Application of this unit

This competency applies to operators who are required to people who develop new products to meet a specified end use. This will involve working closely with a range of management and operations personnel and requires balancing the business and technical sides of the new product. This unit of competency applies to the technical expert.

Critical aspects for success include:

ensuring the technical performance meets the customer's needs

making sure the market needs of cost, timeliness and quality are appropriately balanced

designing a product and process which can be efficiently made by the company

liaising with the required people to ensure tooling design and manufacture and equipment modification is correct

optimising the process for the new product at the completion of the development phase.

Prerequisites

This unit of competency has the prerequisites of:

PMBTECH502B Review and analyse production trials and specify retrials

PMBTECH505B Choose polymer materials for an application

MEM15.1B Perform basic statistical quality control

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

Knowledge and understanding of the materials, equipment and process sufficient to choose an appropriate combination of materials and process to achieve the end use function of the product.

Knowledge of organization procedures and relevant regulatory requirements along with the ability to implement them within appropriate time constraints and work standards.

Knowledge as a basis for solving processing and material problems including:

polymer type and grade for a range of applications

additives (including reinforcing) and grade for a range of applications

appropriate process for a range of product/market applications

material and product testing procedures

the impact of the polymerisation process on the polymer process

appropriate polymer type and grade for typical applications

appropriate additives and grades for a range of applications

effects of processes and processing on the final properties of the product

miscibility and solubility effects and phase separation/single phase processing

mathematically determine

volume fractions in a formula

product cost estimates

laboratory test results

field test results

market analysis data

trialing data.

Language, literacy and numeracy requirements

This unit requires high levels of numeracy and literacy with the ability to write and interpret technical specifications and reports. Advanced numeracy allowing the calculation and interpretation of statistics, product formulae and process conditions is also.

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

The critical aspect for this unit of competency is the ability to apply a thorough understanding of polymer materials, their additives and the rheological, heat and other effects of processing to a new situation and use this understanding to predict likely solutions to the new product design specification challenge. This understanding of material and process interactions should also be able to be applied in interpreting data and making adjustments to materials and process to achieve the desired outcomes.

Assessment method and context

Assessment will occur using industrial products, situations and equipment using industrial polymers and will be undertaken in a work-like environment.

Competence in this unit may be assessed:

using appropriate, industrial product, situations and polymers

in a situation allowing for the generation of evidence of the ability to recognise, anticipate and respond to problems

by using a suitable simulation and/or a range of case studies/scenarios

through a combination of these techniques.

The development must be of a product which is new to the organisation and not just a modification of an existing product. It is possible that a major redesign of an existing product may encompass all the aspects of a new product design to an appropriate breadth and depth. Where the only available product design projects are the major re-design of an existing project, normally several such projects will be required to match the breadth and depth of skills which can be demonstrated by the development of a totally new product

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 practical/simulation 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 studies/scenarios 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 and/or assessment support when required. Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities.

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.

Context

This competency unit is for the design of a new product 'from scratch'. It assumes an understanding of the operation of all relevant equipment and processes but does not necessarily require them to be used personally.

This competency applies to all work environments and sectors within the plastics, rubber and cablemaking industry. The competency assumes a working knowledge of all main processes and materials so that an informed choice can be made between them.

This unit requires an understanding of all standard processes, major polymer types and common additives.

Procedures

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. These may include

OHS

food grade requirements

environmental regulations

PACIA packaging covenant

structural codes.

Tools and equipment

This competency requires an understanding of the use of all standard processing equipment, It includes use of equipment and tools for:

design of dies, such as are used in extrusion, injection moulding and blow moulding

design of mould,s such as are used in rotational moulding and composites

understanding

relevant personal protection.

Appropriate factors

Appropriate factors include:

type of material

dimensional precision of product

length of run/number of products

required aesthetics

size and complexity of product

available capital funding

process equipment available.

Problems

Typical process and product problems may include:

defining product end use requirements in terms meaningful to the product design and manufacture

matching suitable materials and processes to the product needs and company expertise and facilities

matching (and improving) process capability to product tolerances.

Not applicable.

This unit contains employability skills.

Not applicable.