Checking aircraft composite mouldings for defects
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to check aircraft composite mouldings (such as panels, components, jigs), and to identify and deal with any defects found, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to follow appropriate drawings, specifications and documentation in order to carry out the checks of the mouldings, which will include visual and sensory checks as well as the use of measuring instruments and non-destructive testing methods. You will be expected to be able to identify a range of defects in a variety of resin and fibre materials, and to take appropriate action to deal with them.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the checking activities, inspection 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 checking 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 identifying defects in composite mouldings. You will understand the composite materials, and their application, and will know about the associated defects, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for identifying the defects in line with organisation practice and procedures.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the composite mouldings, 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.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines
- identify defects with regard to the product or asset specification
- assess the defects and determine action required to return the products and assets to specified condition
- report recommendations for action to the appropriate people promptly and in accordance with organisational procedures
- record details of defects in accordance with quality assurance and control systems and procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the health and safety precautions to be taken and procedures used when working with composite materials, consumables, tools and equipment in the specific work area
- the hazards associated with working with composite materials, consumables, tools and equipment, and how to minimise these hazards in the work area
- protective equipment that is needed for personal protection (PPE) and, where required, the protection of others
- the application of COSHH regulations in relation to the storage, use and disposal of composite materials and consumables
- the specific workshop environmental conditions that must be observed when working with aircraft composite materials (such as temperature, humidity, styrene levels to threshold limits, fume/dust extraction systems and equipment)
- how to use and extract information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate BS or ISO standards), in relation to work undertaken
- how to carry out currency/issue checks of the specifications you are working with
- how to use imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
- the quality procedures used in the workplace to ensure production control (in relation to currency, issue, meeting specification), and how to complete the appropriate documents
- conventions and terminology used when identifying and rectifying defects (such as dis-bonds, de-lamination, resin injection, resin voids, core potting, repair patches)
- the different types of composite resin systems, fibres and reinforcements, and the types of defects that may be present
- failure modes for various composite mouldings, and what can contribute to these
- the correct methods of storage and handling of composite materials
- tools and equipment used for checking the various composite mouldings
- the procedure for the safe disposal and correct separation of waste materials
- the recording documentation to be completed for the repair activities undertaken and, where appropriate, the importance of marking and identifying specific pieces of work in relation to the documentation
- the extent of your own authority, and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the inspection activities:
- ensure that you have the correct documentation for the checking 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
- obtain the correct tools and equipment for the activity, and check that they are in a safe and usable condition
- apply appropriate and safe inspection techniques 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 for defects in composite mouldings, using four of the following methods:
- touch
- visual
- mechanical tests
- NDT (non-destructive testing)
- sound
- measurement
- stage inspection
- CMM (co-ordinate measuring methods)
Identify defects in six of the following types of composite mouldings:
- trim
- casings and covers
- sandwich panels
- moulds
- closing panels
- aerodynamic components
- structural
- jigs
- housings
- tubes
- galley units
- tanks
- consoles
- sections
- airframe components
- other specific components
Identify defects applicable to two of the following resin types:
- polyester
- vinyl ester
- epoxy
- phenolic
- bismaleimide
- cyanate ester
Identify defects applicable to two of the following fibre types:
- polyethylene
- glass
- aramid
- carbon
- hybrid
Identify eight of the following types of defect in composite mouldings:
- incomplete curing
- distortion
- splintering
- excessive adhesive
- dimensional
- blisters
- voids
- damaged cores
- tolerances
- bridging
- dents or `dings'
- wrong inserts
- ply orientation
- de-lamination
- dis-bonds
- insert positions
- wrong join type
- wrinkles
- resin rich areas
- impact damage
- surface finish
- broken fibres
- incorrect material
Inspect mouldings to ensure that they comply with one of the following standards:
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Ministry of Defence (MoD)
- customer standards and requirements
- Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
- company standards and procedures
Complete the relevant paperwork, to include one from the following, and pass it to the appropriate people:
- production documentation
- build records
- quality control documentation
- other specific records
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