Bending and forming aircraft components
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to bend and form materials to produce aircraft components, in accordance with approved procedures. It covers both fixed wing and rotary winged aircraft. You will be required to select the appropriate tools and equipment for the bending activities to be carried out and to check that they are in a safe and serviceable condition to use. You will be expected to use a range of different materials, ensuring efficient use of them and when applicable, ensuring that grain flow is taken into account. In carrying out the bending and forming activities, you will need to use a range of hand tools and simple hand operated machines to produce a variety of shapes and profiles, which will include bends and tray sections, cylindrical and curved sections, conical sections and dished items.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the activities undertaken and to report any problems with the bending and forming activities, materials or equipment that you cannot personally resolve, or that are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work and will provide an informed approach to applying bending and forming procedures and instructions. You will understand the bending and forming methods and techniques used and how the operations may affect the various materials and you will know about the tools, equipment, materials and consumables in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the bending and forming equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- follow the correct component drawing and any other related specifications for the component to be produced
- determine what has to be done and how this will be achieved
- use the appropriate tools and equipment for the bending and forming operations and check that they are in a safe and usable condition
shape the materials to the required specification using appropriate methods and techniques
produce components that comply with relevant standards
check that all the required bending and forming operations have been completed to the required standard
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- complete the relevant documentation, in accordance with organisational requirements
- leave the work area in a safe and appropriate condition, free from foreign object debris on completion of the activities
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken whilst carrying out the bending and forming operations (including any specific legislation, regulations or codes of practice relating to the activities, equipment or materials)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area in which you are carrying out the bending and forming activities and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the hazards associated with bending and forming aircraft components and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
- the personal protective equipment and protective clothing (PPE) to be worn during the bending and forming activities
- the range of hand tools and associated equipment used to produce a variety of shapes, bends, curved surfaces, dished profiles
- the range of bending and forming machines that is to be used (such as fly presses, bending machines, rolling machines, flanging machines)
- how to check that the tools and equipment to be used are in a safe and usable condition
- the importance of ensuring that all tools and equipment are used in the correct manner and within their permitted operating range
- how to set up a bending machine to produce a range of forms (such as right-angled bends, angled bends, tray sections, channel sections)
- how to set up simple presses to produce a variety of forms (such as bends, profiles)
- how to set up pinch/pyramid forming rolls to produce a variety of forms (such as curved profiles, cylinders, cones)
- how to produce flanges on curved/cylindrical components using machines and hand tools
- how to identify the materials to be used; material identification systems; codes used and grain flow indicators
- the importance of labelling all components produced and of ensuring that materials returned to stores are suitably identified
- the preparations and/or treatments that may need to be carried out on the materials before and after the bending and forming operations
- why tool/equipment control is critical and what to do if a tool or piece of equipment is unaccounted for on completion of the activities
- the quality control procedures to be followed and how to conduct any necessary checks to ensure the accuracy and quality of the components produced
- the problems that can occur with the bending and forming operations, and how these can be overcome
- the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the bending and forming activities:
- obtain and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, aircraft drawings, planning and quality control documentation, specifications)
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, COSHH, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
- provide and maintain a safe working environment for the bending and forming activities
- obtain the correct tools and equipment for the activity and check that they are in a safe, tested and usable condition and within current calibration date
- follow safe practice/approved bending and forming techniques and procedures at all times
- return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the activities
- dispose of waste materials in accordance with approved procedures
Bend and form materials using four of the following:
- bench folding machines
- hand tools
- box pan folding machines
- heating techniques
- pinch or pyramid rolling machines
- shrinking techniques
- presses
- stretching techniques
- forming machine (CNC)
Produce a range of components with features that include five of the following:
- right angled bends
- curved profile
- angled bends
- cylindrical shape
- square flanges
- conical shape
- tray sections and channels
- dished profile
- curved/circular flanges
Use two different types of material from:
- aluminium sheet
- stainless steel sheet
- alloy sheet
- titanium sheet
- other specific materials
Produce components which comply with one of the following standards:
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)/European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- Ministry of Defence (MoD)
- Military Aviation Authority (MAA)
- Aerospace Quality Management Standards (AS)
- customer standards and requirements
- Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
- company standards and procedures
- BS, ISO or BSEN standards and procedures
- manufacturers standards and procedures
Complete relevant paperwork, to include one from the following and pass it to the appropriate people:
- build records
- job cards
- log cards
- aircraft flight log
- other specific recording method
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:
- strong work ethic
- positive attitude
- team player
- dependability
- responsibility
- honesty
- integrity
- motivation
- commitment