Providing operational support for computer control programs
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need provide direct operational support to users of computer control programs, in accordance with approved procedures. The support you provide will relate to computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool programs, robotic applications and programmable logic control (PLC) software programs. This will require you to liaise with a range of people, such as other machine tool/equipment programmers, machine tool setters, machine operators, maintenance personnel, drawing and design engineers, external customers and planning, production and quality control engineers. You will be required to respond and provide operational support, within agreed timescales, whilst ensuring that the activities within your control conform to organisational and, where appropriate, legal requirements.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the provision of the operational support. You will report any problems 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 providing operational support to users of computer control programs. You will understand the engineering processes being carried out, the equipment used, programming methods and problem solving principles and procedures, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for providing the support and for carrying out your activities to the required standard. You will understand your organisation's methods of operation, in sufficient detail to enable you to make informed decisions as to the level and extent of the operational support required.
You will be aware of any health, safety and environmental requirements applicable to your area of responsibility. 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 legislation and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- provide operational support within agreed timescales and working arrangements
- make sure that operational support is appropriate and based on accurate and current information
- obtain feedback on the support provided
- produce and maintain records in accordance with organisational requirements
- deal promptly and effectively with problems relating to the provision of operational support
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken when working with programming systems and equipment (to include safety guidance relating to the use of visual display unit (VDU), equipment and work station environment repetitive strain injury (RSI); the dangers of trailing leads and cables; how to spot faulty or dangerous electrical leads, plugs and connections)
- the specific safety precautions to be taken when working with computer controlled machines and equipment
- the importance of wearing the protective clothing and equipment (PPE) when working in hazardous environments
- how to return the work area to a safe and useable condition (such as cleaning down work surfaces; putting media, manuals and unwanted items of equipment into safe storage; leaving the work area in a safe and tidy condition)
- the set-up and operation of the programming system, and any peripheral devices that are used during the supporting activity (to include ensuring that peripheral devices are connected correctly)
- how to power up, log on, log off and activate the computer system and programming software correctly
- how to access the specific programming software, and the use of manuals and related documents, in order to provide effective programming support and to solve operational problems
- the importance of protecting the programming system from bugs/viruses, and the implications if the correct procedure is not followed
- how to create and structure directories and files correctly (such as importing, copying, transferring, exporting deleting, backing up and saving files)
- the different types of storage media that can be used to save program files
- the range of areas where you could be required to provide operational support
- the actions to be taken to resolve program and/or operational issues
- the factors that will have an impact on the effectiveness of the support provided
- the basic operating principles of the equipment using the program
- the different departments and/or personnel that may require operational support
- how to determine the nature, level and extent of the operational support required
- the importance of providing accurate, current, sufficient and timely operational support
- the importance of obtaining all essential information and data, in order to provide effective operational support
- the different methods of providing operational support to users of computer controlled programs
- how to ensure that the operational support provided is understood and implemented
- the procedure for obtaining feedback on the effectiveness of the support provided
- the importance of informing all relevant parties of any changes in the set-up and operation of the equipment or program
- the documentation to be completed, following the supporting activity
the typical problems that can occur when providing operational support
the extent of your own responsibility, and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Carry out all of the following when providing the operational support:
- check that all essential information and data needed to support the user of the computer control program is available
- check that all information and data to be used is current and up-to-date
- ensure that health and safety regulations and safe working practices are taken into account
- ensure that the influence of working conditions on technical performance is taken into account
- record and store details of the support and feedback provided in the correct formats and in accordance with organisational requirements
Provide operational support for one of the following:
- CNC machine tool programs
- robotic applications
- PLC programs
- co-ordinate measuring applications
Provide operational support to two of the following:
- machine tool setters
- quality assurance/inspection personnel
- machine tool operators
- production supervisor/management personnel
- maintenance personnel
- process setters
- staff contracted in by your organisation
- process operators
- external customers or recent purchasers of products/services
- design department
- other machine tool/equipment programmers
Provide operational support for nine of the following:
- accessing/downloading data from engineering/computer equipment
- loading programs into computer controlled equipment
- the operation/formatting of the computer program
- interpretation of specifications
- understanding of operating procedures
- implementing and achieving work schedules
- resource requirements
- workholding/jigging/fixture arrangements
- safety factors (such as collision avoidance)
- program efficiency
- program errors
- machine/equipment capabilities
- tooling capabilities
- operation of the equipment
- equipment operator skill gaps
- developing standard operating procedures
- work/process quality
- the application of specific engineering tools, methods, processes or procedures
- interpretation of reports/data (such as in inspection/process reports)
Provide operational/programming support, covering issues regarding the following:
either six of the following:
1. suitability of specified datum point
2. systems of measurement (such as absolute and incremental, metric or imperial)
3. material/component parameters
4. tooling type (such as milling cutters, turning tools, electrodes, wire, laser nozzles, inspection probes)
5. tooling data/settings (such as number, type, diameter, lengths and offsets, compensation, laser power/focus)
6. reference/program codes
7. positional information
8. cutting/eroding parameters (such as depth of cut, direction, feed in/out)
9. measuring parameters (such as direction, feed in/out)
10. preparatory commands and machine management/auxiliary functions
11. use of repetitive programs (sub-routines, canned cycles, labels, macros)
12. tooling path order and sequence
13. tooling change positions
14. work-shift position
or six of the following:
15. use of programming devices (such as terminals, hand-held programmers and personal computers)
16. use ladder logic, statement lists, or system flowcharts
17. the forcing of contacts on' andoff'
18. editing, and removing contacts from lines of logic
19. changing counter and timer settings
20. using on- and `off-line' programming
21. loading, reading and saving programs
22. producing back-ups of completed programs
23. computer based authoring of programs (to include sub-routines)
24. single step mode of operation
Produce and maintain records using two of the following methods:
- written or typed report
- electronic mail
- computer record
- verbal report
- specific organisation form