The Lesedi Skills Academy offers the accredited MerSETA mechanical fitting artisan apprenticeship which usually runs over a 3-year period.
– Mechanical fitter course 653303
Entry into the apprenticeship will require that learners hold a completed N2 qualification with mathematics, science, technical drawing and trade theory.

FITTER CURRICULUM – DETAILED

1. LIFTING EQUIPMENT  14. PIPES AND FITTINGS/TUBING
2. MAINTENANCE PHILOSOPHIES 15. PUMPS
3. ALIGNMENT 16. SEALING COMPONENTS
4. BEARINGS 17. VALVES
5. BELT AND CHAIN DRIVES 18. BENCH WORK
6. BRAKES AND CLUTCHES 19. DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES
7. CONVEYORS 20. FASTENERS AND LOCKING DEVICES
8. COUPLINGS 21. HAND TOOLS, USE AND CARE OF
9. FILTERS AND STRAINERS 22. MATERIAL TYPES
10. GEARBOXES 23. MEASURING EQUIPMENT AND MARKING
11. HEAT EXCHANGES   OFF TOOLS
12. HYDRAULICS and PNEUMATICS (Theory and 24. POWER AND AIR TOOLS
  Practical) 25. WORKSHOP TOOLS AND MACHINES
13. LUBRICATION 26. WELDING

 

  1. LIFTING EQUIPMENT
  • Lifting equipment accessories
  • Slings
  • Hooks and Shackles
  • Eye bolts
  • Lifting equipment
  • Centre of Gravity (C OF G)
  • Hand Signals

 

  1. MAINTENANCE PHILOSOPHIES
  • Condition monitoring
  • Failure investigation
  • Modification programme
  • Reliability Centred Maintenance(RCM)
  • Systems, Applications, Products(SAP)

 

  1. ALIGNMENT

Theory and working principles

  • Preparations, calculations and soft feet (Rock).
  • Planning and pre-alignment checks
  • Axial, radial alignment and gap.

Range:

  • Horizontal-, vertical-, 90°-, V-belt-, chain drive alignment and misalignment (compensation alignment) and correct tensioning methods.

Equipment:

  • Step gauge, taper gauge, jig and feeler gauge, one clock and two clocks (dial test indicator-DTI), straight edge, dummy shaft, belt tensioner (gauge), Laser.

 

  1. BEARINGS

Theory/Practical and working principles

  • Theory on all bearings, tolerances, handling, floats, bearing failures, bearing selection from catalogues and application
  • Bushes: brass, bronze, iolite-bronze
  • Application, maintenance and care of bearings and bushes
  • Maintenance of bearings: clean, inspect and lubricate
  • Lubrication: lubricates, lubricators

Range:

  • Ball bearing:
  • Deep groove-, angular contact-, thrust- (single row and double row), cylindrical- (single row and double row)
  • Roller bearing,
  • Taper-, thrust-, cylindrical- (single row and double row), spherical thrust-Bearings with taper adapter sleeves, plummer blocks, copper split-, needle bearings
  • White metal bearings, journal bearings and thrust pads

Equipment:

  • Bearings pullers, hydraulic press, oil bath, light, hot plate, refrigerator, induction heater

 

  1. BELT AND CHAIN DRIVES

Theory and working principles

  • Alignment, tensioning, taper locks, types / selection, pullers / sprockets, remove & replace, tensioning devices, master links, flat belt jointing.

Range:

  • Flat, V-belt, polly-Vee, toothed belt or cam belt

 

  1. BRAKES AND CLUTCHES

Theory and working principles

  • Services and or inspect, repair and or relining, adjust

Range:

  • Discs, calliper, taper and cone, drums

 

  1. CONVEYORS

Theory and working principles

  • Conveyor belting construction, splicing, jointing, drives, tensioning (static and dynamic), idlers, scrapers, safety devices(guards), tipplers cars, weigh bridge, samplers, dust suppression, skirting and chutes, anti-runback devices

Range:

  • Chain conveyor, bucket conveyor, screw conveyor
  • Pullers – snub, tail, drive, bend, pulley lagging and changing of pulleys-theory only

 

  1. COUPLINGS

Theory and working principles

  • Maintenance ( lubrication) on Bibby, gear replace tyre on Fenner, overhaul (fluid drive / torque converter), remove and replace, taper locks and keys, couplings identification / application, balancing of couplings

Range:

  • Pin type coupling, Fenner flex, Bibby, Torque converters – centrifugal clutch, fluids drive (variable speed), Turbo flex, Gear type and Universal joints

 

  1. FILTERS AND STRAINERS

Theory and working principles

  • Dry filters, wet filters, clean, replace, filter medium (oil, water, fuel, air), filter material (size / microns), disposable re-useable, centrifuges and purifies (including oil heater)

 

  1. GEARBOXES

Theory/Practical and working principles

  • Maintenance and overhaul (different types of gears & their application), tooth profile (diametrical pitch), set bearing clearances and floats, oil scrapers and oil wedge, variable speed, set gear tooth contact area

Range

  • Epicycle gearbox, worm and worm wheel (top & bottom drive) single & double reduction, single and double helical, reduction gearbox with pinion gear (mesh pinion-intermediate)

 

  1. HEAT EXCHANGES

Theory and working principles

  • Radiators, condensers, heaters, coolers, cooling towers, maintain-pressure testing, repair and detect (tube leaks, re-tubing), cleaning methods (chemical dosing-tube brushing-taprogge system-magnesium blocks)

 

  1. HYDRAULICS and PNEUMATICS (Theory and Practical)

Theory and working principles

  • Symbols, system diagrams, fault finding pumps and valves, hydraulic motors and drives, accumulators, control system, pipes and fittings, lubrication on pneumatic systems

 

  1. LUBRICATION

Theory and working principles

  • Lubrication principles (types and application), medium (oil, grease, copper compound), characteristics (viscosity)
  • Lubrication methods (spring feeders, spring tension, drip feed, splash feed, force feed, gravity feed, wick feed, oil bath, flinger and manual.)
  • Lubricate composition
  • Lubricate analysis

 

  1. PIPES AND FITTINGS/TUBING

Theory and working principles

  • Thermal insulation theory, securing methods, standard sizing of pipes (O. D’s & I. D’s tables), bending/ sizes, cutting, pressure testing, jointing methods (fittings, flanges, ferrules, PVC weld). sealing methods (flaring, expanding, calculations, wall thickness, expander tension)

Range:

  • Types of pipes, galvanized, black steel pipe, plastic, PVC, HDPE

(high Density Poly Ethylene), steam pipe (seamless), stainless steel, steel pipe with glass, rubber or basalt lining

  • Types of tubing, copper, stainless steel, plastic, aluminium, glass
  • Fittings: Nipples(all), unions, sockets, reduces (nipples and sockets), elbows, bends, T-piece, flanges (tables), plugs, threading, couplings (Johnson and Jacob’s)

 

  1. PUMPS

Theory and working principles

  • Balance piston and axial thrust, glands (mechanical seals, floats and clearances), gaskets (maintenance and fault finding), cavitation, gland seals, shaft trueness, straightness and run out.

Range:

  • Centrifugal (single stage, multi -stage)
  • Positive displacement (piston or reciprocating gear-, vane-, screw-, rotary-, diaphragm- and mono pump)

 

  1. SEALING COMPONENTS

Theory and working principles

  • Handling asbestos packing and gaskets, heat shields

Range:

  • Klingerite, brown paper, cork, Velamoid, rubber and O-rings, mechanical seals, graphite (pressure seal), PTFE (tape), liquid gaskets, Teflon / carbon, Metaflex, copper washer and sot metal, gland packing (structure, components, additives and lubrication )
  • Oil seal and split seals, lantern ring, Labyrinth seal felt seal, face to face sealing, life shield (bearing protection on pumps)

 

  1. VALVES

Theory/Practical and working principles

  • Glands, lapping, grinding, matching, cutting (Sempell valves) and all other valves, gaskets, maintenance – non-destructive testing and visual body inspection, overhaul

Range:

  • Parallel slide-, globe stop-, wedge gate-, none return-, needle-, control-, (temperature control), relief-, and safety-, ball-, butterfly-, diaphragm-, pinch-, domestic-, knife gate- and spade-, cock-, vent valve
  • Change over mechanism

 

  1. BENCH WORK

Theory/Practical and working principles

  • Bench- and pipe vice (use and care), clamping devices (drilling purpose), hacksaw – blade (selection, tension, use), drills (sharpens angles for different materials, tolerances, drill bit selection, speeds & feeds, drilling problems, causes & solutions) reamers (selection, use, reaming problems, causes & solutions, tap extractor, cutting medium), bending (pipe & plate), chipping, chisslling, lapping, sharpening of scrapers, use of files, thread (stocks and dies), key fitting, drill, ream and fit taper pins and dowel pins, taper broaches, Helicoils

Range

  • Straight & taper shank, counters sink drill, flat bottom, reamer

(parallel, taper, expandable), Cutting tin snips, scraping (flat and radial), File (flat, square, round, half round triangular), keys (gib head, parallel, feather, woodruff, taper)

 

  1. DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES

Theory and working principles

  • Symbols (abbreviations, tolerance), interpret mechanical engineering drawings, elections, simple sketches, surface textures (finishes), line types and scales, dimensioning, sectioning

 

  1. FASTENERS AND LOCKING DEVICES

Theory and working principles

  • Use and application (thread types), wire method, circlips, collets, jubilee clamps, stripping (band-it), pop rivets, self-tapping screws, torque settings of bolt, locking and lubrication compounds, Crosby clamps (torque settings)

Range:

  • Hexagon head bolts and set screws, running-, barrel studs, Allen cap-, Allen countersunk-, Grub screws
  • Nuts: (Fiction nylon inserts, castle nuts, lock nuts)
  • Washers: (Flat, spring, lock, taper washer, lock plates)
  • Pins: (split, taper, parallel and barrel pins)

 

  1. HAND TOOLS, USE AND CARE OF

Range:

  • Adjustable wrenches (shifting spanners), bell punches, broaching tools, chisels, circlip pliers, die nuts, easy outs, files, flat (half round, round nose), flogging spanners, hacksaws, hammers, Helicoils and insert tools, pin punchers, pliers reamers (straight, taper, expendable), scrapers (straight and bend), screwdrivers (flat, Phillips), sockets, spanners (ring/flat combination set), Stilton wrenches, stocks and dies, taps, tin snips, torque wrenches

 

  1. MATERIAL TYPES

Range:

  • Aluminium, Brass, Bronze (Lead bronze phosphor bronze, aluminium bronze), Cast iron, Copper (Mallory) Electroplating, Galvanizing (protection), Glass, Hard chroming, Hardening (tempering), High tensile (EN19/F65/EN23), Key steel (EN3B, EN9), Nylon (Teflon, tufnol, vescanite),Oilite, Perspex, PVC, Stainless steel, White metal

 

  1. MEASURING EQUIPMENT AND MARKING OFF TOOLS

Theory and working principles

  • Use and care of: angle plate, belt tensioner, bevel protractor, callipers (inside, outside & jenny, dividers), clock gauges, drill angles gauge, dumpy level, engineers square, feeler gauge, height gauge, marking off table, micrometres (inside & outside, depth), prick and center punch, radius gauge, scriber, spirit level/engineering level, steel measuring tape, steel ruler, step and taper gauges, straight edge, surface gauge telescopic gauge, thermometer (digital), thread pitch gauge and screw cutting gauge, trammels, v-block, Vernier

 

  1. POWER AND AIR TOOLS

Theory and working principles

  • Use and care of power and air tools, Hydraulic torque machine impact wrench, Lubrication of air tools, inspect plug electric cord for safety lapping machine

Range:

  • Electric: grinder, pistol drill
  • Pneumatic: grinder, pistol drill, de-scaler

 

  1. WORKSHOP TOOLS AND MACHINES

Theory and working principles

  • Identity, use and maintain

Range:

  • Band saw (horizontal and vertical), grinding wheels, hand guillotine, hydraulic pipe bender- dollies, -press, -jacks, -pullers, lapping machine, mechanical jacks, mechanical press, pedestal and bench grinders, power saw, pressure pump, radial arm-, column- & pedestal drill, screw cutting machine, surface grinder

 

  1. WELDING

Theory/Practical and working principles

  • MANUAL ARC WELDING

Theory – safety and operation, identity and set up arc welding machine, equipment, start-up and shut down procedure, prepare material for arc welding (joint preparation), voltage, amperages and welding consumables, tack an arc weld work piece

  • GAS WELDING AND BRAZING

Identify and set up oxygen / acetylene welding equipment, light up, adjust as pressures & shut down procedures, selection of nozzle to materials thickness, preparation of materials, differentiate between brazing and gas welding, braze and gas weld work piece according the trade

  • GAS CUTTING AND HEATING

Identify and assemble gas cutting and heating equipment, light -up and shut down procedures, select nozzles and gas pressures for cutting and heating, different materials of various thickness, hand cut and/or heat materials according to the trade