Producing pipe assemblies for motorsport vehicles
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to produce pipe assemblies, to be used on motorsport vehicles. These assemblies must be produced in accordance with approved practices and procedures, and will include flanged pipes, swaged pipes, pre-manufactured bends and bosses. You will be required to cut, form, lay out and secure the parts of the pipe assembly, in the correct orientation and configuration for fixing, using tack welding or mechanical securing methods as specified or appropriate to the application, and in a manner that is fit for purpose. In producing the assemblies, you will be expected to select and use a range of equipment, hand tools and techniques, appropriate to the operations being performed.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the assembly and associated activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the equipment, materials or assembly activities 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 assembly and fixing procedures to motorsport pipework. You will understand the techniques used, and the requirements of the assembling procedures and for producing pipe components of the required strength, which are fit for purpose and meet the requirements of pressure tests. Your knowledge will be of adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out these activities, correcting faults and ensuring that the work output is produced to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with motorsport pipe components/assembles, and with their 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 relevant instructions, assembly drawings and any other specifications
- ensure that the specified components are available and that they are in a usable condition
- assemble the components in their correct positions using appropriate methods and techniques
- secure the components using the specified connectors and securing devices
- check the completed assembly to ensure that all operations have been completed and the finished assembly meets the required 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)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area and the activities, and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the hazards associated with the activities, and how to minimise them and reduce 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 to current industry standards and codes of practice)
- how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, work reference points and system of tolerancing
- how to carry out currency/issue checks of the specifications you are working with
- the preparation of pipework and fittings for the assembly operation (checking for damage, removing foreign objects, dirt and swarf from bore of pipe, removing burrs)
- the range of pipe fittings that can be used, and how to identify them (such as straight connectors, elbows, tee pieces, reduction pieces, flanged fittings, swaged ends, data sensor bosses and specialist motorsport connectors)
- how to determine the overall length of the pipework required, taking into account allowances for pipe fittings and connections
- the various methods of securing the pipe components (temporary tack welding methods and techniques, self securing methods such as swaged and joggled, adhesive bonding of components and specialised motorsport connectors)
- how to prepare the pipe ends ready for welding (cleaning, ensuring correct shape, and checking that they have appropriate weld preparations)
- how to set up and align the various pipe components, and the tools and equipment used for this (jigs, fixtures, templates)
- the use of flanges to connect pipes; use of gaskets; and torque loading of flange bolts
- how to identify the correct orientation of fittings with regard to flow
- the use and care of tools and equipment, and their control procedures
- the importance of using tools or equipment only for the purpose intended; the care that is required when using the tools or equipment; the proper way of preserving tools or equipment between operations
- the problems that can occur when producing pipe assemblies and how these can be avoided
- inspection techniques that can be applied to check that the shape (roundness, straightness and dimensional accuracy) is to specification and within acceptable limits
- how to pressure test completed assemblies, and the tools, equipment and techniques that are used
- the recording documentation to be completed for the motorsport pipe assembly activities undertaken
- the extent of your own responsibility and 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 motorsport pipework assembly activities:
- obtain and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, pipe work drawings, quality control documentation)
- 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
- check that all tools and equipment to be used are in a safe, tested and usable condition and within current calibration/certification dates
- ensure that components and pipes are free from damage, foreign objects, dirt or other contamination before assembling them
- use safe and approved pipe assembly 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
- leave the work area in a safe and appropriate condition on completion of the activities
Assemble pipework to be used in one of the following types of motorsport vehicle:
- single seater
- kart
- motorcycle (such as circuit and off road)
- rallying
- historic
- sports car
- other specific approved competition vehicle
Produce motorsport pipe assemblies from one of the following materials:
- ferrous pipe/tube
- non-ferrous pipe/tube
- special/exotic pipe/tube
Carry out all of the following during the assembly operations:
- assembling the pipe components in the correct order and manner
- producing suitable weld preparations on the pipe ends (where appropriate)
- correctly preparing and setting up the pipe components and faces to be joined
- checking that the assembly has the required configuration
- using the specified or appropriate fixing method
- producing a pipe assembly which meets the required specification
Produce motorsport pipe assemblies using three of the following:
- flanged pipes
- swaged pipes
- pre-manufactured bends
- weld on fittings
- data sensor bosses (such as lambda, temperature and pressure)
- specialised motorsport connectors/adapters (such as Wiggins connectors, dash fittings and dry breaks)
Produce motorsport assembled pipework which contains three of the following features:
- right-angled bends
- compound bends
- offsets
- angular bends
- multiple bends
- curved sections
Assemble motorsport pipework using four of the following methods:
- riveted
- self secured (swaged, joggled)
- temporary tack weld
- adhesive bonding
- welded
- specialised motorsport connectors
- other types of assembly methods
Check motorsport pipework assemblies comply with all of the following:
- all components are correctly assembled and aligned in accordance with the specification
- overall dimensions are within specification tolerances
- assemblies meet appropriate geometric tolerances (square, straight, angles free from twists)
- where appropriate, pitch of flange holes meet specification requirements
- assemblies are leak and pressure tested (where appropriate)
completed assemblies are secure, clean and free from burrs or swarf
weld penetration is cleaned off to allow maximum flow (where appropriate)