BASIC ENGINEERING FITTING SKILLS

COURSE 780: 3 DAYS

This course provides personnel with the basic fitting skills that would be required in an engineering workshop.

PARTICIPANTS

The course is designed to complement course 700: Mechanical maintenance skills and is suitable for craft personnel already involved in maintenance activities. One of the practical exercises on the basic engineering fitting skills course - learning how to sharpen drills properly

COURSE PRESENTATION

The course format is very much ‘hands-on’ – the emphasis being on the development of sound practical skills within the context of safe working practices.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

On completion of the course, participants will be able to

understand the principles of and apply safe working practices to basic fitting skills
read and understand engineering drawings
correctly use measuring and marking out equipment
calculate drilling speeds for various materials
correctly drill, tap or ream holes
assemble components to drawing specifications
understand different methods of removing broken studs
recognise stripped threads and correctly use thread repair equipment
correctly manufacture and fit a parallel key
identify drive key types and state typical applications for each
use correct tools to broach a keyway
correctly sharpen drill bits.

Successful completion of the course leads to the award of Unite / Technical Training Solutions competence certificate 780: Basic Engineering Fitting Skills.
Contact us for more information on how the Basic Engineering Fitting Skills training course leads to competence in the use of workshop tools and equipment

What do candidates on the Basic Engineering Fitting Skills course actually do?

The Basic Engineering Skills course begins with a brief reminder of the Health and Safety issues of working in an engineering workshop. Candidates are then shown how to use a range of measuring instruments such as steel rules, vernier callipers, micrometers, dial gauges and slip gauges. Practical exercises have been prepared that require the candidates to determine various sample micrometer readings, proving that the instruments are being interpreted correctly.

Candidates use micrometers on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates use vernier callipers on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates use depth gauges on the basic engineering fitting skills course

Engineering drawings are viewed and evaluated to determine which system of drawing projection has been used (first angle or third angle). The following are some example pages from the course notes for this stage of the engineering fitting skills course, describing how scribing blocks are used to mark out accurately, how engineering drawings depict mechanical components in the various projections and how holes should be marked out for accuracy:

This is page 13 of the course notes for the basic engineering fitting skills course, describing how micrometers should be used This is page 23 of the course notes for the basic engineering fitting skills course, describing how engineering drawing projections are used to depict mechanical components This is page 27 of the course notes for the basic engineering fitting skills course, describing the procedures used for marking out holes accurately

This leads on to a number of marking out exercises on aluminium and silver steel components. We use dividers, scribing blocks and callipers (amongst other tools) for this.

Candidates use dividers on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates use scribing blocks on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates use callipers on the basic engineering fitting skills course

Metal components have to be cut and filed using hand tools to produce datum edges. We use scribers, punches, saws, hammers and files (amongst other tools) for this.

Candidates use scribers and punches on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates use saws on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates use hammers and files on the basic engineering fitting skills course

Holes have to be accurately marked out using a method known as ‘boxing’, and later drilled and tapped with metric threads. After assembly of the manufactured components, some holes have to be reamed to ensure a good engineering fit to ground steel locating dowels. The object of the exercise is to produce a test piece that the candidates can use in the workplace for shaft alignment. The manufacture of the alignment tool test piece will take several hours to complete, and brings into play the interpretation of drawings and the hand tool skills previously gained.

Candidates make a v-block on the basic engineering fitting skills course

While the candidates are completing the test piece, they are given other projects to complete such as thread identification using thread gauges and an exercise in applying the correct tightening torque to flanged joints. The latter is augmented by making gaskets. Candidates are kept extremely busy due to the intensely practical nature of this part of the course. Thread repair and broken stud removal is a necessary skill and requires practice to effect many an engineering repair. This is achieved by using a combination of jigs and industrial pumps and gearboxes that require the application of the various fitting skills acquired during the course. Disassembly and reassembly of pumps and gearboxes provides the candidates with the important hands-on experience and also requires the use of special tools, used to remove and refit bearings and oil seals.

Candidates use thread repair tools on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates disassemble and re-assemble gearboxes on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates make gaskets on the basic engineering fitting skills course

The following are some example pages from the course notes for this stage of the engineering fitting skills course, describing the common screw threads encountered on industrial machinery, how broken threads should be repaired and how drive shaft keyways should be fitted:

This is page 36 of the course notes for the basic engineering fitting skills course, describing the various screw threads commonly encountered on industrial machinery This is page 38 of the course notes for the basic engineering fitting skills course, describing how threads should be repaired This is page 39 of the course notes for the basic engineering fitting skills course, describing how drive shaft keyways work

An opportunity for candidates to practice drill sharpening is a valuable experience to enable a better understanding of how rake and clearance angles on a twist drill affect the finish and accuracy when drilling through different materials. Also shown here is one of the mechanical assemblies which are taken apart and put back together properly and the thread repair exercise:

Candidates disassemble various components on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates sharpen drills on the basic engineering fitting skills course Candidates use thread repair tools on the basic engineering fitting skills course

If you would like to see some of the equipment used on the Basic Engineering Fitting Skills course for yourself, then please call us to arrange a visit to our offices in Kent. Alternatively, we can visit you anywhere in the British Isles.