This unit of competency requires application of skills and knowledge relating to the application of chemical conversion coatings to aluminium alloy surfaces of fixed and rotary wing aircraft and aircraft components with aluminium alloy surfaces during the performance of scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. Work may be performed individually or as part of a team.

No licensing requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication, but requirements for compliance with legislation and regulations for the handling and disposal of hazardous materials is included in the unit.

The unit is used in workplaces that operate under the airworthiness regulatory systems of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria under the specified conditions of assessment, and must include:

applying WHS procedures relating to pre-treatment of aluminium alloy substrates, including the selection and correct use of PPE

applying masking

preparing for chemical conversion coating

water break testing

applying specified pre-treatment process

water break re-testing

using MSDS

selecting and using applicable chemical conversion coating

correctly disposing of waste materials

cleaning and maintenance of equipment and tools.

The underlying skills inherent in this unit should be transferable across a range of pre-treatment tasks associated with aircraft and aircraft component aluminium alloy surfaces. It is essential that applicable processes, cleanliness requirements and safety precautions, including the correct use of PPE, and application of environmental protection procedures are fully observed, understood and complied with. Ability to interpret pre-treatment procedures and apply them in practice is critical.

This is to be demonstrated through application of conversion coatings to aluminium alloy surfaces across a range of aircraft and component tasks.

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

relevant enterprise procedures and/or process specifications

WHS procedures relating to aluminium alloy pre-treatment processes, including PPE

how to obtain MSDS

types of masking and barrier materials

types of pre-treatment processes

environmental legislation and regulations relating to the storage, use and disposal of hazardous materials.

Competency should be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace using materials, tools and equipment specified in the maintenance manuals and applicable procedures. It is also expected that general and special-purpose tools and ground support equipment would be used where appropriate.

The work plan should take account of applicable safety and quality requirements in accordance with the industry and regulatory standards.

The following conditions of assessment represent the requirements of the Regulators (ADF and CASA) and maintenance stakeholders and must be rigorously observed.

A person cannot be assessed as competent until it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the workplace assessor that the relevant elements and performance criteria of the unit of competency are being achieved under routine supervision on a representative range of pre-treatment tasks performed at the enterprise.

This shall be established via the records in the Log of Industrial Experience and Achievement or, where appropriate, an equivalent Industry Evidence Guide (for details refer to the Companion Volume Assessment Guidelines).

Assessors must satisfy the requirements of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Australian Skills Quality Authority, or its successors).

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Aviation maintenance