Cutting materials using hand and machine tools
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to cut and shape material, in order to fabricate clips, brackets, covers, trunking and similar components (including templates), in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to select the appropriate equipment to use for the material, thickness and accuracy required and you will be expected to use hand tools, hand power tools and machinery, as applicable. The cutting and shaping will involve producing straight cuts, curved contours, cut-ins, notches and circular holes.
Materials to be cut and shaped may include ferrous and non-ferrous. This will call for care in selecting the right tools, so as to avoid damage to the tools and danger to oneself.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures, to seek out relevant information and to report any problems with the cutting activities, equipment or materials that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant person. 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 produce.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work and will provide an informed approach to applying sheet metal cutting and shaping procedures. You will understand the processes, the equipment and its application and will know about the materials, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with fabrication tools and machinery. 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 relevant specifications for the component to be produced
- obtain the appropriate tools and equipment for the cutting operations and check they are in a safe, tested and usable condition
- cut and shape the materials using appropriate methods and techniques
- check that all the required cutting operations have been completed to the required specification
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- complete relevant documentation in line with organisational procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken when working in a marine fabrication environment and when working with power operated saws and abrasive disc cutting machines, both on land and on board vessels (including general workshop and site safety, statutory regulations, accident procedure, risk assessment procedures and relevant requirements of HASAWA, COSHH and Work Equipment Regulations)
- the personal protective clothing and equipment (PPE) to be worn when carrying out the fabrication activities (such as leather gloves, eye/ear protection and safety helmets)
- the correct methods of moving or lifting heavy plate, bar and rolled sections
- safe working practices and procedures to be observed when using manual and power operated tools (including emergency shutdown procedures)
- the hazards associated with marine fabrication work (such as using dangerous or badly maintained tools and equipment, operating guillotines, using hand and bench shears, airborne particles, hot metal, burrs and sharp edges) and how they can be minimised
- the procedures for obtaining the necessary drawings and specifications, and how to check that they are the latest issue
- how to extract information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate BS or ISO standards) in relation to the work undertaken
- how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
- how to interpret the marking out conventions on the materials to be cut and shaped (such as cutting lines, centre lines)
- the range of machine saws available (such as power hacksaws, circular saws and band saws)
- the abrasive cutting equipment available (to include hand-held portable machines and bench type radiac cutting machines)
- the selection and fitting or abrasive cutting discs; cutting disc identification markings and how to identify the correct type of disc of the type of material being cut
- statutory regulations regarding the fitting and use of abrasive discs
- the material cutting characteristics and process considerations to be taken into account when cutting materials
- the preparations that you may have to carry out on the material prior to cutting it
- the use and care of tools and equipment, including checks to be made to ensure that the tools are fit for purpose (such as sharp, plugs and cables secure, tested and free from damage, machine guards or safety devices operating correctly)
- setting and adjusting tools and equipment (such as the use of backstops on guillotines)
- the use of safety screens to protect other users from flying sparks whilst using abrasive cutting discs
- the importance of ensuring that the machine guards are correctly fitted and positioned before using the equipment
- how to set and adjust power saws for the various operations being performed
- the importance of using tools or equipment only for the purpose intended
- the care that is required when using the tools or equipment and the proper way of preserving tools or equipment between operations
- the calibration/care and control procedures for tools and equipment
- the problems that can occur when cutting materials using saws or abrasive discs and how these can be avoided
- inspection techniques that can be applied to check that shape and dimensional accuracy are to specification and within acceptable limits
- the procedure for the safe disposal of waste materials
- the extent of your own responsibility and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the cutting and shaping activities:
- select the appropriate hand tool or machine for the operation being performed
- check that machine guards and safety devices are in position and function correctly
- check that cutting discs/blades are in a serviceable condition (free from damage or chips and are sharp)
- isolate the equipment from its power supply whilst changing blades and discs
- use the equipment safely and correctly and only for its intended purpose
Cut and finish material to the marked-out shape, using six of the following tools and equipment:
- bench shears
- guillotine
- hacksaw
- band saw
- portable drill
- pillar drill
- files
- abrasive disc cutting machines
- punch/cropping machine
- trepanning
- nibbling machine
- jigsaw
Cut and shape three of the following forms of material:
- flat plate
- pipe and tube
- rolled sections/bar (such as angle, RSJ, tee bar, bulb bar)
- solid bar (such as square, round)
- rail section
- non-ferrous material
Perform operations to produce four of the following shapes:
- straight cuts
- angled/mitre cuts
- irregular shapes
- curved contours
- notches
- circular holes
- chamfers
Produce cut and shaped components which meet all of the following standards:
- dimensional accuracy is within specification tolerance
- angled cuts are within specification requirements
- cuts are clean and free from excessive burrs or slivers
- components are free from distortion
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
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