Mechanical Engineering Technician- Design & Manufacturing
A competent Mechanical Engineering Technician – Design & Manufacturing is expected to:
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Apply best practice principles based on theory and experience gained throughout the work experience.
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Be able to plan and execute work in a safe and responsible manner.
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Understand the nature of a job and seek help through texts, individuals or any other method if deemed necessary.
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Be able to correctly select processes, methods and tools for a particular job.
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Communicate basic information, ideas, problems and solutions with colleagues and superiors.
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Understand the nature of engineering design and product life cycle consequences.
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Be able to compile technical reports and hand-over documentation.
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Have sound work practice of operating machine tools, testing equipment and other workshop tools.
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The candidate applying to be trade tested for the Certificate of Competence should be in possession of the majority of the following knowledge,
competencies & skills:
 Reading and interpreting complex engineering drawings, bills of materials, assembly drawings and specifications of prototypes
and components.
 Prepare templates and sketches, and determine work processes to be adopted.
 Computer dimensions and tolerances and set up machine tools.
 Position, secure, measure and work metal stock or castings.
 Operate and maintain a variety of conventional and Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine tools to cut, turn, mill,
plane, drill, bore, grind or otherwise shape work piece to prescribed dimensions and finish.
 Assemble and fit manufactured components
 Verify machined parts for conformance to specifications using precision measuring instruments such as Coordinate Measuring
Machines (CMM), vernier calipers, micrometers and other electronic measuring devices
 Final fit and inspection of subassemblies and components
 Secondary processes related to primary cutting and shaping processes such as de-burring, polishing and linishing.
 Further processing such as special coatings or surface and sub surface modifications (Hardening)
 Basic understanding / programming of Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine tools.
 General Health and Safety practices and principles. Be aware of the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) needed in each
particular situation.
 Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in manufacture of precision parts and components.
 Job time and cost planning.
 Liaising with other manufacturing entities in order to facilitate proper work flow.
 Rigorous use of common hand tools and proper bench fitting practice.
 Different types of engineering materials including: ferrous, non-ferrous, ceramics and engineering plastics.
 Typical applications of common engineering materials, special materials and their uses.
 Common bulk modification techniques such as hardening and ageing including the basic metallurgical principles governing
them.
 Other Surface modification techniques such as case hardening, nitriding, laser hardening and basic electroplating techniques.
 The Use of CAD (Computer Aided Design) software packages in 2D and 3D drafting.
 The Use of CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture) software packages.
 Basic CNC code including G-Code programming and other conversational languages.
 The key operating principles of CNC machinery.
 Determining the optimized cutting speeds for different types of operations and for different materials.
 Selecting correct tools and gathering the complementary information from technical literature.
 Principles behind different types of cutting tools and their application. This must include different cutting tool geometries and
angles.
 Basic cutting tool sharpening techniques.
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Operation of centre lathe and be able to perform the following:
 Plain and stepped features
 Tapers (Internal/ External)
 Metric and Imperial threads (Internal/ External)
 Knurled features
 Facing
 Boring
Basic parts of a centre lathe:
 Headstock
 Bed
 Feed and lead screws
 Carriage
 Cross slide
 Compound slide
 Tool post
Operation of milling machine and be able to perform the following:
 Facing
 Squaring
 Drilling
 Boring
 Slotting
Basic parts of a milling machine:
 Head
 Spindle
 Worktable
 Quill
 Knee
 Column
 Saddle
 Longitudinal and cross traverse hand-wheels
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Operation of surface grinding machine and understand its scope and usage.
Operation of a tool and cutter grinder understanding its most common usage and limitations.
Operation of different types of industrial drills such as drill presses and radial arm drills.
Different types of cutting tool holding methods, advantages and disadvantages.
Die Sinking and Wire EDM machines including fundamental operating procedures and parameters.
Different cutting oils, coolants and additives used in metal fabrication.
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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Mechanical Engineering Technician- Design & Manufacturing
1. Introduction
The following is a detailed description of the assessment criteria to be adopted by the Trade Testing Board (TTB) to reach a
final decision on the award of a Certificate of Competence.
2. Trade Test
As defined in the Standard Operating Procedure, the trade is to be made up of the following components:
1. The Written
2. The Practical
3. The Interview
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The Board has agreed on the sequence of the test and the markings allocated to each specific component as indicated below:
Component
Mark
Pass Mark
Written
100
50%
Interview
100
50%
Practical
100
50%
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The Written Component
The content of this written paper may include the following topics:
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Report writing
Mechanical engineering calculations
Health and Safety
Engineering Materials
Common manufacturing processes
Finishing processes
Engineering Drawing
CAD/CAM
Engineering Design
CNC Technology
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The Interview Component
All candidates will be called to attend an interview during which the Board will assess the proficiency and competence of the
candidate related to the field of plant engineering.
The duration of the interview will be circa 20 minutes.
The candidate will be assessed on the following criteria:
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Attitude and aptitude
Practical experience and knowledge gained through work experience
Technical questions related to design and manufacturing engineering
Comprehension of basic engineering principles related o design and manufacture
Ability to elaborate in their field of expertise.
The Board expects the candidate to answer questions with confidence in a technical manner showing knowledge of the
subject. The Board will issue a mark accordingly.
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The Practical Component
The board will select/design a mechanical component to be manufactured by the candidates sitting for the practical test. This will be
presented as an engineering drawing in order to gather whether the candidate is capable of comprehending a standard engineering drawing.
The duration of the test may vary between four (4) and six (6) hours depending on the complexity of the task.
The board expects the candidates to be familiar with the following workshop operations:
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Bench fitting
Lathe
Milling
Surface Grinding
The board members will be present throughout the duration of the test and will answer any queries which might arise. The board will award
points depending on the quality of the work, precision, completion and proper workmanship throughout the test.
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