Apprenticeship training course

Material cutter (level 2)

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Information about Material cutter (level 2)

Cut specified material components by hand or by machine using templates or measurements and then prepare the components for assembly.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The material cutters role, responsibilities, and position within the wider production operation.
  • Operational insight: types of products produced and types of customers (clothing, home wear, retailers, bespoke).
  • The end to end production process, quality requirements, deadlines and targets, performance rates (efficiency).
  • Commercial considerations (efficiency, material cost, production costs).
  • Health and Safety: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Manual Handling, Risk Assessments, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Chain mail gloves), machine guards.
  • Environment and sustainability; Environmental Protection Act 1990, consequences of waste disposal (landfill), energy efficiency.
  • Work-station ergonomics; posture and positioning whilst cutting.
  • Workload planning for example scheduling and prioritisation.
  • The construction, behaviour and appropriate use of different types of materials: canvas, leather, silk, vinyl, woollens.
  • Material characteristics: quality, colour, pattern, print, pile, correct side.
  • Material matching techniques for stripes, checks, pattern repeat, print placement.
  • Material faults and fault tolerances; shading, discoloration, print error, holes, marks.
  • Component shapes and product parts.
  • Cutting specifications and instructions; the number to be cut, grain line, size, pairs.
  • Mathematical techniques for cutting, measuring and calculating meterage.
  • Measuring tools, equipment and techniques.
  • Material spreading and transferring information requirements; darts, ease, pocket positions.
  • Lay planning and pattern placement techniques; manual and machine.
  • Manual and machine cutting techniques; quality check requirements.
  • Material cutting machines and equipment: knives, cutting machines, press, scissors; their purpose.
  • The consequence of machine/equipment mis-use - accidents, machine isolation.
  • First line preventative maintenance requirements: checking, cleaning, sharpening, or changing blades.
  • Re-cut request procedures and the re-cut process.
  • Continuous improvement techniques: lean, 6-Sigma, KAIZEN, 5S (Sort, Set In order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain).
  • Documentation requirements and their purpose: specification sheets, work records, labels.
  • Verbal and written communication techniques.
  • Material cutter terminology: ease, pairs, grain, right side.
  • Team working techniques and benefits.
  • Equality and Diversity in the workplace.

  Skills

  • Read, interpret, and follow information for example work instructions, material specifications.
  • Prepare the work area for cutting materials.
  • Maintain the work area.
  • Follow health and safety regulations, legislation and procedures; PPE, manual handling, lifting procedures and ergonomic practice.
  • Follow environmental and sustainability regulations and procedures.
  • Estimate and calculate material requirements to complete the job.
  • Select material following specification or instruction.
  • Inspect materials against specifications and quality standard.
  • Check lay plan.
  • Prepare materials for cutting for example lay and spread material.
  • Select, check and use tools/equipment for the task.
  • Cut material by hand and/or machine for example band knife, shears, laser.
  • Check quality of the lay post cut for example waste minimised, grain, component positioning, colour continuity.
  • Check cut components.
  • Prepare material for the next stage of the production process for example bundling, labelling.
  • Identify and segregate material for reuse, recycling and disposal.
  • Check and clean tools and equipment and sharpen or change blades as required.
  • Report cutting issues for example material faults, equipment faults shortages, required recuts, lay plan.
  • Apply continuous improvement techniques.
  • Communicate with colleagues: verbal.
  • Enter information - written or electronic.

  Behaviours

  • Prioritises health, safety and the environment, for example follows safe ergonomic practices, ensures safety and welfare of self and others and adopts environmental working practices.
  • Uses own initiative, for example when dealing with material faults and flaws.
  • Adaptable and flexible, for example in response to changes in priorities and work deadlines.
  • Team player, for example keeps others informed, interacts proactively, considers impact of actions on others, and takes account of equality and diversity.
  • Takes ownership and responsibility, for example seeks to meet quality targets, completes allocated work on time, escalates issues.
  • Professional, for example polite and courteous, a good timekeeper, has a positive can-do attitude.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Engineering and manufacturing
• Qualification level: 2; Equal to GCSE
• Course duration: 12 months
• Maximum funding: £5,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Cutter
  • Cutting operative
  • Fabric cutter
  • Manufacturing cutter
  • Material cutter
  • Sample cutter
  • Textile cutter

View more information about Material cutter (level 2) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.