Forming strip spring components using power presses
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to prepare, set up and use single and multi-action power presses and associated equipment, in accordance with approved procedures. This involves selecting the appropriate press tools, 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 set up and align all associated equipment, which will include material positioning mechanisms, workpiece ejection mechanisms, and all machine safety devices and guards.
You will need to set up the machine operating parameters to produce the workpiece to the required specification. You must produce trial pressings and prove that 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 power press activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the power press, press tools, equipment or setting-up activities 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 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 power press procedures used. You will understand the power press used, and its application, and will know about the workholding devices, press 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 that the spring components produced are to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with power operated presses and their associated tools and equipment, and the safeguards necessary for undertaking the activities safely and correctly. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand your responsibility for taking the necessary safeguards to protect 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
- confirm that the equipment is set up correctly and is ready for use
- manipulate the machine controls safely and correctly in line with operational procedures
- produce components to the required specification
- carry out quality sampling checks at suitable intervals
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- shut down the equipment to a safe condition on conclusion of the machining activities
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 relevant parts of the power press regulations, and how they apply to you and the work you are undertaking
- the specific safety precautions to be taken when working with single and multiple action power presses and press tooling
- the hazards associated with working with power presses and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
- the importance of wearing the appropriate protective clothing (PPE) and equipment and of keeping the work area clean and tidy
- checks to be carried out to ensure that the power press and associated tooling are safe and are in a fit condition to use
- the safety mechanisms on the machine, and the procedure for checking that they function correctly
- how to start and stop the power press in normal and emergency situations
- the importance of ensuring that the power press is isolated from the power supply before commencing work on setting up the various tooling and operating mechanisms
- the safe working practices and procedures required for operating press brakes and power bending machines
- the correct methods of lifting and moving press tooling, and the types of equipment used for this
- how to check that lifting equipment is within its current test dates
- how to obtain the necessary drawings, specifications and job instructions
- 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 power press operations in relation to the activities undertaken and types of spring components produced
- the various types of power press that are used, and their typical applications
- how to prepare and set up the power press and its tooling for a range of different applications
- the types of press tools that are used for the various operations, and how they are secured and set to the machine's tool holding device
- the preparations to be carried out on the materials prior to using them
- the basic characteristics of the materials with regard to the pressing operations undertaken
- the need to take care of the press tools and equipment; how to recognise faulty or damaged press tools; how bending and forming tools should be stored
- the problems that can occur with the power pressing activities, and how they can be avoided
- the organisational quality control procedures that are used, and how to recognise defects in the components that are produced
- the inspection checks to be carried out, and the tools and equipment that are used for this
- the accuracy that can be achieved by pressing, and limitations of the pressing processes
- the importance of completing all relevant documentation on conclusion of the spring making activities
- the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
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- Carry out all of the following in preparation for the power pressing/spring making activities:
- obtain and interpret correctly the documentation for the type of spring being made
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations
- check that the machine selected is appropriate for the operation being performed (such as tonnage, open height, stroke)
- check that the power press tool setters safety clutch lock, brakes, and emergency stop facilities operate correctly
- check that the press tooling is in a safe and usable condition
- ensure that the press settings are suitable for the material thickness and operations to be performed
- carry out the power press activities, following good practice/approved procedures
- ensure that correctly adjusted machine guards/safety devices are in place and operate correctly
- leave the machine and work area in a safe and clean condition on completion of the activities
- Produce components from two of the following types of material:
- mild steel
- alloy steel
- nickel based alloys
- carbon steel
- copper based alloy
- titanium and other special material
- stainless steel
- other specific material
- Prepare, set up and use one of the following types of power press:
- single action
- multiple action
- Select, prepare, mount and position press tools to the machine, to cover all of the following:
- preparing the press to receive the tooling
- positioning, aligning and securing press tools
- setting workpiece feed and ejection systems
- ensuring the correct clamping of materials
- fitting and adjusting guards, interlocks and other safety mechanisms (such as fixed guards, interlock guards, automatic guards)
- setting up press operating parameters (such as stroke, stroke speed, material feed mechanisms)
- carrying out tool tryouts of the complete cycle, using manual operation
- Set up the press to carry out five of the following operations:
- blanking
- clipping
- raising of first draw
- piercing
- notching
- forming of second draw
- cropping/shearing
- joggling
- compound operations
- bending/forming
- coiling/rolling
- progression tool
- securing/assembling
- other specific operations
- Produce pressed spring components which comply with all of the following quality and accuracy standards:
- dimensional accuracy is within the tolerances specified on the drawing/specification
- the form or sharpness of the profile conforms to best practice and/or specification, without uncontrolled deformation or cracking
- the spring components produced conform to specification without defects