Setting special-purpose machines for production

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This standard identifies the competences you need to prepare and set up special-purpose machines for production, in accordance with approved procedures. This will involve selecting the appropriate workholding devices, securing them to the machine spindle, selecting and setting suitable collets or chuck jaws, boring out soft jaws (where applicable) and mounting workpieces in jigs or fixtures. You will be expected to select the appropriate tooling, to check that it is in a usable condition, and to mount and secure it to the relevant tool holding devices.

You will need to set the machine operating parameters to produce the workpiece to the required specification. This will involve selecting, mounting and setting up component loading mechanisms, operating cams, cam timing, and setting trip dogs, limit switches, stops, feed and speed mechanisms. You must produce trial runs and prove the machine is working satisfactorily before declaring the machine 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, tooling, 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 machine used, and its application, and will know about the workholding devices, tooling, relevant materials, consumables and setting up procedures, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for setting-up the equipment, correcting faults and ensuring the 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.

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1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
2. follow the correct specifications for the component to be produced
3. determine what has to be done and how the machine will be set to achieve this
4. mount, set and secure the required workholding devices, workpiece and cutting tools
5. set the machine tool operating parameters to achieve the component specification
6. check that all safety mechanisms are in place and that the equipment is set correctly for the required operations
7. complete the required production documentation
8. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved

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1. how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
2. the hazards associated with setting special purpose machines and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
3. how to start and stop the machine in normal and emergency situations
4. the importance of ensuring that the machine is isolated from the power supply before mounting tooling and workholding devices
5. the importance of wearing the appropriate protective clothing (PPE) and equipment, and of keeping the work area clean and tidy
6. the basic principles of operation of the special-purpose machine used and its accessories, and typical operations that it can perform
7. how to handle and store tooling safely and correctly
8. 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
9. how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
10. terminology used in relationship to the special-purpose equipment used and the activities undertaken
11. the range of workholding methods and devices that are used on the machine
12. the different types of tooling that is used, and how it is selected, prepared and mounted to the machine tool holding devices
13. the various specialist devices that can be used for component feeding
14. the selection of cams, and how they are set up and timed in order to produce the components to he required specification
15. factors which determine speeds and feeds to be used
16. how the various types of materials will affect the feeds and speeds that can be used
17. the types of cutting fluids that are used, and precautions to be taken when handling and using them
18. how to set up the special-purpose machine and its accessories for the particular operations being performed
19. the need to conduct trial runs, and to check that the machine is set up and producing the components correctly
20. problems that can occur with setting-up the workholding devices, tooling and machine operating parameters, and what to do if they occur
21. the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve

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1. Carry out all of the following during the setting up activities:
   1. obtain and use the appropriate documentation
   2. 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
   3. follow safe practice/approved setting up procedures at all times
   4. ensure that correctly adjusted machine guards are in place
   5. check that cutting tools are in a suitable condition
   6. hold components securely without distortion
   7. leave the work area and machine in a safe and appropriate condition on completion of the activities
2. Select, mount and secure the workpiece using two of the following workholding devices:
   1. hand chucks
   2. collet chucks
   3. power chucks
   4. mandrels/arbors
   5. jigs/fixtures
   6. machine vices
   7. clamping direct to machine table
   8. ancillary devices (such as centres, vee blocks, pots, angle plates, face plates, indexing/rotary device)
3. Use two of the following groups of tooling:
   1. turning tools
   2. milling cutters
   3. forming tools
   4. drilling bits
   5. grinding wheels
   6. other special-purpose tooling
4. Set up special-purpose operating control systems, to include four of the following devices:
   1. cams and mechanical actuators
   2. electro-mechanical actuators
   3. air feed mechanisms
   4. pneumatic actuators
   5. feed fingers
   6. magazine component loading
   7. hydraulic actuators
   8. gravity feed mechanisms
5. Set up the machine in accordance with instructions and specifications, to include all of the following as appropriate to the machine:
   1. setting stops
   2. setting spindle speeds
   3. setting linear feed rate
   4. selecting cutting fluid
   5. position of workpiece in work holding device
   6. selecting and setting appropriate cams
   7. component feed and stop mechanisms
   8. setting trip dogs and limit switches
   9. position of tooling relation to workpiece
   10. machine guards/safety mechanisms
6. Machine components made of one type of material from the following:
   1. ferrous
   2. non-ferrous
   3. non-metallic
7. Set the machine to produce components within all of the following:
   1. all operations are carried out to the specification
   2. speed and feed settings are suitable for operations performed
   3. dimensional accuracy is within the specification requirements

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3

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31 Mar 2028

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Current

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Original

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Enginuity

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SEMMME3058

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Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Engineering Technicians

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3113

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Engineering; manufacturing; mechanical; setting; special-purpose machines; parameters; mounting devices; selecting; tools; cutters; operating control system; workholding devices

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