Precision Machining Technology Technical Standards

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Clothing Requirement
White work pants, white work shirt, leather work shoes and safety glasses or prescription glasses conforming to ANSI Z87.1 —1989. Nonconforming glasses must be covered with safety goggles. For information about purchasing, refer to clothing requirements on Page 12 in the general regulations.

Eligibility
Open to active VICA members enrolled in programs with precision machining technology as the occupational objective.

Equipment and Materials

1. Supplied by the technical committee:

a. All necessary equipment, supplies and materials for conducting the test.
b. All necessary hand tools, cutting tools and instruments for use by contestants.
c. All necessary information and furnishings for use by judges and technical committee.

Scope of the Contest

• Each contestant in the Skills USA Championships is expected to demonstrate competency in the performance skills and companion knowledge (theory) skills of the workplace including: applying fundamental computational skills; interpreting engineering drawings, technical data and other graphics; applying physical science principles; and meeting industrial safety and hygiene requirements. Competency assessment involves demonstrating hands-on performance skills in setting up programming, and operating conventional and CNC machine tools, producing parts to specifications, precision measurement and inspection techniques and a written examination for measuring complementary knowledge skills.

  Selection of the competencies to be tested are determined by the Skills USA Championships Technical Committee. Committee membership includes: AlliedSignal Inc., AMT—The Association For Mfg. Technology, Bodine Corp., Bridgeport Machine Inc., Brown-Covey Inc., Clausing Industrial Inc., Crossland Machinery, DeHoff Tool & Manufacturing, Denford Machine Tools USA Inc., International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, Kelmar Associates, Mead School and Office Products, National Tooling & Machining Association, Newport News Shipbuilding, Okuma America Corp., Remmele Engineering Inc. —Automation Division, Ultra-Tech Inc., United Technologies Corp. and Hamilton Standard Division.

• The contest will be consistent with the National Institute For Metalworking Skills - NIMS, Duties and Standards for Machining Skills, Levels I and II. Information on how to obtain these skills standards maybe obtained from NIMS by calling 1-703-352-4971.

• Computational, communication, science and industrial safety competencies.

  • Computational competencies (inch & metric)
    • Apply basic arithmetic skills to solve inch or metric machining related problems
    • Apply functional algebra, functional geometry, functional trigonometry to solve workplace problems.
    • Solve on-the-floor workplace problems requiring the use of formulas, handbook tables and technical reports.
    • Explain and interpret statistical process control and inspection data
  • Communication competencies
    • Read, interpret, conceptualize and communicate features of a part, assembly or component as described on engineering, orthographic projection, assembly and other visual forms and drawings.
    • Translate geometric tolerance symbols and other part specifications contained within feature control symbols used in inspection and in machining. (ASME Y14.5-1982)
    • Demonstrate knowledge of projection theory and other drawing principles and produce an appropriate freehand orthographic, oblique, isometric or perspective shop sketch.
    • Communicate accurately by lettering legibly.
  • Physical science, metallurgy, heat treatment and hardness testing competencies.
    • Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of principles of mechanics, machines, heat, light, sound and other forms of energy in relation to tooling, machining and other parts of manufacturing processes using both conventional and CNC machine tools.
      
    • Describe physical and metallurgical characteristics of cast irons, steels, nonferrous metals and other materials that are common to
      metal products manufacturing.
    • Interpret the effects of heat treating, hardness testing and coating processes on basic materials used in cutting tools.
      
    • Read machinability tables and interpret such things as the effect of cutting speeds, feeds, depth of cut or surface finish on the wear life of various types of cutters.
  • Workspace safety practices and hygiene.
    • Know and demonstrate use of safe practices, codes and rules that relate to the individual, other workers and to the protection of
      equipment.
    • Apply good hygiene in the use of cutting fluids and other machining related chemicals and “know how” to read MSDS.
    • Recognize and promote safe work habits for bench work, floor work, machine tool operations, precision instruments and work piece
      handling.
    • Precision machining, bench, inspection and other machine tool areas.

     

• Turning: machines, accessories, setups and machining processes. Demonstrate performance skills and technology involving both CNC and conventional engine lathes to perform the following:
  • Machine preparation/programming including setting speeds, feeds, depth of cuts, gearing setups and aligning centers (includes basic programming).
  • Selecting cutting tools, mounting and securing high speed steel, cast alloys and carbide inserts.
  • Perform turning processes: work between centers, 3 & 4 jaw chuck work, faceplate work, centering, straight turning, shoulder and facing, end turning, chamfering, form turning, grooving, cutting off, drilling, boring, reaming, taper and angle turning (including calculations), knuirling, filing and polishing and internal and external thread cutting.
  • Meet geometric tolerancing requirements and surface texture standards in machining parts.
  • Machine parts using either inch or metric dimensioning practices.
  • Identify machine characteristics, work holding devices, tooling and manufacturing processes performed on single and multiple spindle turning machines (bar and chucker, turning centers, screw machines).
  • Demonstrate ability to program CNC to engine lathe applications.
  • Make production set-ups to run numerous work pieces using machine stops.

 

• Milling: machines, accessories, setups and machining processes. Demonstrate performance skills and technology involving (both CNC and conventional) horizontal and vertical model milling machines to perform the following:
  • Machine preparation/programming including setting speeds, feed rates, alignment of work holding devices.
  • Selection, positioning, mounting and securing cutters and work pieces in workholding and toolholding devices.
  • Perform basic milling processes including plain, end, face, side and angle milling, grooving, keyseating and simple indexing.
  • Perform drilling, spot drilling, boring, spot facing and counter boring operations.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of cutter design features and applications of production cutting tools. Demonstrate knowledge of dividing head and rotary table principles and setups.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of CNC milling and machining center applications.
  • Make production set-ups to run numerous work pieces using machine stops.

 

• CNC programming (mill). Required performance skills and technology for CNC mill programming on a fanuc-compatible control.
  • The operational sequence required for machining round parts.
  • The use of standard preparatory and miscellaneous function codes for straight-line moves on the X and Z axes.
  • The use of G02 and G03 codes for arcs and circles; macro code for multiple cuts on a fixed cycle.
  • Write a CNC program to machine a sample part.
  • Check the CNC program by test running it on a personal computer.

 

• CNC programming (lathe). Required performance skills and technology for CNC lathe programming on a fanuc-compatible control.
  • The operational sequence required for machining round parts.
  • The use of standard preparatory and miscellaneous function codes for straight-line moves on the X and Z axes.
  • The use of G02 and G03 codes for arcs and contours; macro code for the incremental feed command on a fixed cycle.
  • Write a CNC program to machine a sample part.
  • Check the CNC program by test running it on a personal computer.

   

• Drilling: machines, accessories, setups and machining processes.
  • Machine preparation including speeds, feeds, table setting.
  • Selecting work piece holder including positioning, mounting and securing work piece
  • Use of safety straps/clamping devices.
  • Perform drilling, countersinking, counter-boring, spotfacing, boring, reaming and tapping/operations.

 

• Abrasive machining: machines, accessories, setups and grinding processes performance skills and technology on the surface grinder:
  • Perform machine and work holding setups.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of grinding wheel selection and preparation.
  • Perform grinding of flat, stepped and angle surfaces, and simple form cutting.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of cylindrical, centerless, internal and cutter grinding.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of ceramic, synthetic diamond and other abrasive materials.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of superabrasive machining processes and common cutting coolant fluids.

 

• Precision inspection tasks: instruments, gages, systems, setups, testing and measurement
  • Interpret engineering drawing for conventional and geometric tolerancing elements and conduct precision measurements and inspection tests for those elements.
  • Demonstrate skill in the use of various precision measuring instrument for determining conformance to specified internal and external part dimensions.
  • Select appropriate layout and measuring tools, precision instruments and gages (calibrated in customary inch and/or SI metric units of measure), measure parts in either systems of measurements.
  • Perform angular to linear and linear to angular calculations for sine bar setups, make correct selection of gage blocks from a standard set to produce specified sizes (least block method).
  • Perform basic surface finish characteristics tests, take required feature measurements and record findings.
  • Show an understanding of basic principles of statistical quality control, apply statistical process control in manufacturing and interpret SPC charts.

 

• Benchwork: technology and processes
  • Demonstrate proper use of hand tools and precision measuring instruments to layout parts to be fabricated.
  • Demonstrate ability to properly use hand hacksaws, chisels, files, center punches, hand taps and dies, reamers and abrasive polishing materials.

 

• Industrial materials
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the structure, properties, characteristics and applications, of steel, cast irons and nonferrous metals used in manufacturing.

 

• Power Sawing and Band Machining: Machines, Setups and Machining Processes
  • Demonstrate knowledge of theory and processes: standard power hack sawing and vertical band machines, work holding accessories and setups, blade and band selection and preparation, machine preparation, straight, angle and form sawing, filing and polishing preparation, machine preparation straight, angle and form sawing, filing and polishing.

 

• Advanced machining: machines, accessories, setups and machining processes
  • Demonstrate knowledge of machine characteristics and principles of operation, safety factors and machining processes. (Examples: laser beam alloying, surface hardening, cutting, form and wire-cutting, electrical discharge machining and others such as ECM, ECG, AJM.)

 

• Flexible manufacturing systems
  • Demonstrate basic knowledge of manufacturing subsystems (interlocking CAD, CIM/CAM, CNC and other subsystems into FJM), including fundamentals of robotics and automated tool/work piece control.