Material Machining and Specialist Tool Use Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply safe working practices and use personal protective equipment during machining operations.
• Set up and operate machining equipment (e.g., lathes, milling machines, grinders) to produce components within specified tolerances.
• Select and use specialist tools (e.g., cutting tools, measuring instruments, jigs and fixtures) appropriate for the material and machining process.
• Analyze machining parameters such as speed, feed, and depth of cut to optimize material removal and surface finish.
• Inspect finished components using precision measuring instruments and verify compliance with engineering drawings and specifications.
• Perform routine maintenance and basic troubleshooting on machining equipment and specialist tools.

Target Audience

This course is intended for artisans, technicians, and machine operators who are involved in material machining processes and wish to enhance their proficiency with specialist tools.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Hands-on practical sessions form the core of this course, allowing learners to apply safety procedures, measurement techniques, and machining operations on real equipment. Learners will progress from basic hand tools to advanced CNC setup, culminating in a final integrated project that demonstrates competence across all unit standard outcomes.

Practical Activities

• Hand Tools and Measurement Practical — Learners measure and mark out components using vernier callipers, micrometers, and scribers, then perform filing, sawing, and hand threading operations on mild steel. (8h)
• Power Tools and Grinding Practical — Learners safely operate drills, saws, and bench grinders to cut, drill, and grind steel and aluminium workpieces, including sharpening a lathe tool. (8h)
• Lathe Operations Practical — Learners set up a centre lathe, perform facing, turning, taper turning, and single-point threading to produce a stepped shaft with a threaded end. (10h)
• Milling and Specialist Tools Practical — Learners set up a vertical milling machine, mill a keyway, and use a reamer to produce a precision hole, then broach an internal keyway. (8h)
• CNC Setup and Final Project Practical — Learners load a G-code program, set tool offsets and workpiece zero, simulate and run a simple CNC turning or milling operation, then produce a final component combining manual and CNC processes. (6h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.