Manufacturing vehicle composite mouldings using pre-preg laminating techniques
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to produce composite mouldings (body mouldings, structural sections, cover panels, trim panels) using pre-preg laminating techniques, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to use appropriate drawings, specifications and documentation to produce various mouldings, using the correct pre-preg laminating production techniques.
You will be expected to prepare a range of tooling, apply release agents, and prepare composite materials. You will produce a range of composite mouldings, incorporating a variety of features and using a range of techniques and processes. Mouldings produced will include laminates and sandwich structures, using a range of resin, fibre and core materials.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the production activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the production activities, equipment 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 pre-preg laminating techniques and procedures. You will understand the 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:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- follow the correct component drawing or any other related specifications for the component to be produced
- 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
- ensure that work records are completed, stored securely and available to others as per organisational requirements
- leave the work area in a safe condition on completion of the activities, as per organisational and legal requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken whilst carrying out the activities (including any specific legislation, regulations or codes of practice relating to the activities, equipment or materials used)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area and activities and the responsibility they place on you
- the hazards associated with the activities, and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
- the personal protective equipment and clothing (PPE) to be worn during the activities
- how to extract and use information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions and current industry standards and codes of practice) in relation to work undertaken
- how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
- quality procedures used in the workplace to ensure production control (such as in relation to currency, issue, meeting specification) conventions and terminology used for pre-preg laminating techniques (such as material orientation, material identification, material templates, ply lay-up, pressure plates, vacuum bagging, cure cycles, exotherm)
- different types of resin systems, fibres, reinforcements, and their merits
- how to build up laminates, including orientation and balance of plies to minimise spring and distortion in composite mouldings
- the different core, insert and filler materials, and their merits
- the visual identification of both raw and finished composite materials
- identification of materials by product codes
- the different types of production tooling used for producing composite mouldings, and their merits
- the identification and rectification of defects in production tooling
- methods of preparation for patterns, moulds and tooling (including the correct selection and use of surface sealers and release agents)
- the correct methods of storage, thawing and handling of pre-preg materials (including monitoring temperature, storage life and `out-life')
- methods used in the application of pre-preg materials to tooling surfaces (including methods of tailoring and cutting)
- correct methods of storage and handling of ancillary and consumable materials
- selection and use of ancillary and consumable materials (such as release films, breather fabrics, bagging films, tapes) to meet performance requirements (such as temperature and compatibility)
- tools and equipment used in the pre-preg laminating activities, and their care, preparation and control procedures
- problems that can occur during the lay-up process, including modifications to the ply lay-up, and defects (such as contamination and distortion)
- how modifications and defects can be overcome during the pre-preg laminating activity
- cure cycles, including temperature and pressure ramps, dwell times, post curing
- the need for monitoring the cure cycle using thermocouples, probes, chart recorders and data logs
- procedures and methods used for removing mouldings from production tooling
- the identification of defects in the composite moulding (such as de-lamination, voids, contaminants)
- the care and safe handling of production tooling and composite mouldings throughout the production cycle
- the production controls used in the work area, and actions to be taken for unaccounted items
- how the composite moulding relates to its own quality documents, and the production tooling used
- the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
- how to access, use and maintain information to comply with organisational requirements and legislation
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the moulding activities:
- obtain and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, material data sheets, planning and quality control documentation, material data sheets, specifications, )
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, hazardous substances, 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 pre-preg laminating activities
- obtain the correct tools and equipment for the activity, and check that they are in a safe, tested and usable condition
- follow safe practice/approved pre-preg laminating techniques and procedures at all times
- return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the pre-preg laminating activities
- dispose of waste materials in accordance with approved procedures
- leave the work area in a safe and appropriate condition on completion of the activities
Prepare production tooling:
- check that tooling is correct and complete
- correctly apply sealers/release agents
- clean the tooling and remove resin build-ups
- clean and store tooling suitably after use
- check for surface defects
Prepare materials for production:
- obtain correct materials for the activity
- check availability of ancillary materials required
- thaw material removed from freezer storage
- cut materials to correct shape and orientation
- identifying defects in pre-preg materials
- check materials when provided in kit form
- check that materials are fit for purpose and `in life'
- identify and protect materials in the work area
Produce a range of mouldings using techniques for four of the following types of production tools:
- metal
- glass pre-preg
- carbon pre-preg
- male tooling
- matched tooling
- wet lay-up
- tooling block
- female tooling
- multi-part tools
- closed tooling
Produce a range of mouldings incorporating two of the following in the lay-up:
- butt joins
- staggered joins
- inverted plies
- overlap joins
- orientated plies
- inserts
Produce a range of mouldings incorporating five of the following shape features:
- internal corners
- double curvature
- convex surfaces
- joggle details
- external corners
- concave surface
- return surfaces
- nett edges
Produce a range of mouldings using four of the following methods:
- production of ply templates
- pressure de-bulk
- joining boards
- nesting of ply templates
- intensifiers
- loose tooling
- vacuum de-bulk
- shaped locators
- other specific method
Produce a range of mouldings using techniques for one type of resin from:
- epoxy
- phenolic
- bismaleimide
- cyanate ester
Produce a range of mouldings using techniques for two types of fibre from:
- polyethylene
- glass
- aramid
- carbon
Produce a range of mouldings using techniques for two types of reinforcement from:
- continuous
- uni-directional
- braids
- woven
- multi-axis
- tapes
Produce a range of mouldings using techniques for two types of core materials from:
- wood
- expanding core
- nomex honeycomb
- aluminium honeycomb
- syntactic core
- foam
Use three of the following methods when using core materials:
- core templates
- peel plies
- core splicing
- single stage curing
- pre-shaping core
- adhesive/resin films
- edge filling
- multi-stage curing
- core chamfers
Use one of the following for applying temperature during the cure cycle:
- oven
- heated press
- autoclave
- heated tools/moulds
Use one of the following for applying pressure during the cure cycle:
- pressure bags
- vacuum bags
- thermal mould expansion
- fibre tensioning
Use four of the following processes/methods where vacuum bags are used:
- check vacuum integrity
- envelope bagging
- internal bagging
- use of vacuum fittings
- pleats and tucks
- through-tube bagging
- surface bagging
- multi-part envelope bags
- reusable bagging
Check mouldings comply with all of the following quality and accuracy standards:
- meets company standards and procedures
- dimensionally accurate within specification tolerances
- has an appropriate surface finish and is free from defects or surface blemishes