Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any 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.
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice and/or Australian/international standards, the latest version must be used.
Context
This competency applies to all injection blow moulding within the plastics and rubber industries. It includes the operation of all relevant additional equipment where that equipment is integral to the injection blow moulding process.
Procedures
All operations are performed in accordance with procedures.
Procedures include all relevant workplace procedures, work instructions, temporary instructions and relevant industry and government codes and standards.
Tools and equipment
This unit of competency includes use of equipment and tools such as:
electrical, pneumatic, mechanical, electromechanical and hydraulic injection blow moulding machines and components such as base, frame, feed hoppers and material supply mechanisms, barrel and screw plastification unit, injection blow units, die/ mould tool
additional equipment, including chillers/cooling towers, die heating equipment, hopper driers, mixing hoppers, dehumidifying driers, air compressors, dosing machines, colour blending equipment and conveyors
hand tools used in the injection blow moulding process
material loading equipment used for loading of raw materials
relevant personal protective equipment.
Hazards
Typical hazards include:
spills
dusts/vapours
slip and fall, particularly due to spilt granules
temperature
hazardous materials
manual handling hazards
equipment operations.
Problems
'Anticipate and solve problems' means resolve a wide range of routine and non-routine problems, using product and process knowledge to develop solutions to problems which do not have a known solution/a solution recorded in the procedures.
Typical process and product problems may include:
routine and non-routine product injection blow moulding faults - short mouldings, sink marks, voids, burn marks, mica and splash marks, silver streaking, blistering, flow marks, poor surface finish, warping, windows, erratic cycles, poor colour dispersion, ejection damage, colour contamination, black spots and other defects
machine malfunction
mould/tooling problems
variations in materials and/or contamination of materials
processing problems.
Variables
Key variables to be monitored include:
operating temperatures
speed
hunt or sprue break pressures
colour
cushion specification
cycle time
output rate
product weight
product integrity and general conformance to specification/sample.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the assessment guidelines for this training package.
Overview of assessment
A holistic approach should be taken to the assessment.
Assessors must be satisfied that the person can consistently perform the unit as a whole, as defined by the Elements, Performance Criteria and skills and knowledge.
Where the assessee does not currently posses evidence of competency in PMBPROD270B Operate injection blow moulding equipment, it may be co-assessed with this unit.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
It is essential that competence is demonstrated in the knowledge and skills defined in this unit. These may include the ability to:
identify critical materials properties and injection blow moulding process characteristics in relation to the process requirements and the end product
plan own work process within workplace procedures
explain the reasons for the steps in the process
take appropriate action to observe equipment, materials and products for out of specification results, make adjustments and identify problems to be reported.
Consistent performance should be demonstrated. For example, look to see that:
production quality and output standards are met consistently
problems are anticipated from process observations
problems are efficiently resolved
the process runs consistently and smoothly
Assessment method and context
It is preferred that assessment takes place on an industrial extruder in a work-like environment.
Competence in this unit may be assessed:
using an appropriate, industrial injection blow moulding machine
in a situation allowing for the generation of evidence of the ability to recognise, anticipate and respond to problems
by using a suitable simulation and/or a range of case studies/scenarios
through a combination of these techniques.
In all cases it is expected that practical assessment will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge and theoretical assessment will be combined with appropriate practical/simulation or similar assessment. Assessors need to be aware of any cultural issues that may affect responses to questions.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the assessee and the work being performed.
Specific resources for assessment
This section should be read in conjunction with the Range Statement for this unit of competency. Resources required include suitable access to an operating plant or equipment that allows for appropriate and realistic simulation. A bank of case studies/scenarios and questions will also be required to the extent that they form part of the assessment method. Questioning may take place either in the workplace, or in an adjacent, quiet facility such as an office or lunchroom. No other special resources are required.
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.