Job Abstract

IAM Hourly represented employees who currently work at the main (Sunnyvale/Palo Alto) unit, Santa Cruz, Vandenburg Air Force Base or Eastern Range facilities must apply to open requisitions on Brass Ring to be considered for the position.

OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY
This occupation requires the developmental fabrication of prototype composite parts and
assemblies.

WORK PERFORMED
Plan sequence of operations and methods for development of prototype composite parts
and assemblies.
Lay out developmental parts when templates are not provided, working from
engineering design information, blueprints and sketches.
Work on developmental parts and assemblies requiring the exercise of a knowledge of
composite shop theory and practice and ingenuity in developing and selecting the most
effective fabrication methods by trial and error operations.

Perform such physical operations in developing prototype composite parts and assemblies as:
1. Establishing proper method of setting up work in mold or die.
2. Establishing proper method of laying cloth and tape to build up laminates.
3. Determining dimensions and construction of pressure bags.
4. Establishing temperature time cycles, pressures and time tolerances.
5. Proof-checking project tools, after developing prototype composite parts.
Check first-run parts for overall dimensions, conformity to specifications, defects, and
make recommendations for correction of molds, dies, jigs, etc., and methods and
techniques used.
Work with Tooling Builders and other authorized personnel, in developing tooling and
parts, and assist supervision in setting up composite parts and assemblies fabrication
on a production basis.
Make temporary tooling, and shop aids as required.

TYPICAL MATERIALS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED
Materials worked on: thermo-setting composite laminates, composite sheets.
Materials worked with: resins, catalysts, parting compounds, cleaning and sealing
compounds, hot molds, liquid plastic mixes, accelerator liquids, graphite epoxy cloth,
abrasives, tape, cellophane.

Tools used: hand tools such as scrapers, putty knives, files, scissor, marking pencils,
brushes, swabs, measures, micrometers, rules, scales, dial indicators, calipers.
Equipment used: molds, heating and curing equipment, vacuum equipment, hydraulic
press, router, band and circle saws, rotary files, disc sanders, drilling equipment, air
hose; pressure and temperature measuring instruments; pins, spacers, bleeder strips,
hoists. To apply a knowledge of composite shop practice, theory, and procedures, including the physical properties of composites and their forming and fabricating characteristics.
To work from blueprints, sketches or other authorized documents which are not fully detailed and missing information must be supplied by the worker from knowledge of best composite fabrication methods and best shop practice.
To set-up and operate all machines and equipment necessary in performance of the above-described work.
To work to exacting tolerances.
To improvise supplementary tooling. To use precision-measuring instruments.
To use shop mathematics, including elementary algebra and
geometry.