Elements and Performance Criteria

This competency unit includes:
materials, such as -
additives
body materials
glaze pigments and stains
slip
waste

equipment, including all ancillary equipment, such as :
ball mill
blunger
bobcat
box feeder
filter press and filters
fine rolls
fork lift truck
front end loader
hammer mill
hygrometer
magnet
mortar and pestle
power consumption gauge
pug mill
rotameter
sieves and screens
spray drying tower
storage room
tanks and silos
tempering machine
thermometer
timing equipment
weighing equipment
PLCs
scrapper
penetrometers
balances
infrared
microwave

processes, such as :
batch
continuous
dry materials
wet materials.

It does NOT include:
bulk raw materials blending
forming processes.

Typical problems include:
adjustments to allow for materials variations
equipment malfunction
contamination.
All operations are performed to

OHS
All operations are subject to stringent OHS requirements and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and OHS requirements, the OHS requirements take precedence.

Assessment context and methods
Assessment for this unit of competency will be on an operating plant. The unit will be assessed in as holistic a manner as is practical and may be integrated with the assessment of other relevant units of competency. Assessment will occur over a range of situations which will include disruptions to normal, smooth operation.
Simulation or case studies/scenarios may be required to allow for timely assessment of parts of this competency unit (eg, those parts of element 3 referring to carrying out routine maintenance). Simulation should be based on the actual plant and will include 'walk-throughs' of the relevant competency components. Simulations may also include the use of case studies/scenarios and role plays.

Critical aspects

Competence must be demonstrated in the ability to recognise situations requiring action and then in implementing appropriate corrective action. Consistent performance should be demonstrated. In particular look to see that:

raw materials are correctly selected
preparation is as specified
completed products meet specifications
performance of materials is as required.
These aspects may be best assessed using a range of scenarios/case studies/what ifs as the stimulus, with a walk-through forming part of the response. The assessment activities should include responding to a range of problems.

Resource implications
Assessment will require access to an operating plant over an extended period of time, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating ability over a range of situations. A bank of scenarios/case studies/what ifs will be required as will a bank of questions which will be used to probe the reasoning behind the observable actions.

Other assessment advice
This unit has no prerequisites.

This unit may be assessed in conjunction with:

PMCOPS202B Operate equipment to blend/mix materials.
Individual enterprises may choose to add prerequisites and corequisites relevant to their processes.

Essential knowledge
Knowledge and understanding of the raw materials preparation equipment sufficient to recognise conditions which will lead to out of specification product.
Knowledge of the enterprise's

Competence includes the ability to:


apply and/or describe:

source and properties of typical raw materials
operation of the preparation equipment
consistency of the prepared materials

distinguish between causes of faults such as:

material variations
specification or recipe tolerance
equipment malfunction
as is relevant to the practical operation of the equipment.

Communicating ideas and information
(1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
(2)

Planning and organising activities
(0)

Working with others and in teams
(1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
(1)

Solving problems
(1)

Using technology
(1)