Curing and consolidating composite mouldings

URN: SEMCOMP214
Business Sectors (Suites): Composite Engineering Suite 2
Developed by: Enginuity
Approved on: 2018

Overview

This standard identifies the competences you need to use curing and consolidation equipment to process composite materials for the production of composite mouldings (such as moulds, components, splashes, jigs), in accordance with approved procedures.  You will be required to use appropriate drawings, specifications and documentation to cure and consolidate the materials to the required standard.

You will be expected to load, operate, monitor and unload curing and consolidation equipment.  You will cure a range of composite mouldings using a range of equipment.  Mouldings cured 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 operational procedures for the curing activities undertaken and to report any problems with the production activities, equipment or materials that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people.  You will be expected to work to instructions under 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 curing methods and procedures.  You will understand the curing methods used, and their application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities and ensuring the work output is to the required specification. 

You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the curing 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, environmental and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
  2. confirm the curing/consolidating operations to be completed and how this will be achieved
  3. confirm the heating and other equipment has been set up correctly for the curing and consolidation operations
  4. check that all safety mechanisms are in place and operate correctly
  5. follow the correct component drawing or any other related documentation for the component to be produced
  6. carry out any preparation activities required on the  tooling, equipment and materials
  7. carry out the curing/consolidation activities using the correct methods and techniques
  8. check that the equipment is operating correctly
  9. cure/consolidate mouldings to the required specification
  10. check the quality of the mouldings using cure records and visual inspection

  11. check that all the required operations have been completed to specification

  12. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
  13. complete relevant documentation
  14. 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 composite materials, consumables, tools and equipment in the specific work area
  2. the hazards associated with carrying out curing and consolidation operations and with the composite materials, consumables, tools and equipment used and how to minimise these and reduce any risks
  3. the protective equipment (PPE) that is needed for personal protection and where required, the protection of others
  4. the application of COSHH regulations in relation to the storage, use and disposal of composite materials and consumables
  5. the specific environmental conditions the must be observed when curing composite mouldings (such as temperature, humidity, fume/dust extraction systems and equipment)
  6. how to identify 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
  7. how to interpret drawings/lay-up manuals, systems of measurement, workpiece reference/datum points and system of tolerancing
  8. the quality procedures used in the workplace to ensure production control (in relation to currency, issue, meeting specification) and the completion of such documents
  9. the basic conventions and terminology used for curing and consolidation (such as ramp rates, dwell times, cure times, cure temperatures, continuous and stepped temperature profiles, exotherm, glass transition temperature, vacuum back pressure, cure cycles, pressure profiles, post curing)
  10. the safety mechanisms on the curing and consolidation equipment, and the procedure for checking that they function correctly
  11. the operation of the curing and consolidation equipment, and emergency shut down procedures
  12. the function of the main parts of the of the curing and consolidation equipment (such as heating; pressure and vacuum)
  13. the common machine settings that may require adjusting to achieve the required specification
  14. the effects that changes to theses settings will have on the quality of the components produced
  15. the function resins play in the production of mouldings and their affect on curing conditions
  16. the various life conditions associated with the resin materials (such as storage life, defrost times, working/out life, tack life)
  17. the function fibre materials play in the production of mouldings and their affect on curing conditions
  18. the function of core materials in the production of mouldings and their affect on curing conditions
  19. how to visually identify raw and finished composite materials
  20. the type of production tooling used for producing composite mouldings and their affect on curing conditions
  21. the ancillary equipment, sensors, hoses and consumable materials used in the curing and consolidation activities, and their care, preparation and safe handling
  22. the common problems that can occur during the curing and consolidation processes (including vacuum bag bursts, vacuum back pressure, hot and cold spots, temperature deviation, pressure deviation)
  23. how problems can be prevented during the curing and consolidation activities
  24. the need for monitoring the temperature and pressure cycles and recording the data against specific parts (using thermocouples, probes, chart recorders and data logs)
  25. the identification of common defects in the composite moulding caused by curing and consolidation activities (such as de-lamination, porosity, frayed/burned areas, incomplete curing, local exotherm, voids, resin starvation, core crush, wrinkles)
  26. the care and safe handling of production tooling and composite mouldings throughout the production cycle
  27. the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
  28. the documentation to be completed during and/or on completion of the moulding activity

Scope/range


Scope Performance

  1. Carry out all of the following during the curing and consolidation activities:

    1. 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. maintain a safe working environment for the curing activities
    4. check that all tools and equipment to be used are correct for the operation to be carried out and are in a safe and usable condition
    5. follow safe working practices at all times during the curing activities
    6. check that there are appropriate facilities for storing the cured mouldings (where applicable)
    7. return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the setting and moulding activities
    8. segregate and dispose of waste materials using the correct procedure (where applicable) 
  2. Confirm that the heating equipment has been set up correctly, to include all of the following:

    1. ensure all heating services are connected and operational (such as electrical, fluids, steam)
    2. the heating conditions have been set up correctly to suit the moulding being produced (such as zones, target temperature, ramp rates, dwell times), including alarm conditions
    3. all the heating controls are operational and function correctly
    4. the correct mouldings are available and suitably prepared for the curing activity
    5. the composite moulding is positioned correctly relative to the heating equipment
    6. insulation blankets/baffle plates, as required have been fitted to achieve the correct heating pattern
    7. temperature sensors (such as thermocouples) have been connected to the heating controls/recording equipment
  3. Carry out all the following during the curing cycle:

    1. confirm the temperature cycle can be started
    2. monitor the temperature cycle and temperature sensors to ensure the cycle is within the required curing tolerances
    3. on completion of the curing cycle unload the composite moulding using the correct methods and techniques
    4. complete cure records/documentation for the cured mouldings
  4. Confirm that the consolidation equipment has be set up correctly, to include all of the following:

    1. all services are connected and operational (such as electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, vacuum)
    2. the consolidation conditions have been set up correctly to suit the moulding being produced (such as target pressure, vacuum level, ramp rates, dwell times), including alarm conditions
    3. all the equipment controls are operational and function correctly
    4. all guards and safety mechanisms are in place and in good working order
    5. the correct mouldings are available and suitably prepared for the consolidation activity
    6. the integrity of tooling seals or vacuum integrity of the mouldings
    7. all monitoring controls/recording equipment have been connected correctly
  5. Carry out all the following during the consolidation cycle:

    1. confirm the consolidation cycle can be started
    2. monitor the consolidation cycle and pressure/vacuum sensors to ensure the consolidation cycle is within the required tolerances
    3. on completion of the consolidation cycle unload the composite moulding using the correct methods and techniques
    4. complete consolidation records/documentation for the mouldings
  6. Use one of the following for applying temperature during the cure cycle:

    1. oven
    2. autoclave
    3. heated tools/moulds
    4. heat mats
    5. heated press
    6. curing lamps
    7. infrared heating
    8. electro-magnetic inductance
    9. micro-wave
    10. hot bonder
    11. electric heating
    12. water heating
    13. steam heating
    14. oil heating
    15. other (to be specified)
  7. Use one of the following for applying pressure to consolidate the moulding:

    1. vacuum bags
    2. hot de-bulk
    3. pressure de-bulk
    4. pressure bags
    5. thermal mould expansion
    6. press
    7. autoclave
    8. other (to be specified)
  8. Use curing equipment for two of the following types of temperature profiles:

    1. temperature survey
    2. thin laminates, up to 10mm
    3. thick laminates, over 10mm
    4. sandwich panels
    5. low temperature cures, up to 30-80°C
    6. medium temperature cures, 80-150°C
    7. high temperature cures, over 150°C
    8. post curing
    9. multi stage curing
    10. other (to be specified)
  9. Cure a range of mouldings, using two of the following types of production tool:

    1. pattern
    2. mandrels
    3. metal
    4. tooling block
    5. glass pre-preg
    6. carbon pre-preg
    7. female tooling
    8. male tooling
    9. multi-part tools
    10. matched tooling
    11. closed tooling
  10. Cure a range of mouldings incorporating one type of resin from:

    1. bio resin
    2. thermoplastic
    3. polyester
    4. vinyl ester
    5. epoxy
    6. phenolic
    7. bismaleimide
    8. cyanate ester
    9. other (to be specified)
  11. Cure a range of mouldings incorporating one type of fibre from:

    1. natural fibre
    2. thermoplastic
    3. glass
    4. aramid
    5. carbon
    6. hybrid
    7. other (to be specified)
  12. Cure a range of mouldings incorporating one type of core material (where applicable to the Sector or process):

    1. solid timber
    2. end grain balsa
    3. thermoplastic core
    4. rigid foam
    5. syntactic core
    6. expanding core
    7. fibrous honeycomb
    8. aluminium honeycomb
    9. other (to be specified)
  13. Using both cure records and visually inspection of the cured mouldings, identify two of the following:

    1. mouldings which meet the required cure specification
    2. mouldings which have curing defects
    3. mouldings that require further investigation
  14. Cure a range of mouldings which comply with one of the following standards:

    1. BS, ISO or BSEN standards and procedures
    2. customer standards and requirements
    3. material supplier standards and procedures
    4. company standards and procedures
    5. recognised compliance agency/body standards
  15. Complete the relevant documentation, to include one of the following:

    1. production documentation
    2. quality control documentation
    3. job cards

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

2021

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Semta

Original URN

SEMCOMP214

Relevant Occupations

Composite Fitter, Composite Technician, Laminator, Moulding Technician

SOC Code

8114

Keywords

Engineering; produce; composite; mouldings; components; laminating; resin; fibre; cure and consolidate equipment