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home Engineering and manufacturing
Cold forming setter technician

Cold forming setter technician

Engineering and manufacturing

Level 3 - Technical Occupation

Set-up, configure, operate and monitor complex high value machinery that enables components to be mass produced in the most economically viable way.

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Reference: OCC1355

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Average (median) salary: £32,656 per year

SOC 2020 code: 5221 Metal machining setters and setter-operators

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 5221/99 Metal machining setters and setter-operators n.e.c.
  • 3113/99 Engineering technicians n.e.c.
  • 5211/99 Sheet metal workers n.e.c.

Technical Education Products

ST1355:

Cold forming setter technician

(Level 3)

Approved for delivery

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Atlas Copco, Carlo Salvi UK, Clevedon Fasteners, Complex Cold Forming, Fixfast Ltd, Gesipa, Howmet, JCS Hi-Torque, LISI Aerospace, National Machinery, Optimas, PCC Aerostructures

Summary

This occupation is found in the manufacturing supply chain of high value and strategically critical industries including automotive, aerospace, construction, military, renewable energy and general industry.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to set-up, configure, operate and monitor complex high value machinery that enables components to be mass produced in the most economically viable way. The process includes a series of steps using uniquely designed tooling and processes such as drawing, extrusion, upsetting, heading, piercing and trimming in order to make the completed component. The setter technician will interpret complex engineering drawings and diagrams to enable them to set up the machine appropriately. They are responsible for the set up, running, maintenance and management of the machinery and process to ensure that production meets tolerances and quality standards. They would also be expected to take part in the development of new products and have a considerable involvement in quality assurance activities and process efficiency improvements. Typical products produced using this process will include bolts, nuts, screws, bushes, rivets, solid and hollow formed parts. The cold forming process is extremely efficient compared to other manufacturing processes and results in significantly less product waste being produced.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with managers or supervisors, technical or production personnel, purchasing, maintenance, quality and other operatives on the shop floor. A cold forming setter technician will typically spend most of their time working on the factory floor, with some time spent away from this environment if working on new product evaluation and feedback.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the complete set-up, operation and management of high value cold forming manufacturing equipment capable of high-volume production while meeting customer specifications and achieving consistently high tolerances and quality and environmental standards. They will also autonomously carry out a range of maintenance, quality assurance, process monitoring and adjustments, to ensure the machinery is operating at required efficiency and accuracy levels. A cold forming setter technician will work as part of a wider manufacturing team, however they will usually work autonomously and will exercise considerable responsibility and judgement on machine operation with a high-level of personal decision making and influence on the process. Depending on the size of the organisation, a cold forming machine setter technician would typically report to the production manager, supervisor or engineer. They will have an understanding of secondary operation processes such as thread rolling, pointing, fillet radius rolling as well as follow-on processes such as cleaning, heat treatment and coating. They need to work safely at all times taking into consideration the equipment being used and the working environment.

 

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Atlas Copco, Carlo Salvi UK, Clevedon Fasteners, Complex Cold Forming, Fixfast Ltd, Gesipa, Howmet, JCS Hi-Torque, LISI Aerospace, National Machinery, Optimas, PCC Aerostructures

Typical job titles include:

Cold forming machine operator
Cold forming machine setter
Cold forming setter technician
Heading operator
Heading setter

Keywords:

Cold Forming
Cold Forming Setter Technician
Industries
Machinery
Setter Technician

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Principles of reading and interpreting engineering drawings and documentation.
K2: Part numbers for tooling and wire.
K3: Types of cold forming machinery. The differences between machines and the mechanisms that they use.
K4: Wire: loading, setting the drawer and feeding into the machine
K5: Tooling: visual inspection, assembly and securing.
K6: Principles of setting-up a cold forming machine.
K7: Principles of high-volume metal cold forming techniques in a continuous production environment to build and form the progressions to achieve final shape.
K8: Gauges and measurement systems used in cold forming.
K9: How to complete visual inspection of the parts as they are made and how to recognise defects and tooling wear.
K10: Tooling failure mechanisms. How tools fail and the impact that the set-up of the machine has on tooling failure.
K11: Documentation: methods and requirements – electronic and paper.
K12: Process monitoring equipment: what the process monitor does and why it is required. How it is used to check machine set-up and to monitor variation in the process.
K13: Statistical Process Control (SPC) data input and how to interpret SPC charts.
K14: Team working principles.
K15: Problem solving techniques for root cause analysis: 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram, PDCA (Plan Do Check Act), Pareto Chart, Change Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis, FMEA (Failure Mode Effects Analysis), DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control).
K16: Principles of properties of materials. Metallurgical properties of metals: mild steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, titanium, copper, brass and aluminium. Effect on materials during the forming process.
K17: Principles of steel and wire manufacturing processes.
K18: Principles of tooling materials and manufacturing processes.
K19: Machine mechanisms, lubrication, air and drive systems.
K20: Awareness of health and safety regulations, relevance to the occupation and the technician’s responsibilities: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), electrical safety and compliance, emergency evacuation procedures, Health and Safety at Work Act – responsibilities, isolation and emergency stop procedures, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER), manual handling, near miss reporting, noise regulations, Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), safe systems of work, safety equipment: guards, signage, fire extinguishers, situational awareness, slips, trips and falls, types of hazards, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), working at height, working in confined spaces.
K21: Verbal communication techniques. Giving and receiving information. Matching style to audience. Barriers in communication and how to overcome them. Engineering terminology.
K22: Non-verbal communication techniques: gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, body language.
K23: Continuous improvement techniques: lean, 6-sigma, KAIZEN, 5S (sort, set shine, standardise and sustain), SMED (Single minute exchange of dies).
K24: Equality Act. Equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Unconscious bias.
K25: Maintenance practices and techniques: planned, preventative, predictive and reactive methods and their frequency.
K26: Stock requirements. Control systems. Stock rotation. Stock considerations: availability, stock lead times, stock value, faulty stock, salvageability of parts removed.
K27: Standard operating procedures (SOP). What they are and why they are important. What they need to cover and why. Visuals and symbols used in SOP.
K28: Escalation procedures.
K29: Manufacturers’ guidelines: what they are and how to use them. Warranties: what they are and the impact on engineering work.
K30: Quality management standards. Quality assurance principles and practice. Record keeping.
K31: The cold forming industry. Types of organisations. Types of products. Supply chain. Customers. Customer requirements. Impact on product demand.
K32: Planning, prioritising, work scheduling, workflow and time management techniques. Work management systems. Work categorisation systems.
K33: Business operation considerations: efficiency, customer satisfaction, competitiveness, minimising risks to operation and ethical issues.
K34: Principles of sustainability and circular economy. Energy efficiency and reuse of materials. Recycling procedures. Principles of control and management of emissions and waste. Efficient use of resources.
K35: Continued professional development: planning and accessing development opportunities.
K36: Principles and requirements of restoring the work area.
K37: Principles of hazard identification and risk assessment.
K38: Principles of recognising variation in the process when conducting dimensional and visual inspection and making adjustments to the process to maintain control.

S1: Read and interpret information. For example, text, data, engineering drawings, job card, work instructions, risk assessments, method statements, operation manuals, permits to work, instructions.
S2: Load, set and feed wire onto the cold forming machine.
S3: Select, inspect, assemble, fit and clamp tooling components.
S4: Build progressions across multiple stations incorporating processes such as forward and backward extrusion, upsetting, heading, trimming and piercing.
S5: Use gauges and measuring equipment.
S6: Input and assess charts using Statistical Process Control (SPC).
S7: Make adjustments to the process to maintain control.
S8: Assess condition of components and equipment. Identify action required such as monitoring tooling for wear during process and make changes.
S9: Troubleshoot machine running issues and take corrective action. Escalate issues.
S10: Communication with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
S11: Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work in compliance with regulations and standards.
S12: Use process monitoring equipment.
S13: Create, maintain and enhance productive working relationships.
S14: Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
S15: Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
S16: Apply team working principles.
S17: Record or enter information – paper based or electronic. For example, energy usage, job sheets, risk assessments, equipment service records, test results, handover documents and manufacturers’ documentation, asset management records, work sheets, checklists, dimensional records, waste environmental records and any legal reporting requirements.
S18: Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards. for example, segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
S19: Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
S20: Apply problem solving techniques.
S21: Identify and document hazards and risks in the workplace.
S22: Restore the work area on completion of the activity.
S23: Apply maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure and sensors and grease and lubricate.
S24: Obtain and check stock and supplies. Complete returns.
S25: Apply standard operating procedures (SOP).
S26: Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
S27: Plan work.
S28: Apply quality assurance principles and practices

B1: Take responsibility for completing work.
B2: Act professionally.
B3: Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in their own area of practice.
B4: Respond and adapt to work demands and situations.
B5: Take account of diversity and inclusion requirements.
B6: Has a focus on quality and promotes improvement.
B7: Take personal responsibility for and promote health and safety.
B8: Considers the environment and sustainability.

Duties

Duty D1

Interpret complex engineering drawings and specifications to determine requirements.

Duty D2

Schedule and complete routine and preventative maintenance checks and activities, such as lubrication systems, mechanical mechanisms and pneumatic systems.

Duty D3

Assist in diagnosing machine issues and variations to determine and complete reactive maintenance.

Duty D4

Set up, adjust and operate the heading machine to run efficiently, producing parts within drawing tolerances. Make autonomous decisions to correct any abnormal conditions to produce precise progressions.

Duty D5

Configure process monitoring equipment to enable accurate feedback of process stability. Interpret the results and interrogate set-up of machine making micro adjustments and tool changes to improve process control.

Duty D6

Complete dimensional and visual inspections, including first off and last off inspections. Utilise gauges and measuring devices and record the results. Evaluate both statistical and visual results and make decisions on what action is required to correct any abnormalities or dimensional trends.

Duty D7

Troubleshoot and correct abnormal production running issues, evaluating tooling and machine set-up to establish root cause. Make decisions when to change tooling and adjust machine positions, returning the process to normal operating conditions to maintain product quality.

Duty D8

Identify, record and process non-conforming products using recognised problem-solving techniques in line with organisational procedures.

Duty D9

Clean the work area to reduce risk of contamination, and return materials and equipment in line with organisational procedures.

Duty D10

Identify and complete continuous improvement activities and report any anomalies outside of own remit to relevant stakeholders. Identify and complete professional development opportunities.

Duty D11

Work to required environmental and quality standards to reduce waste and maintain process quality and address or raise concerns where appropriate.

Duty D12

Complete documentation such as quality documentation, handover logs, maintenance sheets, daily production logs and process checks in line with organisational procedures.

Duty D13

Make technical contributions and recommendations for products and processes. Provide feedback and evaluation of tooling and optimum machine settings.

Duty D14

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, technical support staff and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that customer and business requirements are met.