Setting single and multi-spindle drilling machines for production
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to prepare and set up single and multi-spindle drilling machines and associated drilling equipment, in accordance with approved procedures. This involves selecting the appropriate workholding devices, and mounting and positioning them to the machine in the correct location for the type of operation being carried out. You will also be expected to select the appropriate drills, reamers, counterbore and countersink tools, spot facing tools and taps, check them for defects, and mount and secure them to the relevant tool holding device.
You will set up and align the workpiece in the correct relationship to the machine spindle and set the machine operating parameters to produce the workpiece to the required specification. You must produce trial cuts and prove the machine is working satisfactorily before declaring the installation ready for production. Making adjustments to settings to achieve specification, and solving machine-related problems during production, will also form part of your role.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the machine setting activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the machine, work holding device, tools, equipment or setting up activities that you cannot personally resolve, or 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 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 the setting-up procedures used. You will understand the single and multi-spindle drilling machine used, and their application, and will know about the workholding devices, tools, relevant materials, consumables and setting-up procedures, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for setting up the equipment, correcting faults and ensuring work output is produced to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the machine and its 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.
This standard does not cover CNC activities, for which other standards apply.
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 specifications for the component to be produced
- determine what has to be done and how the machine will be set to achieve this
- mount, set and secure the required workholding devices, workpiece and cutting tools
- set the machine tool operating parameters to achieve the component specification
- check that all safety mechanisms are in place and that the equipment is set correctly for the required operations
- complete the required production documentation
- 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:
- how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- the hazards associated with setting single and multi-spindle drilling machines and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
- how to start and stop the machine in normal and emergency situations
- the importance of ensuring that the machine is isolated from the power supply before mounting tools, workpieces and workholding devices
- the importance of wearing the appropriate protective clothing (PPE) and equipment, and of keeping the work area clean and tidy
- the basic principles of operation of the single and multi-spindle drilling machines, and typical operations that they can perform
- how to handle and store drills and cutters safely and correctly
- how to extract and use information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate standards) in relation to work undertaken
- how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
- terminology used in single and multi-spindle drilling in relation to the activities undertaken
- the range of workholding methods and devices that are used on machines
- the methods of mounting and setting the workpiece on/in the workholding device, and the tools and equipment that can be used
- the different types of drills and cutters that are used, and how they are selected, prepared and mounted to the machine tool holding devices
- factors which determine speeds and feeds to be used
- how the various types of material will affect the speeds and feeds that can be used
- the types of cutting fluid that are used, and precautions to be taken when handling and using them
- how to set up the machine for the particular operations being performed
- the need to conduct trial runs, and to check that the machine is set up and running safely and correctly
- problems that can occur with setting up the single and multi-spindle drilling tools and cutters, work holding devices and machine operating parameters, and what to do if they occur
- the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
- Carry out all of the following during the setting up activities:
- obtain and use the appropriate documentation
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
- follow safe practice/approved setting up procedures at all times
- ensure that correctly adjusted machine guards are in place
- check that cutting tools are in a suitable condition
- hold components securely without distortion
- leave the work area and machine in a safe and appropriate condition on completion of the activities
- Prepare a multi-spindle drilling machine and three of the following drilling machines:
- pedestal drill
- radial arm drill
- bench drill
- special purpose drill
- Select, prepare and mount work holding device and workpiece, to include three of the following:
- drill jigs
- chucks
- vee block and clamps
- indexing device
- machine vice
- angle bracket
- clamping direct to machine table
- other specific work holding device
- Select and mount cutting tools, to include eight of the following:
- straight twist drills
- counterbore tools
- solid reamers
- spot facing tools
- straight core drills
- countersink tools
- expanding reamers
- taps
- taper drills
- centre drills
- taper reamers
- special tools
- Set up the machine in accordance with instructions and specifications, to include setting all of the following:
- setting speeds and feeds
- cutting fluids
- tapping compounds
- mounting workholding device and workpiece
- positioning drills/cutting tools
- setting workpiece in relation to machine spindle
- setting drill/cutting tool depth
- machine guards/safety mechanisms
- Set up the machine to produce the required hole, that must include all of the following:
- drilling to depth
- drilling flat bottomed
- countersinking
- spot facing
- drilling through work piece
- counter boring
- reaming
- tapping
- Machine components made from one of the following types of material:
- ferrous
- non-ferrous
- non-metallic
- Set the machine to produce components within all of the following quality and accuracy standards, as applicable to the operations performed:
- components to be free from false tool cuts, burrs and sharp edges
- dimensional tolerance as specified in relevant standard
- reamed and bored holes within H8
- screw threads BS medium fit
- angles within +/- 0.5 degree
- surface finish 63µin or 1.6µm