The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to evaluate CIM systems for safety, economy and fitness for purpose. This includes working individually and as part of a team in accordance with organisational procedures.

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

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently:

evaluate compliance with WHS, regulatory requirements and risk management with particular emphasis on automation safety

investigate sustainability implications of CIM systems

review features and functions of CIM systems

identify CIM principles and techniques, analysis, software and software validation techniques

evaluate parameters of manufacturing operations and the features and suitability of CIM components and systems

report and document results.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit may be assessed on the job, off the job or a combination of both on and off the job. Where assessment occurs off the job, then a simulated working environment must be used where the range of conditions reflects realistic workplace situations.

The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

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.

Method of assessment

Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package.

Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of underpinning knowledge.

Assessment methods must be by direct observation of tasks and include questioning on underpinning knowledge to ensure correct interpretation and application.

Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process.

Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is not only able to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances.

Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency where required.

Guidance information for assessment

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

Required skills

Required knowledge includes:

relating manufacturing context and requirements to existing or planned CIM applications and continuous improvement requirements

identifying WHS, regulatory requirements and risk management compliance

evaluating CIM systems against automation safety requirements

investigating sustainability implications of CIM systems

evaluating features and functions of existing or planned CIM systems against:

components

processes and data flow

controller functions

signal and power interfacing

communications protocols

standards and network topologies

HMIs and software

automation safety

compliance with WHS and regulatory requirements

applying CIM related software analysis, and software validation techniques

reporting and documenting results of scoping, principles and techniques identification and evaluation of systems, layouts, programs and flow charts

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

types of manufacturing operations, their features and parameters and potential for CIM applications, for example:

continuous, mass, batch and jobbing

prototype manufacture

cellular manufacturing

jobbing

just-in-time (JIT) and other lean manufacturing systems and techniques

maintenance systems and techniques (e.g. condition monitoring)

compliance requirements of WHS and regulatory requirements, codes of practice, standards, and risk assessment for CIM systems with particular emphasis on automation safety

sustainability implications of CIM systems

CIM hardware

CIM principles and techniques required to evaluate systems and select and optimise components

current options and trends in performance analysis and programming software, including underpinning program techniques and algorithms

LAN and WAN network communications in CIM applications

documentation, drawings, specifications, instructions required, process information and programming

interdependencies and communications linkages between team members, support functional groups, and licensed technical and professional support

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. 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) may also be included.

CIM

CIM uses mechatronic and manufacturing technologies integrated across an enterprise by the communication of data to control plant and operations, plan production, marketing, maintenance and feedback to the business planning process

Standards and codes

Standards and codes refer to all relevant Australian and international standards and codes applicable to CIM applications and systems

Automation safety

Automation safety refers to the reliance on emergency stop, failsafe design, redundancy, system interlocks and data integrity. Standards apply to general plant design and use as well as the ‘functional safety of safety-related electrical, electronic and programmable electronic control systems’

Appropriate technical and professional assistance

Appropriate technical and professional assistance may include:

technical support and advice relating to elements which have intrinsic dangers, such as:

high pressure

energised fluid vessels

high temperatures and heat energy capacity

wiring with high current control voltages above extra low voltage

professional support for technologies, such as:

specialist electric motor drives and controllers

specialist materials, plastics, metal alloys and nano materials

special processes, foundry, alloy welding, heat treatment, sealing and fastening

WHS, regulatory requirements and enterprise procedures

WHS, regulatory requirements and enterprise procedures may include:

WHS Acts and regulations

relevant standards

codes of practice from Australian and overseas engineering and technical associations and societies

risk assessments

registration requirements

safe work practices

state and territory regulatory requirements

CIM hardware

Hardware options for CIM systems may include:

robots

pick and place, materials handling, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and transfer devices

fluid power components

pumping and wash equipment

boilers, heating and drying equipment

pasteurising, chilling and refrigeration equipment

welding equipment

moulding, casting and forging equipment

pressing, forming, drawing and cropping equipment

surface finishing, plating and painting

packaging equipment

mechanical linkages and support structures

pressure, temperature, proximity sensor/transducers, relative and absolute encoders, vision systems and smart cameras

controllers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and remote telemetry units (RTUs)

HMIs (e.g. touch screens)

power interfaces and signal processors for digital and analog control

stepper motors

servo motors, torque, speed and position control

special purpose equipment (e.g. package labelling equipment, logistics and warehousing requirements)

wired and wireless networking systems

Data and communications protocols and standards

Data and communications protocols and standards include the set of standardised rules for data and signal syntax, checking and error detection. Hardware and software generate data in accordance with a protocol that allows generators and receivers to understand or translate the data as information, control signals integrity and error checks. These may include the following or their current updates:

layered communications and networking protocols

Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI Model) – 7 layers

TCP/IP Internet Protocol Suite {Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP)} – 4 or 5 layers

IEEE 802 LAN/MAN group of standards, including IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard, IEEE 802.11 Wireless networking standard

Interface standards, such as: RS232 and RS485, Fieldbus, Modbus and DNP3.0

Network topology

Network topology refers to the arrangement of connected hardware. These include:

bus, ring, star, tree, mesh and in-line (2 way comms.) arrangements

wired and wireless options

Sustainability

Sustainability is used to mean the entire sustainable performance of the organisation/plant, including:

meeting all regulatory requirements

conforming to all industry covenants, protocols and best practice guides

minimising ecological and environmental footprint of process, plant and product

maximising economic benefit of process plant and product to the organisation and the community

minimising the negative WHS impact on employees, community and customer

Continuous improvement implementation

Continuous improvement implementation may relate to plant, products, processes, systems or services, including design, development, implementation or manufacture, commissioning, operation or delivery and maintenance.

Improvement processes may include techniques, such as:

balanced scorecard

current and future state mapping

measuring performance against benchmarks

process improvement, problem solving and decision making

data management, generation, recording, analysing, storing and use of software

training for improvement systems participation

technical training