lathe and turning machine operator

Lathe and turning machine operators set up, program and tend lathe and turning machines designed to cut excess metal from a metal workpiece using a hardened cutting tool moved by computer-controlled motors. They read lathe and turning machine blueprints and tooling instructions, perform regular machine maintenance, and make adjustments to the lathe controls, such as the depth of cuts and the rotation speed.

The most in-demand skills for this role include statistical process control, geometry, CAM software, manufacturing processes, CADD software, quality and cycle time optimisation. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.

Our AI-durability model gives lathe and turning machine operator a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.