Producing aircraft components by injection moulding
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to produce aircraft components by injection moulding, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to check that the injection-moulding machine is ready for the operations to be performed, and that all the required materials and consumables are available. You will be expected to check that the mould tools are free from damage, which could impair the quality of the mouldings produced, and that all services required to operate the machine are fully operational.
You will be required to operate the injection moulding machine, in line with safe working practices and approved procedures, and to continuously monitor the moulding operations, making any necessary adjustments to settings in order to ensure that the work output is to the required quality and accuracy.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the injection moulding activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the moulding activities, equipment or materials that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will need to ensure that all tools, equipment and materials used in the moulding process are correctly accounted for on completion of the activities, and you must complete all necessary job/task documentation accurately and legibly.
You will be expected to work either with a high level of supervision or as a member of a team, and you will take personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out. Where team working is involved, you must demonstrate a significant personal contribution during the team activities in order to satisfy the requirements of this standard, and you must demonstrate competence in all the areas required by the standard.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work, and will provide an informed approach to applying the appropriate injection moulding techniques and procedures. You will understand the moulding procedures and techniques used, and will know about the tools and techniques, 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 carrying out the injection moulding activities, and when using the associated tools and equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout. You will also understand your responsibilities for safety, and the importance of taking the necessary safeguards to protect yourself and others in the workplace.
Setting up of the plastic injection-moulding machine, its tooling and associated delivery/collection mechanisms, is the subject of another standard.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines
- follow the correct component drawing or any other related specifications for the component to be produced
- determine what has to be done and how this will be achieved
- obtain and prepare the appropriate tools, equipment and materials
- carry out the moulding or laying-up activities using the correct methods and techniques
- produce components to the required specification
- check that all the required operations have been completed to specification
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the hazards and specific safety precautions to be taken when operating injection moulding machines and associated delivery and collection systems, and how the hazards can be minimised
- the emergency procedures that are in place to deal with a machine malfunction when operating injection moulding machines
- the safety mechanisms on the machine, and the procedure for checking that they function correctly
- operation of the machine controls in both hand and power modes, and how to stop the machine in an emergency
- the COSHH regulations relating to the materials used in the injection moulding activities (such as mould sprays, mould lubricants and moulding materials)
- the personal protective equipment (PPE) that should be used during the injection moulding activities, and how to obtain it
- how to obtain the necessary job instructions for the production operations, and how to interpret the information
- the basic parts and functions of plastic injection moulding machines and moulds (to include mould location points; mould heating/cooling arrangements; machine controls; hydraulic, pneumatic and electricity supplies; material delivery and collection systems; guards and other safety devices)
- the various types of mould tools that are used, and their typical applications
- why it is important to check the moulds for damage or other non-conformance, prior to starting up the injection moulding machine
- the different types of component delivery/collection systems that are used on plastic injection moulding machines
- the various machine operating parameters that may require adjusting during the injection moulding activities (such as temperature, pressure, speed/timings and distance), and how these are achieved
- the effects that changes to theses settings will have on the quality of the components produced
- the different types of materials used in the plastic injection moulding process
- preparations to be carried out on the materials in order to ensure that the completed components meet the required specification
- the temperature range of the material being moulded and the mould being used
- methods of checking the finished mouldings to ensure that they are to the required specification
- identification of moulding defects, their causes, and methods of prevention
- how to make adjustments to machine settings to deal with such things as flashing, short shot, distortion and colour problems
- the quality control procedures used and inspection checks to be carried out on the mouldings produced, and the equipment that will need to be used
- the problems that can occur with the injection moulding activities, and how these can be overcome
- why it is important to keep the injection moulding equipment clean and free from damage, to practice good housekeeping of tools and equipment, and to maintain a clean and unobstructed working area
- the procedure for the safe disposal of waste materials
- the production documentation to be completed for the injection moulding activities undertaken
- the extent of your own authority, and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve when operating injection moulding machines
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Prepare for the plastic injection moulding operations, to include carrying out all of the following:
- ensure that you have the correct documentation for the injection moulding operations (such as drawings, job instructions, aircraft standards)
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, COSHH, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations
- use the correct tools and equipment for the activity, and ensure that they are safe to use
- check that there are sufficient raw materials available, and that they meet the component specification
- apply safe and appropriate working practices and procedures at all times
- dispose of waste items and materials in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner, in line with company procedures
- return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the activities
- leave the work area in a safe condition and free from foreign object debris
Check the injection moulding machine, to include carrying out all of the following:
- checking that the correct mould tool is located in the machine and is complete, clean and free from damage
- ensuring that mould surfaces are clean and free from damage
- checking that secondary mould tool components are clean and free from damage
- checking that all moulding parameters have been set correctly (such as temperature, pressure, speed/time, distance)
- checking that component delivery/collection mechanisms are working correctly (such as robots, conveyors, separators and collection chutes)
- ensuring that all guards, screens and safety mechanisms are in place and in good working order
- checking that all services are connected, and that all connections are in good order (such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic)
- checking that all machine controls are operational
Produce plastic injection mouldings, using two of the following types of mould tools:
- two-plate tools
- combination/composite tools
- unscrewing tools
- three-plate tools
- split tools
Produce injection mouldings from two of the following types of material:
- acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
- polycarbonate
- acetal
- nylon
- polypropylene
- polyethylethylketone
- polystyrene
- polyarylene sulphide
- polyethylene
- short fibre reinforced polymers up to 30% by volume
- other specific material
Produce a range of components with two of the following features:
- flat planks/test pieces
- multi faceted
- double curvatures
- internal cavities
- female shapes
- male shapes
- other specific features
Carry out a visual inspection and segregation of the mouldings, according to company procedures, to include two of the following:
- mouldings which meet the required specification
- mouldings which have defects
- mouldings that require further investigation
Monitor the moulding operations, and make adjustments to the machine settings to deal with two of the following:
- flashing
- burning
- short shot
- colour deviation
- distortion
Complete the relevant documentation, to include one of the following:
- production documentation
- quality control documentation
- records of machine settings
- other specific records
Produce plastic injection mouldings which comply with one of the following standards:
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Ministry of Defence (MoD)
- Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
- customer standards and requirements
- company standards and procedures
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Additional Information
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