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Elements and Performance Criteria

Required Skills

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Knowledge and understanding of advanced and complex dies and their interactions with the process materials and products is required

Knowledge of organization standard procedures and work instructions and relevant regulatory requirements along with the ability to implement them within appropriate time constraints and in a manner relevant to the job

Knowledge about advancedcomplex dies and their features which makes them more complex for setting than simple dies This may include knowledge of

sliding blocks or cores actuated by skew pins or cams

baffled spiral tube and heat pipe cooling systems

internally actuated unscrewing systems

external power and control sources

externally actuated sliding blocks cores and unscrewing systems

safety interlocks

Skills in the safe precise efficient and correct installation of advanced and complex dies

Competence includes the ability to apply andor explain to a level sufficient for the practical completion of the job

die setting procedures for advancedcomplex dies

verification procedures for advancedcomplex dies

Competence also includes the ability to distinguish between causes of faults such as

wrongly set die

worn or damaged die

nonoptimum process conditions

material type or quality

Language literacy and numeracy requirements

This unit requires the ability to read and interpret technical specifications and data

Evidence Required

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge the range statement and the assessment guidelines for this training package

Overview of assessment

A holistic approach should be taken to the assessment

Assessors must be satisfied that the person can consistently perform the unit as a whole as defined by the Elements Performance Criteria and skills and knowledge

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

It is essential that the procedures and the importance of critical die characteristics be understood Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to recognise potential situations requiring action and then in implementing appropriate action

Consistent performance should be demonstrated For example look to see that at least one type of advanced or complex die has been correctly set and removed and that there is evidence that other types of advanced or complex dies can also be setremoved

Assessment method and context

Assessment will occur on equipment using complex dies and will be undertaken in a worklike environment

Competence in this unit may be assessed using an appropriate industrial moulding machine

requiring demonstration of startup operation and emergency stop procedures

requiring demonstration of changing and setting procedure for an advanced or complex die

in a situation allowing the generation of evidence of the ability to recognise and resolve problems

using a suitable simulation andor a range of case studiesscenarios

through a combination of these techniques

In all cases it is expected that practical assessment will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge and theoretical assessment will be combined with appropriate practicalsimulation or similar assessment Assessors need to be aware of any cultural issues that may affect responses to questions

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

Specific resources for assessment

This section should be read in conjunction with the Range Statement for this unit of competency Resources required include suitable access to an operating plant or equipment that allows for appropriate and realistic simulation A bank of case studiesscenarios and questions will also be required to the extent that they form part of the assessment method Questioning may take place either in the workplace or in an adjacent quiet facility such as an office or lunchroom No other special resources are required

Access must be provided to appropriate learning andor assessment support when required Where applicable physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any 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.

Where reference is made to industry codes of practice and/or Australian/international standards, the latest version must be used.

This competency unit includes the setting and removal of advanced or complex dies. It does not include simple dies or moulds.

This competency applies typically to the injection moulding and blow moulding sectors. It requires an understanding of the operation of all relevant equipment and processes but does not necessarily require them to be used personally.

All operations are performed in accordance with procedures.

Procedures include all relevant workplace procedures, work instructions, temporary instructions and relevant industry and government codes and standards.

A die is a former used to give shape to the product and used under pressure. Dies are typically used in the extrusion, injection, blow moulding and general rubber sectors. Dies which are not subject to pressure are referred to as 'moulds' in this Training Package.

Advanced dies are two or three plate dies with one or more product forming components which move in a direction other than the mould open axis, and which are driven by the mould rather than external actuation. Typical features may include:

sliding blocks or cores actuated by skew pins or cams

baffled, spiral, tube, and heat pipe cooling systems

internally actuated unscrewing systems.

Complex dies are dies which:

use at least one external power and control source to actuate product forming components

move in a direction other than the mould open axis

require sequencing with the mould operation.

They include moulds which retain polymer melt within the mould between cycles.

Typical features may include:

insulated runners

externally actuated sliding blocks, cores and unscrewing systems

safety interlocks.

Setting of the machine conditions may include setting the mould height on the machine, the clamp force, the mould safety system, the ejector system, the mould opening and closing distances, speeds and forces and the injection unit.

These settings may be performed automatically, using an electronic storage device to load settings from a previous run of this product, or may be performed by manually setting controls individually.

Die and machine preparation

The die and machine preparation may include making connections such as:

Die fitting includes the placement, attachment and adjustment of dies against predetermined specifications, but does not include the modification of dies or equipment to make them fit against new specifications or to change their performance as might be done by a toolmaker or similar metals tradesperson. Repairs to dies are also not covered by this unit.

Die operations may include:

die temperature control

die component stroke

Machine operations

Machine operations may include:

machine movement speed and stroke

Ancillary equipment operations

Ancillary equipment operations may include:

hot-runner temperature control

hydraulic or pneumatic power supply for actuation of equipment such as cores or sliding blocks

mould temperature control.

Tools and equipment

This competency includes use of equipment and tools such as:

hand carts and trolleys

hoists/lifting equipment not requiring any special permits or licences

basic hand tools

relevant personal protective equipment.

Typical hazards include:

hazardous materials

manual handling hazards

Anticipate problems

'Anticipate problems' includes taking a proactive approach to a wide range of routine and non-routine problems, using product and process knowledge to develop solutions to problems which do not have a known solution/a solution recorded in the procedures, and endeavouring to learn from the problem so that it does not recur.

Typical die setting problems may include:

lack of cleaning of die surface and cooling channels, leading to corrosion

inadequate fitting of the dies to the platens, causing poor alignment or movement during production

fine adjustments of die movements, to optimise production.

All operations are performed in accordance with procedures.

Key variables, and their causes, to be monitored include:

time/effort required to set a die

number of attempts to produce a first off within specification

the need to reset/adjust a die during then production run.