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Fluid Power Fitting
- What is fluid power fitting?
- What does a fluid power fitter do?
- What work is carried out by fluid power fitters?
- Is fluid power fitting a good career choice?
- What employment and career opportunities are available in fluid power fitting?
- What skills must a fluid power fitter develop?
- What training and qualifications are available for fluid power fitters?
- What if I need more information?
- What competencies do I require for this skill?
What is fluid power fitting?
Fluid power fitting is a specialist metals and engineering skill area in which highly trained tradespeople called fluid power fitters work. Overseas, fluid power fitters are described as engineers or fluid power technicians.
What does a fluid power fitter do?
A fluid power fitter is an engineering tradesperson who installs, maintains and/or repairs hydraulically and/or pneumatically operated and/or controlled machines.
Fluid
power is a technology seen in every phase of modern life - manufacturing (car
making), rescue (jaws of life), construction (bobcats), mining (excavators),
transport (trains, ferries, trucks), food processing (packaging machines),
medical technology (dentist drill and chair), and amusement parks (fun rides).
The range and type of work carried-out is as vast and varied as the various industries they service. To meet the challenges of new technology used in these industries, the trade classification of Fitter Special Class Fluid Power has been established to recognise the specialisation of this practitioner.
The main tasks of a fluid power fitter are:
- Installation. Depending on the size and number of items to be installed, a fluid power fitter may work alone or as part of a team and will have the responsibility of unpacking, positioning, installing and commissioning new machines, plant and/or other equipment in factories and other work sites. The installation may be as large as a power station, or be part (or all) of a factory and its contents.
- Routine maintenance. Fitters are typically responsible for carrying-out routine (scheduled) maintenance on machines, plant and equipment once they are in service to keep them in working order. Tasks would include routine topping up or replacing the oil in reservoirs, periodically change fluids and filters at scheduled times, replace damaged hoses and make minor adjustments as required.
Diagnostics
and repairs. At some stage of its working life, components fail. This
may be due to misalignment, over load, misuse, wear or breakage. As a
result the machine, plant or equipment may begin to show signs of impending
failure, or it may fail to operate. In any case, a fluid power fitter
will invariably be called to diagnose the problem, locate its cause, then
repair it and any other secondary problems caused by the initial problem- Overhaul and/or modify. Due to the cost of replacing older machines, plant and equipment, it is often preferable to recondition or overhaul them, than to replace them. In such cases the fitter dismantles the machine, plant or equipment, analyses each of its components for wear, replaces or repairs those components as required, then reassembles the machine, plant or equipment, and commissions it back into working order.
To carry out these and other tasks, fluid power fitters will often development specialisation in certain skills areas. This specialisation often crosses over traditional trade boundaries.
Specialist fitting areas/roles include:-
- General fitter with limited electrical licence - a fitting qualification with a further limited electrical qualification that allows the fitter to disconnect/reconnect electrical units (such as motors) from the power supply to allow the unit to be worked on.
Pneumatics
- If the energy is in the form of compressed airflow then it is known
as pneumatics.- Hydraulics - If the energy is in the form of pressurised liquid flow then it is called hydraulics.
- Mechatronics - specialisation in the installation, maintenance and repair of electro-mechanical components.
- Plant mechanic - specialisation in heavy fitting, mobile fluid power, welding and perhaps standing diesel engines, to enable the fitter (plant mechanic) to install, maintain and repair large industrial machines, plant and equipment in heavy industries such as mining.
The fluid power fitter may work from engineering drawings and/or service manuals. When these are not available, the fitter must rely on his/her own knowledge of mechanical components and processes, to plan, schedule, diagnose and implement their own systems and mechanisms as required.
What work is carried out by fluid power fitters?
Typically,
fluid power fitters work as salaried employees who work on site for their
employer. Alternatively, they may work as a franchisee driving their own service
van repairing hoses and equipment on call as required.
Depending on their specialisation, fluid power fitters may be required to carry out work: - Tasks as simple as a hose on a machine in a factory, or as complex as fully dismantling, repairing and reassembling a machine worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. on components that are so small that a low power magnifying glass is needed to inspect it for signs of wear or maladjustment.
They may also work on equipment as large as a power-station pump/generator, or a ship propeller drives requiring use of massive cranes and lifting equipment or on equipment at a mine site or in a mine maintenance workshop, on site at a power station, or on any other industrial machines, plant or equipment powered by fluid power at any other industrial site such as a factory, at sea on a ship, or below ground in a mine.
Is fluid power fitting a good career choice?
Yes. Many opportunities exist for experienced fluid power fitters to expand into the service industry such as hydraulic hose repair, system design, sales engineering, trouble shooting consulting and programmable logic control design/installation.
There are good work opportunities maintaining and repairing existing plant and equipment, especially for those who have additional specialised skills. Fluid power fitting is generally a satisfying career with scope for advancement within the employer’s company.
Alternatively,
fluid power fitters often elect to start their own business, to work as a
specialist sub-contractor to exploit a profitable market niche, rather than
work for someone else. In either case, the fluid power fitter has the satisfaction
of being responsible for installing, maintaining and/or repairing machines,
plant and equipment often worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A major part of a fluid power fitter's job satisfaction is being able to directly diagnose and solve problems with a piece of engineering machinery, plant or equipment using his/her own skills and knowledge. Although some jobs may require days or weeks to complete, there is always tangible evidence of the day’s effort.
Lack of opportunity to see and touch what has been achieved or made at the end of the day is often reported by workers in other professions as the reason for reduced job satisfaction. Because no two fitting jobs are identical, fitting work does not become boring or repetitious, which adds to job satisfaction.
What employment and career opportunities are available in fluid power fitting?
Competent fluid power fitters are often paid above-award wages. Throughout the fitter’s career, he/she would typically have several career opportunities available to them including:-
- “remaining on the tools�, that is, working as a fitter. With increasing experience and qualifications, these fitters would typically progress up the salary scale beyond the trade levels into the technician level salary ranges.
- "opening his/her own specialist fluid power fitting business" to exploit a market opportunity
- "transferring from the fitting workshop" to the engineering design section of the business to concentrate on planning, maintenance scheduling or repair and design work as an engineering technician.
With further study, the fitter could also progress onto engineering qualification using the fitting qualification and experience for advanced standing, specialising in the sub-contracting of fitting skills and labour to customers both in Australia and, increasingly overseas.
What skills must a fluid power fitter develop?
A fitter must develop good analytical, diagnostic and hands-on practical skills. These skills are very transportable to other industrial applications and situations. Skills which a fluid power fitter would normally use at work would include the ability to:
- Methodically plan then carry-out a wide range of installation, maintenance and repair tasks, sometimes in difficult or dangerous situations. Develop a wide understanding of engineering processes, mechanisms and machine operations.
- Develop an ability to quickly and accurately diagnostic faults in a wide range of industrial processes, machines and equipment master the hand skills required to effectively disassemble and reassemble this range of engineering machines and equipment.
- Work to tight fitting tolerances. A fitter may at times be expected to dismantle and reassemble engineering components to within size variations of only a few micrometres (that is, about ¼ the thickness of a human hair) or less.
- Use of a wide range of installation, maintenance and diagnostic tools and equipment (often state of the art / high tech and valued at tens of thousands of dollars).
- Develop and/or interpret two-dimensional engineering drawings of engineering components or machines, interpret spare parts and service/repair manuals and/or schedules Work alone, or in small teams, with minimal or no supervision.
What training and qualifications are available for fluid power fitters?
To become a fluid power fitter, employers would normally seek job applicants who have at least completed the School Certificate. Job seekers who have undertaken the Higher School Certificate, are often highly regarded, and so may be given advanced standing/exemptions in their studies at TAFE.
You will need to undertake a 4-year apprenticeship or traineeship under the New Apprenticeship Scheme in Fluid Power, which is a specialist trade combining fitting, machining and fluid power courses.
Whilst you are an apprentice (4 year term) your wages are usually set as a percentage of the qualified tradesperson level.
As a guide, in: -
| 1. First year | 42% |
| 2. Second year | 55% |
| 3. Third year | 75% |
| 4. Fourth year | 88% |
You can also complete an apprenticeship in fitting and machining or toolmaking and then complete post-trade qualification studies at Certificate IV level.
Either way you will become a highly qualified and paid technician with very specialised training and very good to excellent job prospects. Depending on their level of training and experience, a fluid power fitter may be considered to be either a tradesperson at Certificate III qualification level, or engineering technician up to Certificate IV level of qualification. Both options provide paid employment while skills are being learned. Once completed, the Trade Certificate III qualification can be used for advanced standing toward a relevant TAFE Certificate IV or Diploma qualification.
The
Engineering Skills Centre at Sydney Institute, Ultimo has one of the best-equipped
training centres in NSW.
What if I need more information?
For further advice related to fluid power fitting as a career you could contact:-
Engineering Skills Centre at Sydney
Institute, Ultimo (TAFE NSW) 
Manufacturing and Engineering Division
TAFE NSW
ACTU (Australian Council Of Trade Unions).
Related trades:
Fitter
Fluid Power Fitter
Machinist
Toolmaker
Metal Fabricator/Welder
Blacksmith
Draftsperson
Mechanical Engineering Associate
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