Application
This unit of competency defines the skills and knowledge required to make low pressure moulds for composites for routine or one-off production.
This unit does not cover the making of the moulds which require specialist patternmaking or metal fabrication trade skills. See the relevant metals and engineering units of competency for these situations.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Band: A
Unit Weight: 3
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Determine product requirements | 1.1 | Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) |
1.2 | Comply with work health and safety (WHS) requirements at all times | ||
1.3 | Select and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with SOPs | ||
1.4 | Identify product requirements from specifications, job sheets or work instructions and customer requests | ||
2 | Interpret product requirements | 2.1 | Determine features of mould including relief, parting lines and efficient lay-up |
2.2 | Identify or develop procedure to make mould | ||
2.3 | Select tooling and materials required to make mould | ||
2.4 | Liaise with plug maker in relation to suitable plug | ||
2.5 | Set up equipment/workplace | ||
3 | Prepare materials | 3.1 | Calculate surface area and required resin volume |
3.2 | Develop cutting list for solid materials | ||
3.3 | Mark out and cut out sheet materials, as required | ||
3.4 | Calculate resin content | ||
3.5 | Develop batch scale formulae for resin system | ||
3.6 | Prepare any non-composite materials to be used | ||
3.7 | Measure resin components and minimise wastes, as appropriate | ||
4 | Make mould | 4.1 | Identify and control hazards |
4.2 | Check suitability of plug, including release angles and parting lines | ||
4.3 | Prepare plug, including cleaning, repairing surface blemishes and applying release systems | ||
4.4 | Mix resin system | ||
4.5 | Fabricate mould and release mould from plug | ||
4.6 | Detail mould, including buffing, filling and getting ready for production | ||
4.7 | Identify routine and non-routine faults and take appropriate remedial action | ||
4.8 | Recognise typical process and product problem/potential problem and take appropriate action | ||
4.9 | Perform final verification to meet product requirements | ||
5 | Clean up and maintain equipment and anticipate common problems | 5.1 | Label and store mould for future use |
5.2 | Clean and replace tools ready for next use | ||
5.3 | Undertake any required minor maintenance of tools/equipment | ||
5.4 | Complete required logs and reports according to SOPs | ||
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy) that are essential to workplace performance in this unit of competency.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. | |
Routine faults include one (1) or more of the following: | gel coat sag slow curing rates blistering wrinkles pinholes brush marks poor surface finish |
Non-routine faults include one (1) or more of the following: | release agents failure mould release failure warping or cracking after moulding |
Typical process and product problems include one (1) or more of the following: | structural strength, rigidity and stability of the tooling dimensional accuracy of the tooling allowances in the design for shrinkage, deformations and alterations in the process from tooling to mould to finished composite product placement of flanges, closures, fitments, supports, struts and stiffeners variations in materials and/or contamination of materials |
Competency Field
Composites