Mechanical Engineering Technician- Plant Technician

A competent Mechanical Engineering Technician- Plant Maintenance is expected to:

1.

Ability to plan and execute work in a safe and responsible manner

2.

Understand the nature of a problem and seek help through text, individuals or any other method if deemed necessary.

3.

Be able to collect data and present data in an easily understood way. Analyse the data in order to remedy or predict
situations which may arise.

4.

Communicate basic information, ideas, problems and solutions with colleagues and superiors.

5.

Ability to compile technical reports and hand-over documentation.

6.

Be comfortable working with tools, testing equipment and other related accessories when working on plant
machinery.

The candidate applying to be trade tested for the Certificate of Competence should be in possession of the majority of the following knowledge,
competencies & skills:

Technical report writing both on daily basis and full report writing with respect to more intensive interventions.
Proper verbal communication with particular reference to technical fault description and situations.
General fault finding of plant equipment and systems
Routine maintenance of a typical engineering plant including individual equipment and systems.
Compiling of routine maintenance procedures for new and existing plant machinery and systems.
The proper use of tools and testing apparatus.
Day to day filling in of relevant paper work such as job cards and job reports.
Finding information from technical manuals and literature and identifying components which may need to be procured.
General Health and Safety practices and principles. Be aware of the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) needed in each particular situation.

Common plant equipment found in industry

Air compressors
Air handling and Chiller units.
Heating, venting, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
Pumps and pumping stations
Various types of control valves
General piping and fluid distribution systems
Boilers
Solar heaters, collectors and photovoltaic systems
Water treatment and desalination systems
Generators and other backup equipment
Electric Motors
Air compressors
Basic thermodynamic principles
Practical operation
Identification of the main components
Logging and interpreting system data in order to diagnose a faulty system.
Typical maintenance interventions: oil replacement, seal replacement, filter replacement etc.
Inspection and servicing of the critical components
Proper and safe use of common and special tools for Air equipment.
Safety procedures whilst working on Air equipment.

Air conditioning, refrigeration and other HVAC equipment

Basic thermodynamic principles related to AC, and HVAC systems.
Practical working principles of operation of AC, Refrigeration and HVAC systems.
Identification of the main components in AC, Refrigeration and HVAC equipment.
Fault finding techniques and testing methods in order to diagnose a system.
Different types of systems used in industry including knowledge of different types of gases and chemicals used in AC and refrigeration.
Interpretation of recorded/reported system data for fault identification.
Scheduled maintenance activities related to an ac/refrigeration system (e.g. replacement of oil, filters, filter-driers, cleaning of condensers and
evaporators etc.)
Overhaul of components such as intake and exhaust valves, lubricating system including bearings, water cooled heat exchangers etc.)
Proper and safe use of common and special tools when working on refrigeration systems
Safety procedures to be adopted when working on air conditioning and refrigeration systems
Fluid power systems including hot water/steam, pumps, valves and distribution systems
Basic thermodynamic principles
Practical operation
Identification of the main components of equipment and systems.
Logging and interpreting system data in order to diagnose a faulty system.
Scheduled maintenance activities related to a fluid power system (e.g. replacement/adjustment of gland, lip and mechanical seals, cleaning/replacement
of strainers, greasing, oil changing)
Overhaul of components such as bearings, impellers, shafts, seals, couplings and motor alignment procedures. Overhaul of a boiler system, calorifier,
burners, electrodes etc.
Proper and safe use of common and special tools when working on fluid power systems
Safety procedures to be adopted when working on fluid power systems
Solar heaters, collectors and photovoltaic systems
Basic operating principle principles
Identification of the main components
Logging and interpreting system data in order to diagnose a faulty system.
Testing procedures such as leak tests, vacuum tube operation, pump testing, basic inverter tests etc
Basic operation of industrial controller displays in order to verify correct operational characteristics.
Scheduled maintenance activities related to solar and photovoltaic systems such as inspection of tubes, checking of valves and fittings, checking output
voltages, checking output temperatures etc.
Proper and safe use of common and special tools when working on solar and photovoltaic systems.
Safety procedures to be adopted when working on solar and photovoltaic systems

Water treatment and desalination systems

Basic thermodynamic principles
Practical operation of a water treatment or desalination plant.
Identification of the main components of equipment and systems.
Logging and interpreting system data in order to diagnose a faulty system.
Working with associated chemicals and additives used in water treatment.
Scheduled maintenance activities related to water treatment systems (e.g. seal replacement, cleaning/replacement of filters, element replacement, active
media replacement, monitoring of pressures, flows and conductivity etc. )
Overhaul of components such as high pressure pumps, dosing pumps, water softeners and deionisers, membrane and filter housing, motor and pump
bearings, condensers, evaporators etc.
Proper and safe use of common and special tools when working on water treatment systems.
Safety procedures to be adopted when working on water treatment systems
Generators, Motors and other Ancillary equipment
Basic knowledge of Generators and Motors.
Fundamental operating principles with reference to electric motor starting techniques.
Identification of the main components in a diesel powered generator and identification of different types of motors used in industry.
Basic fault finding related to generators and electric motors.
Different types of systems used in industry including knowledge of different types of gases and chemicals used in AC and refrigeration.
Interpretation of recorded/reported system data for fault identification.
Scheduled maintenance such as: replacement of oil, filters, bearings, brushes etc.
Proper and safe use of common and special tools when working electrical equipment.
Safety procedures to be adopted when working on electrical equipment.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Mechanical Engineering Technician- Plant

1. Introduction
The following is a detailed description of the assessment criteria to be adopted by the Trade Testing Board (TTB) to reach a
final decision on the award of a Certificate of Competence.

2. Trade Test Components

As defined in the Standard Operating Procedure, the trade test is to be made up of the following components:

1. The Written
2. The Practical
3. The Interview

The Board has agreed on the sequence of the test and the markings allocated to each specific component as indicated below:

Component

Mark

Pass Mark

Written

100

50%

Interview

100

50%

Practical

100

50%

The Written Component

The content of the written paper will include the following topics:

Air compressors
Heating, Venting and air conditioning
Air handling units
Pumps
Control Valves
Piping and distribution systems
Boilers
Solar and Photovoltaic systems
Water Treatment systems
Generators
Electric motors

The Interview Component

All candidates will be called to attend an interview during which the Board will assess the proficiency and competence of the
candidate related to the field of plant engineering.
The duration of the interview will be circa 20 minutes.

The candidate will be assessed on the following criteria:

Attitude and aptitude

Practical experience and knowledge gained through work experience
Technical questions related to plant maintenance engineering
Comprehension of basic engineering principles related to plant equipment
Ability to elaborate in their field of expertise.

The Board expects the candidate to answer questions with confidence in a technical manner showing knowledge of the
subject. The Board will issue a mark accordingly.

The Practical Component

The typical method the board chooses to adopt is an on-site visit to a well equipped plant room. The board will individually asses the
candidate from a practical side by presenting several common situations and asking the candidate on the possible best approach to take. The
engineering system/s chosen can range from any of the following:

Air compressors
Heating, Venting and air conditioning
Air handling units
Pumps
Control Valves
Piping and distribution systems
Boilers
Solar and Photovoltaic systems
Water Treatment systems
Generators
Electric motors

The board expects candidates to hold a good conversation and answer questions put forward in a detailed technical manner thus showing indepth understanding of the practical principles of the above systems.