Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

What the job really is

Set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.

At a glance

• Sector: Production
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-9196
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems.
• Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension.
• Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin.
• Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools.
• Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting.
• Cut products to specified dimensions, using hand or power cutters.
• Place rolls of paper or cardboard on machine feed tracks, and thread paper through gluing, coating, and slitting rollers.
• Monitor finished cartons as they drop from forming machines into rotating hoppers and into gravity feed chutes to prevent jamming.
• Adjust guide assemblies, forming bars, and folding mechanisms according to specifications, using hand tools.
• Measure, space, and set saw blades, cutters, and perforators, according to product specifications.
• Fill glue and paraffin reservoirs, and position rollers to dispense glue onto paperboard.
• Stamp products with information such as dates, using hand stamps or automatic stamping devices.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Automatic stamping machines, Automatic stapling machines, Black and white laser printers, Book stitchers, Case making machines

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers
• Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.