Bending and forming marine sheet metal using hand and machine tools
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to bend and form marine sheet metal components (up to and including 3mm) using hand tools and machine tools, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to select the appropriate equipment to use, based on the operations required, material to be formed and accuracy to be achieved and this will include the use of such tools and equipment as hammers and stakes, formers, bending machines, rolling machines, wiring and swaging machines. The components/shapes to be produced will include bends/up stands, folds, box sections, wired edges, cylinders, curved sections, trunking, and stretching and shrinking of materials to form cowlings, rounded covers and curved panels.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the marine sheet metal forming activities undertaken and to report any problems with the tools, equipment, materials or activities that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work to instructions, 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 be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work and will provide an informed approach to applying bending and forming procedures to marine sheet metalwork. You will have an understanding of the bending and forming processes, the equipment used and its application and will know about the materials and forming techniques, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities, recognising and correcting/reporting faults and producing the components to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the bending and forming machines and with 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 and any other related specifications for the component to be produced
- determine what has to be done and how this will be achieved
use the appropriate tools and equipment for the pressure shaping operations and check that they are in a safe and usable condition
bend and form the materials to the required specification using appropriate methods and techniques
- check that all the required pressure shaping operations have been completed to the required standard
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken when working with sheet metal equipment and materials in a marine fabrication environment (including general workshop and site safety, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), accident procedure; statutory regulations, risk assessment procedures and COSHH regulations, safe disposal of waste materials)
- the personal protective clothing and equipment to be worn when carrying out the fabrication activities (such as leather apron and gloves, eye/ear protection, safety helmets)
- the correct methods of moving or lifting sheet or plate materials
- the hazards associated with bending and forming marine sheet metalwork (such as handling sheet/fabricated components, using machinery, using dangerous or badly maintained tools and equipment) and how they can be minimised
- how to obtain the necessary job instructions, drawings and specifications
- how to interpret information from engineering drawings and related specifications, in relation to work undertaken
- marking out conventions used in sheet metalwork and how to recognise cutting detail and bending or folding lines
- hand tools used in sheet metal forming activities and typical operations that they are used for (such as range of hammers, stakes, formers, sand bags)
- the various machine tool forming equipment that can be used to produce a range of shapes (such as bends, box sections, cylinders and curved sections, wired edges and swages)
- methods of stretching and shrinking materials and the tools, equipment and techniques used for this
- how to set up the various machines to produce the required forms (such as setting up of rolls; setting fingers on bending machines; setting forming tools for swaging)
- how the materials are to be prepared for the forming operations and why some materials may require a heating process prior to forming
- tool and equipment care and maintenance procedures
- why tool/equipment control is critical and what to do if a tool or piece of equipment is unaccounted for on completion of the activities
- organisational quality control procedures and recognition of pressure forming defects
- dimensional and forming inspection checks to be carried out and the tools and equipment to be used for this
- the problems that can occur with bending and forming sheet metal and how these can be avoided
- the extent of your own responsibility and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Ensure that the tools and equipment to be used are in a safe and usable condition, by carrying out all of the following checks:
- hand tools are in a safe and usable condition (such as hammer shafts are secure; stakes, formers and striking faces are free from defects and damage)
- the machine guards and safety devices are in position and function correctly
- forming tools are appropriate and are in a serviceable condition (such as secure, correct shape, free from damage)
- machine settings are suitable for the material thickness and operations to be performed
Use three of the following types of forming equipment/forming techniques:
- hammers/panel beating equipment
- wheeling machine
- stakes and formers
- jenny/wiring machine
- bending machine (hand)
- bending machine (powered)
- swaging machine
- rolling machine (hand)
- rolling machine (powered)
- spot heating techniques
Carry out bending and forming operations which produce four of the following shapes:
- bends/upstands
- curved panels
- folds
- cylindrical sections
- box sections
- ribbed components
- wired edges
- square to round trunking
- swages
- other specific formed shapes
Bend and form sheet metal components for marine applications, to include two of the following:
- stowage racks
- stores
- pyrotechnic lockers
- galley equipment
- trunking and ducting
- bunk spaces
- toilet/shower cubicles
- kit lockers
- cladding
- tanks/reservoirs
- covers
- other specific components
Produce components made from one of the following materials:
- mild steel
- stainless steel
- brass
- tinned steel
- titanium/special steels
- copper
- galvanised plate
- aluminium
Produce components which meet all of the following:
- dimensional accuracy is within specification tolerances
- finished components meet the required shape/geometry (to the template profile)
- completed components are free from excessive tooling marks, deformation or cracking
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