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Advanced furniture cnc technician

Advanced furniture cnc technician

Engineering and manufacturing

Level 3 - Technical Occupation

Manufacturing furniture and furniture components, such as desk lids, doors, casings or legs, using Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machinery to perform precision tasks.

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Reference: OCC0655

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Average (median) salary: £31,251 per year

SOC 2020 code: 3120 Cad, drawing and architectural technicians

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 3120/02 BIM and CAD technicians
  • 5221/01 Computer numerical control machine setters and setter-operators
  • 5442/02 Furniture makers and fitters

Technical Education Products

ST0655:

Advanced furniture CNC technician

(Level 3)

Approved for delivery

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Senator, Harrison Spinks, Herman Miller, Silentnight, Burbidge, Mills and Scott, Hypnos, REM, Benchmarx, CDUK, Simpsons of Greenfield Mill Ltd

Summary

This occupation is found in the furniture, furnishings and interiors manufacturing industry, this is a substantial growth industry for the UK. The UK furniture, bed and furnishings manufacturing part of the industry is substantial. Over 8,000 companies contribute £11 billion to the country’s GDP. In addition to this, there is a large market for contract and office furniture.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to manufacture furniture and furniture components, such as desk lids, doors, casings or legs, using Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machinery to perform precision tasks. This includes setting, loading and proving (testing) CNC programmes to produce furniture and/or components, setting up, operating and maintaining CNC furniture production machinery, improving CNC processes to produce furniture efficiently and finding and rectifying faults with furniture production machinery. Advanced Furniture CNC Technicians also produce and maintain jigs and templates to produce furniture components and create and modify programmes for producing furniture using Computer Aided Design (CAD).

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of colleagues including production/manufacturing managers, quality technicians, production leaders, designers, product developers, training coordinators, production operatives and engineers.

Advanced Furniture CNC Technicians can work in a range of environments from small workshops to large factories and may be required to work various shift patterns. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for producing machined components to meet specifications, maintaining quality and safety standards and maintaining equipment. They may also be responsible for a team, coaching, mentoring, training and developing individuals depending on the size of the organisation they work in.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Senator, Harrison Spinks, Herman Miller, Silentnight, Burbidge, Mills and Scott, Hypnos, REM, Benchmarx, CDUK, Simpsons of Greenfield Mill Ltd

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Mid Green occupation

Typical job titles include:

CNC Setter
CNC Wood Machinist
Furniture CNC Machinist
Furniture CNC Manager
Furniture CNC Operator
Furniture CNC Programmer
Furniture CNC Supervisors
Furniture CNC Team Leader
Furniture CNC Wood Machinist

Keywords:

Cnc
Code
Computers
Furniture
Technician

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Tool compensation for the differences in length between the tools assumed during programming and the tools to be used for actual machining.
K2: Tool data including geometric characteristics, composition and usage.
K3: Parameters of machines including type, function and how to read and set them, safety and guarding of machinery used.
K4: Optimisation for best yield of materials.
K5: How to set, load, prove (test) and optimise of furniture CNC programmes.
K6: Technical processes, such as capability, awareness of manufacturing procedures, helping to resolve furniture production problems, breakdowns and defining operating procedures.
K7: Tooling and operational process including material technology and furniture manufacturing equipment.
K8: Furniture industry materials and modern and traditional furniture manufacturing methods including wood and timber, manmade composite materials including plywood, MDF (Medium Density Board) and MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard), veneers, laminates and edging materials, by hand or machinery.
K9: How to maintain furniture CNC/NC (Computer Numerically Controlled/Numerically Controlled) machinery.
K10: Acceptable tolerances of items manufactured from furniture specifications for example allowances for deviation from norm and defect criteria.
K11: Process improvement techniques for example DRIVE (Define, Review, Identify, Verify, Execute), process mapping, DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control), Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Simulation.
K12: Lean manufacturing techniques, for example, Kaizen, Lean, Just in time and 5S.
K13: Health, safety and environmental management and risk assessment for example Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Health And Safety At Work Act (HASAWA), Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) and manual handling.
K14: Safe Systems of Work, the formal procedures for safe methods and procedures adopted during work activities, for relevant processes, including use and maintenance of machinery used.
K15: How to produce and maintain jigs and holding devices.
K16: How to develop and modify furniture CAD drawings in CNC production.
K17: Machine editor software for programme production.
K18: Machine tooling used for example drills, blades or profile cutters.
K19: Machine fault finding techniques and programming fault finding including differences between simple faults which can be rectified and those that required maintenance team for resolution.
K20: Common error codes for furniture CNC machinery used.
K21: Grievance and discipline procedures and conflict management techniques.
K22: Coaching, mentoring and team development techniques such as the GROW model (Goal, Current Reality, Options (or Obstacles) Will (or Way Forward).
K23: Where to send products for next process and how to fill production tickets with accurate information.
K24: Measuring devices such as Vernier callipers and height gauges.
K25: Standard tooling on relevant machinery.
K26: How to run test pieces to ensure tooling data has been entered correctly.
K27: Where to find relevant furniture specifications and drawings.
K28: Product quality standards you need to meet for furniture products produced.

S1: Set tool compensation data in furniture CNC programmes.
S2: Set tool data and parameters in furniture CNC programmes.
S3: Optimise machinery for the best yield of materials.
S4: Set, load, prove and optimise furniture CNC programmes.
S5: Manage resources effectively including raw materials and time.
S6: Select tooling suitable for use with materials being processed for example different varieties of wood.
S7: Set up and operate furniture CNC/NC (Computer Numerically Controlled/Numerically controlled) machinery using appropriate safety measures and guards.
S8: Maintain furniture CNC/NC machinery within limits of responsibility for example lubricating machinery, checking fluid levels, keeping machinery clean.
S9: Apply improvement techniques to furniture manufacturing processes for example using different tooling, aggregate heads, tandem loading or tandem loading.
S10: Work safely at all times, wearing appropriate PPE, adhering to COSHH records and completing health and safety records and reports.
S11: Follow Safe Systems of work for the relevant machining processes.
S12: Produce and maintain jigs and holding devices to ensure sufficient workpiece vacuum.
S13: Develop and modify furniture CAD drawings to suit CNC processes.
S14: Read and interpret furniture specifications and drawings.
S15: Use editor software to modify or create furniture CNC programmes.
S16: Rectify simple machine faults for example fast running, blunt tooling, burn marks or incorrect tool compensation.
S17: Manage self and others and influence teams to achieve objectives.
S18: Apply coaching, mentoring and team development techniques such as the GROW model.
S19: Develop own skills to improve furniture CNC performance.
S20: Train others to use machinery safely to company standards.
S21: Record information required accurately for example production records.
S22: Set tooling in various holders for example HSK (hollow taper shank), tribos and shrinkfit.
S23: Able to check furniture products meet quality standards and furniture specifications.

B1: Thorough and accurate when accomplishing furniture CNC tasks.
B2: Have a safety-first attitude, ensuring the safety of self and others in a furniture CNC machinery environment.
B3: Shows integrity, aims for excellence and manages time effectively.
B4: Strives for improvement in furniture manufacturing processes.
B5: Is professional, demonstrates motivation to succeed and is organised.
B6: Maintain focus and concentration during CNC activities.
B7: An enquiring mind and be, keen to understand how things work.
B8: Sets an example to others, is fair, consistent and reliable.
B9: Takes personal responsibility for meeting objectives of the team and business.
B10: Be flexible in changing environment and demands.
B11: Demonstrates a mature attitude and has a sense of responsibility.
B12: Is able to work with minimal supervision.

Duties

Duty D1

Load and prove (test) CNC programmes to produce furniture and/or furniture components to specification.

Duty D2

Set up, operate and maintain CNC furniture production machinery.

Duty D3

Improve CNC processes to produce furniture efficiently.

Duty D4

Work safely at all times following relevant legislation and regulations ensuring self and others safety.

Duty D5

Produce and maintain jigs and templates to produce furniture components.

Duty D6

Create and modify programmes for producing furniture using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.

Duty D7

Identify and rectify faults with furniture production machinery.

Duty D8

Lead, manage and coach teams and develop own skills to ensure effective results.

Duty D9

Keep and maintain accurate records/information and share appropriately.

Duty D10

Set tooling and equipment, accurately measure tooling specification, input and adjust tooling data.

Duty D11

Read, understand and interpret specification drawings to ensure components meet specification.

Duty D12

Check furniture and components produced meet quality standards and specifications working with minimal supervision.

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

Technical Occupations

Levels 2-3

Higher Technical Occupations

Levels 4-5

Professional Occupations

Levels 6-7

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Level 3

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Progression link from focused occupation.
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Level 3

Engineering and manufacturing