PROPF350 – Set up and control foil blocking machinery
Overview
This standard is for print finishers using foil blocking machinery. They will be expected to set up the equipment and control it whilst running production jobs.
This standard consists of two elements:
Set up foil blocking machinery
Run foil blocking machinery and monitor quality
This is what the standard covers:
identifying the job requirements
checking that the foil blocking machinery is working properly
checking that safety devices are working properly
running the foil-blocking machinery safely
adjusting settings, where necessary to maintain the required standard
checking that work meets the required standard
identifying faults and taking action to deal with them
unloading and stacking the finished product
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Set up foil blocking machinery
check that you have all the job details you need
check that you have enough materials of the right type to meet job requirements
report when the materials provided are not correct or sufficient in accordance with organisational procedures
set up foil blocking machinery in accordance with organisational requirements, so that:
material to be blocked is fed squarely
material to be blocked is coming to the register against stops
foil is fed evenly to give minimum gap between impressions
the temperature is correct for the material to be blocked
images are clean, sharp and have overall solid colour density
images are correctly positioned on the material subsequent colours are in register and fit with other colours
check that samples produced by the machine match the required standard
make any necessary adjustments to enable standards to be met
report when standards cannot be met in accordance with organisational procedures
prepare your work area so that it is safe and ready for production
Run foil blocking machinery and monitor quality
run foil blocking machinery so that it is safe and efficient and at the required speed to produce the output in accordance with organisational procedures
keep up sufficient supplies of materials so that runs continue as long as necessary to meet job requirements
check regularly that quality standards are met
identify the cause of production faults, which result in:
image out of square
foil not sticking to material surface
image not having solid appearance
image blurred
marking of material outside image area
loss of fine detail
adjust machines, using approved methods and equipment, to correct mechanical faults which it is your job to remedy
use agreed procedures to report mechanical faults which it is not your job to correct
check that machinery is safe to operate, once faults are corrected, in accordance with organisational procedures
record production and quality assurance details, checking information meets organisational procedures
follow the organisational procedures for the removal of waste
stack work using the approved method
Knowledge and understanding
You need to know and understand
your duties and responsibilities for health and safety as defined by any specific legislation covering your job role
regulations such as those covering manual handling, noise at work, personal protective equipment, safe handling of equipment and materials, and the safe use of computer equipment
workplace policies and written operating procedures relating to written health and safety policy statement, provision, use and processes of workplace equipment, training, prohibited equipment, young persons, safe systems of work
the way you actually do your job, more particularly the activities and techniques and the way that materials and equipment are used
typical hazards and risks in the printing industry and those that relate to your own job
risk assessment techniques and the action to take to deal with them
codes of practice relevant to your role and where to obtain information on them
manufacturers' and suppliers' health and safety instructions and advice for operating machinery, guarding machinery and data sheets for substances harmful to health
the requirements for personal presentation including personal hygiene, suitable clothing and accessories, fitness for work, such as not under the influence of drugs, alcohol or medication, smoking policies in the workplace
how to stop a machine in the event of an emergency
the purpose of foil blocking
the information and materials required to meet job specification
safety devices found on foil blocking machinery, their purpose and how to check they are functional
how to set up and adjust foil blocking machinery to meet job requirements
the causes of common faults and how to rectify them including image out of square, foil not sticking to material surface, image not having solid appearance, image blurred, marking of material outside image area or loss of fine detail
the causes of faults with raw materials, processes and machinery used in your business and how to identify and treat them
techniques for controlling quality including inspection, testing, sampling and use of input and output controls
the impact that faults, in the process you are involved with, have on later processes and the quality of the end product
types of problems that may need to be solved including machinery - electrical, mechanical, electronic, settings, component wear and tear, consumables needing replacement, materials - defects, shortages, incompatibility, systems, organisation and lack of skills or knowledge
sources of information for solving problems including manufacturer's documentation / troubleshooting guides, colleagues, tutors / trainers / mentors and reference material – in house or external, such as the internet
techniques for solving complex problems including changing one thing only at a time and assessing effect of the change, using the problem solving cycle, root cause analysis, brainstorming and visual representations, such as fishbone / mindmap diagrams
techniques for assessing machine faults including observation, listening, inspection of product, reports from colleagues / log reports, touch or smell (if safe to do so) and testing, such as electrical, mechanical, electronic
the types of paper, board and other commonly used substrates including commonly used uncoated, coated, embossed papers and boards
the grammage, thickness, opacity, brightness/whiteness, strength, dimensional stability, gloss of paper, board and other commonly used substrates
how to maintain the quality of materials and protect them from damage, humidity and temperature during storage and handling
how to label and identify materials
Scope/range
In addition to being able to produce commercially acceptable work, operators should be competent to maintain supplies of printed sheets or plain material, different page and image sizes and a range of blocking foils and materials.
Operators should be able to deal with all running problems within his/her responsibility. Operators are also responsible for ensuring that the machine is in a safe and clean condition for normal production operations.
PROPF350 – Set up and control foil blocking machinery
Overview
This standard is for print finishers using foil blocking machinery. They will be expected to set up the equipment and control it whilst running production jobs.
This standard consists of two elements:
This is what the standard covers:
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Set up foil blocking machinery
Run foil blocking machinery and monitor quality
Knowledge and understanding
You need to know and understand
Scope/range
In addition to being able to produce commercially acceptable work, operators should be competent to maintain supplies of printed sheets or plain material, different page and image sizes and a range of blocking foils and materials.
Operators should be able to deal with all running problems within his/her responsibility. Operators are also responsible for ensuring that the machine is in a safe and clean condition for normal production operations.
Keywords: post-press, print finishing, machinery, foil, blocking