Production & ManufacturingO*NET: 51-4072.00
Will AI Replace Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
85out of 100
Critical Risk
AI Risk Score
85/100
Risk Level
Critical
Job Zone
2/5
Entry
Total Tasks Analyzed
10
🤖 What AI Can Do
- ▸Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times.
👤 What Requires Humans
- ▸Perform maintenance work such as cleaning and oiling machines.
Task Breakdown
🤖AI Can Automate (1)
- Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times.
👤Requires Humans (1)
- Perform maintenance work such as cleaning and oiling machines.
⚡AI-Assisted (8)
- Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
- Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.
- Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
- Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.
- Read specifications, blueprints, and work orders to determine setups, temperatures, and time settings required to mold, form, or cast plastic materials, as well as to plan production sequences.
- Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools.
- Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished.
- Smooth and clean inner surfaces of molds, using brushes, scrapers, air hoses, or grinding wheels, and fill imperfections with refractory material.
Key Skills Analysis
Operations MonitoringAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 3.38/5.00
Active Listening
Importance: 3.25/5.00
Reading ComprehensionAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 3.12/5.00
Monitoring
Importance: 3.12/5.00
Operation and Control
Importance: 3.12/5.00
Speaking
Importance: 3.00/5.00
Critical ThinkingAI-Resistant
Importance: 3.00/5.00
Quality Control AnalysisAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 3.00/5.00
Time ManagementAI-Resistant
Importance: 3.00/5.00
Active LearningAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.88/5.00
Social PerceptivenessAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.88/5.00
Troubleshooting
Importance: 2.88/5.00
Repairing
Importance: 2.88/5.00
Complex Problem SolvingAI-Resistant
Importance: 2.75/5.00
Equipment Maintenance
Importance: 2.75/5.00
Related Occupations
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
89/100 — Critical Risk
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
70/100 — High Risk
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
89/100 — Critical Risk
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
88/100 — Critical Risk
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
89/100 — Critical Risk
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Frequently Asked Questions
Based on our analysis, Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic have a critical risk of AI replacement with a score of 85/100. Many routine tasks in this role can be automated, but human oversight remains important.
Last updated: 2026-03-28· Data from O*NET 30.2 & Frey/Osborne automation research