Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to set up, operate and shut down an automated palletising process using complex equipment, including an automated pallet wrapper.
The unit applies to individuals who work under broad direction in a packaging and/or palletising environment and are responsible for operating and monitoring a carton palletising process, including safety compliance, production changeovers, consumables, cleaning and solving problems that arise with the process. Operators are responsible for solving problems that arise with machines and reporting unresolved problems to technical specialists.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, according to state/territory health and safety and food safety regulations, legislation and standards that apply to the workplace.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements | Performance Criteria |
1. Prepare for palletising | 1.1 Check work order to determine the pallet type, layer format and any other required information 1.2 Select, fit correctly and use required personal protective equipment 1.3 Check machinery maintenance charts and rectify or report any items that require maintenance 1.4 Check and set machine format to meet the palletising requirements specified in work order 1.5 Check all machine safety equipment is operational 1.6 Confirm pallet reference applicator is operational 1.7 Confirm serviceability of conveyors, and reset all product counters and glue application device 1.8 Confirm pallets and other packaging consumables required for the run |
2. Palletise cartons | 2.1 Carry out test run and adjust as required to meet palletising specifications, including carton orientation, stacking and stretch wrap tension 2.2 Ensure supply of consumables for palletising process 2.3 Carry out quality checks on sample pallets and complete records according to workplace requirements 2.4 Apply problem-solving principles and techniques to identify and rectify machine faults according to workplace procedures 2.5 Restack pallets and clean up spillages according to safety procedures 2.6 Monitor palletising process to ensure process efficiency and quality specifications are met, including correct pallet identification labels 2.7 Report major process problems and products that do not meet specifications 2.8 Handover palletising process to another team member when required |
3. Change over palletising run | 3.1 Prepare equipment and consumables for upcoming changeover 3.2 Check and record product counters to ensure an accurate changeover 3.3 Apply isolation measures according to workplace requirements 3.4 Empty machine of product and complete required changeover, and confirm parts, sensors, rails and stoppers have been adjusted and set 3.5 Remove and store unused consumables and equipment parts not required after changeover 3.6 Conduct test run and make adjustments as required |
4. Shut down palletising process | 4.1 Empty machinery and equipment of product 4.2 Shut down machinery and equipment according to workplace procedures 4.3 Remove and store unused materials 4.4 Complete carton palletising records and reports 4.5 Clean and maintain palletising equipment 4.6 Dispose of waste according to workplace and environmental procedures 4.7 Report issues requiring maintenance by technicians |
Evidence of Performance
An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.
There must be evidence that the individual has independently set up, operated, and shut down two complete palletising processes for different work orders, using automatic palletising machines, including a pallet wrapper. One process must palletise 12-pack cartons and the other 6-pack cartons, that are configured differently.
Each process must complete at least 20
For each of the palletising work orders, the individual must have safely and efficiently performed the following:
confirmed the product and palletising requirements and set up all the equipment and machinery, including individual pallet configuration requirements
operated, monitored and shut down the palletising process, equipment and machinery
correctly labelled each pallet for end users to track the date and location of production
used sample checks to identify quality issues
identified, rectified and/or reported machinery faults, including:
blockages caused by damaged pallets
cartons not correctly orientated
pallets not stopping in the correct position
carriage or pusher not making the end position
excessive stretch wrap and slip sheet breakage causing sensor faults
machinery settings resulting in incorrect palletising
accurately and effectively handed over a palletising process to another team member
accurately completed workplace production records
communicated effectively with a supervisor and at least one of the following:
maintenance team member
laboratory or quality assurance team member
bottling and packaging team member
logistics team member.
Evidence of Knowledge
An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:
product knowledge related to the containers to be palletised as stipulated in the performance evidence, including:
size, weight and volume
client or receiver requirements or specifications
regulatory requirements
operating principles of machinery and equipment, including:
conveyor fed automatic palletising machine
automated stretch wrapper
pallet tag applicators
carton orientation devices
features and functions of machinery and equipment, including:
manufacturer and workplace instructions for safe operation
control panel and ancillary devices
operating capacities, efficiencies and applications
location and purpose of guards, rails and sensors
feedback instrumentation
services required and action to take if services are not available
cleaning requirements
machinery and equipment checks, including:
pre-start checks, including emergency stop checks
lock-out and tag-out procedures, including return to service after isolation
consumables including slip sheets, interlayers, hot melt glue and stretch film
the interrelationships between bottling, carton packing, palletising and end of line dispatch processes
product and process changeover procedures and responsibilities
quality control requirements, processes and actions, including:
palletising order specifications
pallets for domestic and export use
methods used to check quality
common causes of palletising quality and corrective action required, including removal of out-of-specification pallets
planned sampling and testing associated with palletising process monitoring and control
responding to machinery alerts and notifications
recording of results
isolating non-conforming pallets
product identification and traceability requirements, including:
workplace requirements
client or receiver requirements or specifications
pallet identification/tagging requirements
health and safety hazards and controls, including awareness of the limitations of protective clothing and equipment relevant to the work process
procedures and responsibility for reporting production and performance information
environmental issues and controls relevant to the palletising process, including:
rework and reuse of products
waste processing
materials and manual handling procedures related to the palletising process.
Assessment Conditions
Assessment of the skills in this unit of competency must take place under the following conditions:
physical conditions:
an industrial packaging and/or palletising plant
resources, equipment and materials:
automated palletising equipment, including an automated wrapper
pallets and packaging consumables, including glue, slip sheets, interlayers, pallets and stretch wrap
specifications:
two palletising work orders as stipulated in the performance evidence
workplace procedures for operating an automatic palletising process, machinery and equipment
relationships:
supervisor and others stipulated in the performance evidence
timeframes:
as stipulated in the performance evidence.
Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.
Foundation Skills
Skill | Description |
Reading | Interpret technical text and symbols in machinery operations manuals |
Writing | Complete maintenance reports using correct terminology |
Oral communication | Use open and closed questions to obtain and confirm information from team members |
Sectors
Bottle and Packaging (BPG)