Produce the Harbourline twin and earth cable order

You are a cable production operator following an order through the Bayswater works.

Simulated workplaceIntermediate missionCAQA Polyform Plastics and Cable

What is going on

Job card JC-26-3318 calls for 40 kilometres of 2.5 square millimetre twin and earth flat cable for Harbourline Electrical Wholesale in 500 metre reels. Copper rod lot CU-26-1190 is in the rod store, the PVC insulation compound is running low, and the 2.5 millimetre insulation die set has been re-centred after a high voltage failure on another order last week. Die centring must now be checked at every reel change. Every reel must pass conductor resistance, spark and high voltage tests before it is marked with the approval marking and released. A weekend shift has been announced to finish the order.

Alistair Fraser, Cable Works Manager
Subject: Twin and earth order for Harbourline

Job card JC-26-3318 is 40 kilometres of 2.5 square millimetre twin and earth flat cable for Harbourline Electrical Wholesale in 500 metre reels. I want you to follow the order through the works: draw and bunch the conductor from the rod lot in stock, insulate on CB-3 with the reset die, lay up and sheath, and test every reel before it is marked. After the high voltage failure on reel 14 last week the die centring check is now done at every reel change. Record conductor resistance and the test results on the job card and in the nonconformance register if anything fails.

Your brief

Follow the order through wire drawing, bunching, insulation, lay-up and sheathing to the construction sheet, carry out the die centring and wall thickness checks at every reel change, test every reel, record the results, raise a nonconformance for any failure and release conforming reels with the correct marking.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

Read the Quality Policy sections on setting sheets, inspection and traceability and the cable construction sheet supplied, and list every test and check the order requires and where it is recorded.
Confirm the copper rod lot and the PVC compound quantity in Raw Materials and Compounds Stock, record the lots on the job card and flag the compound shortfall to the Cable Works Manager.
Describe the wire drawing and annealing set-up for the conductor size, the checks on wire diameter and the safety controls at the capstans and take-up with reference to the Machine Safety and Isolation Policy.
Describe the bunching operation to the construction sheet, including lay length, and record the conductor resistance measurement against the standard's maximum.
Set up insulation line CB-3 with die set CD-2.5-PVC, carry out the die centring and four-point wall thickness check at the start and at each reel change, and record the results.
Describe lay-up and sheathing of the flat cable and the in-line spark test, and how a spark test fault is marked and handled.
Test each finished reel for conductor resistance, insulation thickness and high voltage, record the results, raise a Quality Nonconformance Register entry for any failing reel with the copper recovery noted, and describe the approval marking applied to passing reels.
Update the job card with metres produced, reels passed and failed and material used, and prepare a short note for the weekend shift on where the order stands.

My notes: what did I enjoy, and what surprised me?

What someone in this role would produce

Test and check list with recording points
Material lot and shortfall record
Die centring and wall thickness records at each reel change
Reel test records with any nonconformance entry
Updated job card and weekend shift note

Printing this is a record of what you explored. It is not a certificate or a qualification.