Page 4 of 4
Title / Trial and evaluate an advanced or complex extrusion blow mould or moulding process
Level / 4 / Credits / 8
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: prepare for trial; set mould and machine; and trial and evaluate an advanced or complex extrusion blow mould or moulding process.
Classification / Plastics Processing Technology > Extrusion Blow Moulding
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Recommended skills and knowledge / Unit 298, Control and trial the extrusion blow moulding process for a simple extrusion blow mould; Unit 301, Service a die head for extrusion blow moulding; and Unit 303, Set up and start up an extrusion blow moulding machine to run advanced or complex moulds; or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1 All work practices must meet enterprise health and safety requirements.
2 Definitions
Enterprise means an organisation where training and/or assessment is taking place, and/or where the trainee is employed.
Enterprise procedures are defined as actions which comply with the policies, systems, and directives in a particular enterprise. Enterprise procedures must comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, and subsequent amendments.
Advanced extrusion blow moulds may have the following features – offset neck, needle blow, single or multiple cavity, handled container, insertable inserts.
Complex extrusion blow moulds may have the following features – internal thread, unscrewing blow pins, single or multi-cavity, moving parts and components, guide shafts, wear plates, fall and rise plates, needle blow or spear unit.
Machine suitability may include clamp unit:
– maximum and minimum daylight;
– tie bar clearance;
– mould to platen size;
– carriage strokes;
– clamp tonnage;
– mould locating system;
– mould fixing system;
– guard clearance;
– water cooling location;
– product transfer and/or ejection;
– parison cutting device;
and blow unit:
– blowing configuration;
– blow pin dimensions;
– blow pin stroke;
– blow pressure;
– calibration force;
– deflashing;
– unscrewing;
and extrusion unit:
– plasticising capacity;
– screw and barrel type;
– extruder cooling;
– diehead type;
– accumulator shot size;
– parison programming.
Trial refers to the testing and evaluation of either a new mould, or a mould for which there is neither prior knowledge nor production set-up information available.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Prepare for trial.
Evidence requirements
1.1 Information relevant to the trial and available at the enterprise is gathered and interpreted.
Range information may include but is not limited to – trial objectives, trial process steps, product specification, production specification, material specification, machine suitability, mould construction and operation.
1.2 The possible effects of shrinkage, venting, parison squeeze, cut-offs, and cooling on the trialled product or process are described.
1.3 Mould readiness is confirmed in accordance with enterprise trialling procedure.
Range mould readiness may include – inspected; cleaned; handling and lifting facilities available; connections for water, air, hydraulics and electricity.
1.4 Raw material readiness is confirmed in accordance with enterprise procedures.
Range raw material readiness may include – material mixed, dried.
1.5 Pin and die are selected in accordance with trial specification and enterprise procedures.
Range size, width and depth of mould cut off relief, guide pin spacing and position, parison swell.
Outcome 2
Set mould and machine.
Evidence requirements
2.1 Mould is fitted and set up with consideration to its features.
Range features may include – moving or interchangeable inserts, mould ancillary equipment and requirements, blowpin and/or stretching requirements, unscrewing cores, cooling circuits, width of cut-off relief, depth of cut-off relief, type of cut-off material dams and squeeze areas.
2.2 Ancillary equipment is fitted to mould or machine in accordance with enterprise procedures.
Range ancillary equipment may include – deflashing equipment, product transfer equipment, hydraulic or pneumatic connections, interlock connections.
2.3 Initial machine conditions, configuration, and sequencing are set according to product, material type, mould construction and extrusion pin and die type.
2.4 Machine and mould are dry cycled in accordance with enterprise procedures.
Outcome 3
Trial and evaluate an advanced or complex extrusion blow mould or moulding process.
Evidence requirements
3.1 Trial procedures are carried out in a systematic manner to meet trial objectives, in accordance with enterprise procedures.
3.2 Process limitations are determined and recorded in accordance with product and production specifications.
Range process limitations may include – mould condition and operation, production equipment capability, material grade selection, ambient conditions, labour requirements.
3.3 Trial procedure steps and results are recorded, and trial samples are retained for evaluation in accordance with enterprise procedures.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for Assessment /Registration / 1 / 28 April 1997 / 31 December 2014
Revision / 2 / 15 November 2002 / 31 December 2014
Review / 3 / 24 August 2006 / 31 December 2014
Review / 4 / 21 March 2013 / 31 December 2019
Review / 5 / 15 September 2016 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0134
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMRs). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
CompetenzSSB Code 101571 / Ó New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2017 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut