Occupations - Advanced Apprenticeships ( Craft )

Toolmaking

• Production of engineering components to a consistently high standard, requires sophisticated tooling and equipment to be manufactured that will locate and support components during the manufacturing process.
• Toolmakers need to be able to use a range of machine tools and hand tools to manufacture products using their own initiative and often to their own design.
• Set and operate a range of machine and hand tools.
• Produce working diagrams to British and International Standards.
• Work to tight timescales and deadlines often unsupervised.
• Interpret internal and external customer requirement.

CNC Machining

The production of engineering components to consistent high quality standards is carried out on sophisticated computer controlled machines that can produce one off, batch or by a continuous process. This covers all types of CNC machines that cut, punch, bend or form. The CNC Engineer is responsible for:

• Producing programmes to meet customer specification.
• Controlling and modifying existing programmes to maintain quality standards.
• Setting and operating the computer numerical control machining process.

Welding

This still remains an important joining technique which is utilised in all aspects of engineering from research and development to high volume production of automotive parts. Processes include: Resistance Welding, TIG Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Manual Metal Arc Welding. The Welder is responsible for:

• Setting and operating a range of welding equipment.
• Producing a variety of welded joints in a range of material specifications and thicknesses.
• Carrying out visual and destructive weld inspection techniques to assess weld quality to national standards.

Sheetmetal

All of today's motor cars have been developed and handcrafted as one-off prototypes by highly skilled sheetmetal workers, using a range of hand and power tools. Prestige examples include: Aston Martin, MGF, Rolls Royce and Bentley. Skills involved include:

• Blank plate development of components.
• Wheeling panels to achieve double curvature.
• Producing a range of self-secured joints to assemble components.
• Metal finishing completed sheetmetal components.