The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to evaluate plant, facilities, services and processes against defined process performance parameters. This includes working individually and as part of a team in accordance with organisational procedures.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently:

determine features and functions of manufacturing processes, including manufacturing principles and techniques used and relevant internal and external context of manufacturing processes

identify relevant lean systems and techniques and apply in evaluation of manufacturing processes

evaluate WHS, regulatory, automation safety and risk management compliance

investigate sustainability implications of manufacturing processes

evaluate software, facilities, services, plant and equipment tooling, process layout, automation and process control

identify appropriateness of materials and product flow and transfer operations, buffer and emergency stocks, warehousing, stores and compatibility of maintenance management system

report and document results.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit may be assessed on the job, off the job or a combination of both on and off the job. Where assessment occurs off the job, then a simulated working environment must be used where the range of conditions reflects realistic workplace situations.

The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required. Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities.

Method of assessment

Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package.

Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of underpinning knowledge.

Assessment methods must be by direct observation of tasks and include questioning on underpinning knowledge to ensure correct interpretation and application.

Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process.

Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is not only able to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances.

Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency where required.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Required skills

Required skills include:

identifying parameters and context of manufacturing processes

investigating sustainability implications of manufacturing processes

identifying appropriate manufacturing processes and analysis techniques and software

evaluating WHS and regulatory requirements, automation safety and risk management compliance, sustainability and standards

investigating existing or planned software against manufacturing technical and efficiency requirements

applying lean systems and techniques to evaluate:

facilities and services

plant and tooling

process layout

automation and process control

materials and product flow

buffer and emergency stocks

stores and warehousing

transport and logistics

maintenance management system

labour and skill requirements

reporting and documenting results of scoping, principles and techniques identification and evaluation of systems, layouts, programs and flow charts

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

important features of products and processing options with regard to:

maketing options and advantages

economic, social and sustainability implications of products and processes

WHS and other regulatory requirements

plant, facilities, services and process layout

range of common modern manufacturing technical and work organisation processes, including:

volume production using transfer lines

cellular manufacturing

jobbing

metal shaping processes, such as casting, forging and machining

metal assembly, fabricating and joining

plastic and rubber product manufacturing, including various types of moulding and assembly

surface finishing based processes (e.g. electroplating)

process transfers and materials handling

packaging

warehousing, stores, and provision for logistics and transport

labour and skills distribution requirements of plant and processes

asset maintainability and reliability concepts and processes

process automation and control options

techniques for process improvement, including:

material and product flow measurement and improvement

feedback on product manufacturability for possible product modification

feedback from maintenance and life cycle costs for plant

quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC) and statistical process control (SPC) feedback

customer feedback on cost, quality, delivery and reliability

maintenance management systems and compatability with manufacturing processes

information flows and software options for process measurement and control

budgeting and costing processes

WHS, risk management, safe work methods statements (SWMS), work permits, material safety data sheets (MSDS), codes of practice, regulations, standards and regulatory requirements

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Defined parameters

Defined parameters may include

target cost

target outgoing quality levels and warranty costs

production rates

stock levels and availability to customer order

productivity

working capital

plant utilisation

Context of manufacturing processes

The context of manufacturing operations includes:

customer requirements

market considerations

product and process sustainability

lean systems

product manufacturability

system maintainability

facilities, services, plant and tooling requirements

supply chains

material and product flow

transfer operations

process control

labour requirements and skills distribution

information flow

systems thinking

continuous improvement and constraint and contingency management

WHS and regulatory requirements and risk management

Automation safety

Automation safety refers to the reliance on emergency stop, failsafe design, redundancy, interlocks and data integrity. Standards apply to general plant design and use as well as the functional safety of safety-related electrical, electronic and programmable electronic control systems

Appropriate technical and professional assistance

Appropriate technical and professional assistance may include:

technical support and advice relating to elements which have intrinsic dangers, such as:

high pressure

energised fluid vessels

high temperatures and heat energy capacity

wiring with high current control voltages above extra low voltage

professional support for technologies, such as:

specialist electric motor drives and controllers

specialist materials, plastics, metal alloys and nano materials

special processes, foundry, alloy welding, heat treatment, sealing and fastening

WHS, regulatory requirements, codes of practice and enterprise procedures

WHS, regulatory requirements and enterprise procedures may include:

WHS Acts and regulations

relevant standards

codes of practice from Australian and overseas engineering and technical associations and societies

risk assessments

registration requirements

safe work practices

state and territory regulatory requirements applying to electrical work

Standards and codes

Standards and codes refer to all relevant Australian and international standards and codes applicable to a particular manufacturing process

Sustainability

Sustainability is used to mean the entire sustainable performance of the organisation/plant including:

meeting all regulatory requirements

conforming to all industry covenants, protocols and best practice guides

minimising ecological and environmental footprint of process, plant and product

maximising economic benefit of process plant and product to the organisation and the community

minimising the negative WHS impact on employees, community and customer

Continuous improvement implementation

Continuous improvement of manufacturing processes may result in changes to plant, facilities, services, layout, materials flows, handling and logistics. It may include techniques, such as:

balanced scorecard

current and future state mapping

measuring performance against benchmarks

process improvement, problem solving and decision making

data management, generation, recording, analysing, storing and use of software

training for improvement systems participation

technical training

systems thinking

constraints and contingency management

Lean systems and techniques

Lean systems and techniques used in evaluations can vary according the type of production and product and may include:

performance indicators based on customer value

continuous improvement, including kaizen

just-in-time (JIT) and kanban

pull system for production and services

elimination and/or limitation of waste, where waste is defined as effort and resources not contributing to customer value

mistake proofing

standardisation of work

quick changeover

planning benchmarks and techniques:

cycle time

takt time

pack out

pitch

line balancing

overall equipment effectiveness (availability x performance efficiency x quality rate)

problem solving and decision making tools:

total quality management (TQM) tools

root cause analysis (RCA)

failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)

design review based on failure mode (DRBFM)

constraints and contingencies management

total productive maintenance

value stream analysis

visual factory techniques

Automation

Automation options range from manual operations with manual information generation, handling, analysis and storage to islands of automation supported by manual interfaces with some electronic information processing to systems with major automation and networked data handling

Information flow requirements

Information flow may include:

SPC and QA data

production planning and maintenance systems information

visual information feedback to stakeholders

Information processing may include:

software and networks for automated data handling, analysis, display and storage