets. | 19m | No evidence yet |
| Tire BuildersWind chafers and breakers onto plies. | 19m | No evidence yet |
| Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and TendersFill machines with glue, cement, or adhesives. | 18m | Robots |
| Food BatchmakersFill 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. | 18m | No evidence yet |
| Biofuels Processing TechniciansCalculate, measure, load, or mix refined feedstock used in biofuels production. | 18m | No evidence yet |
| Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersUnwind lengths of yarn, thread, or twine from spools and wind onto bobbins. | 18m | No evidence yet |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersSecure 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. | 18m | No evidence yet |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersLoad materials into machinery and equipment, using hand tools. | 17m | No evidence yet |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersDump or scoop prescribed solid, granular, or powdered materials into equipment. | 17m | No evidence yet |
| Shoe Machine Operators and TendersDraw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticMix and measure compounds, or weigh premixed compounds, and dump them into machine tubs, cavities, or molds. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Print Binding and Finishing WorkersSet up or operate glue machines by filling glue reservoirs, turning switches to activate heating elements, or adjusting glue flow or conveyor speed. | 12m | Robots |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersFill hoppers, reservoirs, troughs, or pans with material used to coat, paint, or spray, using conveyors or pails. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersPour, scoop, or dump specified ingredients, metal assemblies, or mixtures into sections of machine prior to starting machines. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticPosition containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks. | 12m | Robots |
| Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine OperatorsFill tanks of processing machines with solutions such as developer, dyes, stop-baths, fixers, bleaches, or washes. | 7m | No evidence yet |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and TendersFeed fuel, such as coal and coke, into fireboxes or onto conveyors, and remove ashes from furnaces, using shovels and buckets. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsLay out and mark areas of parts to be shot peened and fill hoppers with shot. | under 1m | No evidence yet |
How to read this
This task type comes from O*NET's detailed work activities, which link similar tasks across jobs. A label applies to one job's version of the task: AI use comes from real AI conversations (Anthropic Economic Index) and robot evidence from deployments in real workplaces. "No evidence yet" may just mean the task is rare in the data. How we keep time.
See all 250 shared tasks, or find any job on the big clock.