Back

Producing aircraft composite mouldings using pultrusion techniques

URN: SEMAE3231
Business Sectors (Suites): Aeronautical Engineering Suite 3
Developed by: Enginuity
Approved on: 2021

Overview

This standard identifies the competences you need to produce aircraft composite mouldings using pultrusion moulding techniques, in accordance with approved procedures.  It covers both fixed wing and rotary winged aircraft mouldings. You will be required to use appropriate drawings, specifications and documentation to produce various mouldings, using the correct pultrusion production techniques. 

You will be expected to prepare material delivery systems and composite materials.  You will be expected to setup the pultrusion equipment to produce a range of mouldings incorporating a variety of materials and moulded features.  Mouldings produced will include laminates using a range of resin and fibres.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the setup and production activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the equipment setup, production activities or materials 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 pultrusion techniques and procedures.  You will understand the setup and production techniques used, and their application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities, correcting faults, and ensuring that the work output is to the required specification. 

You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the moulding activities, and when using the associated tools and 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:

  1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
  2. determine what processing operations are to be performed and how the equipment will be prepared and set up to achieve this
  3. set the equipment operating parameters required for the pultrusion moulding operation
  4. check that all safety mechanisms are in place and operate correctly
  5. follow the correct component drawing or any other related specifications for the component to be produced
  6. obtain and prepare the appropriate tools, equipment and materials
  7. carry out the moulding activities using the correct methods and techniques
  8. check that the equipment operates within the operating parameters set
  9. produce mouldings to the required specification
  10. check that all the required operations have been completed to specification
  11. complete relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements
  12. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
  13. leave the work area in a safe and appropriate condition on completion of the activities

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. the health and safety precautions to be taken, and procedures used, when working with aircraft composite materials, consumables, tools and equipment in the specific work area
  2. the hazards associated with carrying out pultrusion techniques, and with the composite materials, consumables, tools and equipment used, and how to minimise these and reduce any risks in the work area
  3. the requirements and importance of understanding and applying human factors as defined by the regulatory requirements and the potential impact if these are not adhered to
  4. the protective equipment (PPE) that is needed for personal protection and, where required, the protection of others
  5. the application of COSHH regulations in relation to the storage, use and disposal of composite materials and consumables
  6. the specific environmental conditions the must be observed when producing composite mouldings (such as temperature, humidity, fume extraction systems and equipment)
  7. how to extract and use information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate BS, ISO or BSEN standards) in relation to work undertaken
  8. how to interpret drawings/lay-up manuals, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
  9. the quality procedures used in the workplace to ensure production control (in relation to currency, issue, meeting specification), and the completion of such documents
  10. the conventions and terminology used for pultrusion techniques (such as material identification, pultrusion specifications, resin/catalyst ratios, accelerators, curing temperature, gel time, cure time, exotherm)
  11. the safety mechanisms on the machine, and the procedure for checking that they function correctly
  12. operation of the machine controls, and how to stop the machine in an emergency
  13. the parts and functions of the pultrusion machines (to include machine controls; hydraulic, pneumatic and electricity supplies; die heaters; pulling equipment; cut-off saws; controls; material delivery systems)
  14. the various machine operating parameters that may require adjusting prior to pultrusion activities (such as resin/catalyst ratio, pultrusion speed, resin/fibre ratio, moulding temperature), and how these are achieved
  15. the effects that changes to theses settings will have on the quality of the components produced
  16. the different types of resins, reinforcement, catalysts, accelerators and additives used, and their applications

  17. the visual identification of both raw and finished composite materials

  18. the identification of defects in production tooling

  19. methods for handling, preparation and application of the reinforcing fibres and fabrics
  20. the tools and equipment used in the pultrusion activities, and their care, preparation and control procedures
  21. the problems that can occur during the pultrusion process (including defects such as contamination, exotherm, resin rich, dry fibres, broken tows, incomplete curing)
  22. the identification of defects in the composite mouldings (such as porosity, contaminants, dry fibres, tension variation, fibre separation)
  23. the care and safe handling of mandrel tooling and composite mouldings throughout the production cycle
  24. the production controls used in the work area, and actions to be taken for unaccounted items
  25. how the composite component relates to its own quality documents and the production tooling used
  26. the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve

Scope/range

Scope Performance

​

  1. Carry out all of the following during the moulding activities:

    1. obtain and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, material data sheets, specifications, equipment setting-up documentation ,planning and quality control documentation)
    2. 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
    3. provide and maintain a safe working environment for the setting and moulding activities
    4. obtain and check that all tools and equipment to be used are correct for the operation to be carried out and are in a safe, tested and usable condition
    5. ensure that there are appropriate facilities for storing the completed mouldings (where applicable)
    6. follow safe practice/approved setting and moulding techniques at all times
    7. ensure moulding materials are prepared and in sequence according to the part specification
    8. return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the setting and moulding activities
    9. segregate and dispose of waste materials using the correct procedure

  2. Prepare the pultrusion machine for use, to include carrying out all of the following:

    1. ensure all services are connected and operational (such as electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic)
    2. check the moulding dies are correct, complete, clean and free from damage
    3. ensure the moulding dies are correct and securely mounted
    4. ensure that all guards, screens and safety mechanisms are in place and in good working order
    5. ensure the profile pullers operate correctly
    6. ensure the flying cut-off saw operates correctly
    7. set up the profile pullers and cut-off saw operating conditions to suit the profile being produced (such as linear speeds, transverse speeds, end stop positions), including alarm conditions
    8. check that all the machine controls are operational and function correctly

  3. Prepare the material delivery systems, to include carrying out all of the following where applicable:

    1. ensure there are sufficient raw materials available and that they meet the component specification (such as resin, catalyst, additives, fibres)
    2. set and check that the resin/catalyst feed and mixing systems are operating correctly (such as collection tubes, mixing heads, dispensing heads/injectors), where fitted
    3. correctly select, remove from freezer and defrost pre-catalysed materials where required
    4. correctly set up fibre materials on racks/creels as required and apply splice joins as required
    5. feed the fibres through the correct guides in sequence to suit the part being produced

  4. Prepare the die heating equipment for use, to include carrying out all of the following where applicable:

    1. ensure all heating services are connected and operational (such as electrical, fluids, steam)
    2. set up the process heating conditions to suit the moulding being produced (such as zones, temperature, pressure, rates), including alarm conditions
    3. conduct a mould surface temperature survey and adjust heating general and local heating parameters accordingly
    4. check that all the heating controls are operational and function correctly

  5. Prepare the heating equipment for use, to include three of the following:

    1. heated platterns
    2. in-mould heating
    3. electric heating
    4. water heating
    5. steam heating
    6. oil heating
    7. electro-magnetic inductance
    8. micro-wave
    9. other (to be specified)

  6. Produce composite mouldings using five of the following features:

    1. sharp corners
    2. radius corners
    3. horizontal surfaces
    4. vertical surfaces
    5. curved surfaces
    6. corrugated surfaces
    7. solid section
    8. hollow section
    9. longitudinal recesses
    10. longitudinal webs/ribs
    11. undercuts
    12. longitudinal inserts
    13. other (to be specified)

  7. Produce composite mouldings, using two types of resin from:

    1. bio resin
    2. thermoplastic
    3. polyester
    4. vinyl ester
    5. epoxy
    6. phenolic
    7. other (to be specified)

  8. Produce composite mouldings, using two types of fibre from:

    1. natural fibre
    2. thermoplastic
    3. glass
    4. aramid
    5. carbon
    6. hybrid
    7. other (to be specified)

  9. Produce a range of mouldings using four types of reinforcement from:

    1. uni-directional tows
    2. unidirectional tapes
    3. tissues/veils
    4. woven fabrics
    5. multi-axis fabrics
    6. pre-impregnated tows/tapes
    7. thermoplastic powder impregnated fabric
    8. co-mingled thermoplastic fabric
    9. fabric preform
    10. other (to be specified)

  10. Visually inspect a number of sample or trial mouldings, and identify two of the following:

    1. mouldings which meet the required specification
    2. mouldings which have defects
    3. mouldings that require further investigation

  11. Produce mouldings which comply with one of the following standards:

    1. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)/European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
    2. Ministry of Defence (MoD)
    3. Military Aviation Authority (MAA)
    4. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
    5. Aerospace Quality Management Standards (AS)
    6. BS, ISO or BSEN standards and procedures
    7. customer standards and requirements
    8. company standards and procedures
    9. manufacturers standards and procedures

  12. Complete the relevant paperwork, to include one from the following and pass it to the appropriate people:

    1. build records                 
    2. job cards             
    3. log cards       
    4. aircraft log
    5. 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

Skills

Glossary

Links To Other NOS

External Links

Version Number

2

Indicative Review Date

2024

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Enginuity

Original URN

SEMAE3231

Relevant Occupations

Engineer, Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Engineering Technicians

SOC Code

5234

Keywords

Engineering; aeronautical; produce; composite; mouldings; components; laminating; resin; fibre; pultrusion