Food and drink engineer

Food and Drink Engineers have the following knowledge and understanding:

K1

Legislative, regulatory and ethical requirements, such as Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres (DSEAR) and Atmospheres and Explosives (ATEX) regulations, and their application to food engineering processes; food safety, hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), health & safety and environmental considerations

K2

Food science and technology; how engineering is used in food and drink production: heating processing, packaging, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), preservation, chilling, freezing, sterilisation

K3

Engineering processes and equipment including automation and controls to make and deliver products to market: shaping forming equipment, ovens, chillers, freezers, sterilisers, MAP packing machines, check weighers, temperers, washing/cleaning, fillers, extruders, bulk solid handling & distribution and liquid systems process validation, sieving, filtration, metal detection, bar code verification metal detection wrapping and palletising

K4

Engineering theory and techniques to develop processes i.e. thermodynamic and thermo-fluid analysis heat transfer can be applied to design of baking, cooling, preserving, freezing, chilling systems

K5

Hygienic engineering principles relating to type of material, machine assembly, design and practice; and their importance to delivering food hygiene and safety and employee health and safety requirements in a food and drink process

K6

Packing materials in food; inter-relationships with food ingredients, final product and their effects on safety, quality and performance through the supply chain i.e. how to engineer correct seals on film, cardboard, tins, stable transportation, moisture barriers

K7

Problem solving tools to analyse e.g. Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve Control (DMAIC) principles

K8

Interpretation and evaluation techniques

K9

Overall Equipment Efficiencies (OEE), for example Smart Reliability Driven Maintenance approaches including Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM)/ Failure mode, effects, and critical analysis (FMECA), Condition Monitoring Techniques and applications, Single minute change of Die (SMED), Line balance

K10

Risk management techniques, reliability/criticality tools and how they are used to reduce operational losses/wastage operations

K11

Life Cycle Asset Management (LCAM), Criticality Analysis & Technology Selection (CATS), Intelligent Maintenance, Repair and Operations (inventory) (MRO) Optimisation

K12

Product, machinery specifications: how they are used to set capability measurement, performance testing and maintenance requirements to deliver a standard set of operating conditions for consistent product delivery

K13

Effective planning and scheduling, including effective communication, team working and project management techniques

K14

Customer/food trade association standards, such as British Retail Consortium, Retailer and Engineering standards

K15

General manufacturing services: steam, pneumatics and hydraulics, electrical supply, refrigeration, water supply and effluent

K16

Manufacturing services specific to food: air filtration, oil free compressors, cleanliness of steam for food, sieving of materials, use of food grade lubricant, primary secondary cooling chemicals for food, MAP gases and generation i.e. Nitrogen

K17

Factory digitisation/optimisation (Iot, Factory 2020 principles), for example principles of control engineering, logic controllers and data communication systems, sensors and devices, drives and transmissions, pumps and distribution systems, safety circuit systems, computer aided design, shop floor data gathering, PC use and computerised maintenance

K18

Digitisation: 4.0, modelling of lines/process, 3d modelling scanning and printing, product dimensional measurement, rheology measurement

Food and Drink Engineers will demonstrate the following skills and can:

S1

Use engineering principles to deliver products/packaged food

S2

Comply with standard operating procedures, company, legal and regulatory requirements and customer/consumer and engineering standards

S3

Plan, for example labour and engineering materials

S4

Influence and communicate with colleagues and others, such as engineers, other functions and teams

S5

Assess team and individual performance, provide feedback to improve; coach and mentor

S6

Use continuous improvement techniques, for example apply quality management principles, participate in failure investigations and contribute to and implement practical engineering solutions for efficiency and/or profitability

S7

Use IT, digitisation and manual methods to collect data from systems to support engineering activity within the business

S8

Use and develop planned preventative maintenance (PPM) strategies, incorporate appropriate proactive maintenance routines, such as vibration analysis, thermography, simple visual/part measurement

S9

Analyse operational performance, specification and data

S10

Evaluate possible failure modes and identify strategy, for example technical risk assessment methods, PPM to RCM techniques

S11

Contribute to the construction and commissioning of equipment and machinery used for producing preserved/fresh and safe food and drink products

Food and Drink Engineers demonstrate the following behaviours

B1

Safe working, for example promotes a culture of food safety and safe working practices

B2

Takes ownership of work, for example takes responsibility and ownership of decision making for good food practice; is proactive, and demonstrates initiative; plans work: dependable; works autonomously within own sphere of responsibility

B3

Shows pride in work, for example strong work ethic; displays a positive mind set; pays attention to detail; looks for new ways of working that improve outcomes and results

B4

Committed to self-development, for example seeks learning, drives the development of self and others; maintains and enhances own practice through continuing professional development activity

B5

Shows integrity and respect, for example promotes integrity in process and site standards, respects others, promotes good communication at all levels, adapts personal style to meet work needs

B6

Team player, for example drives good relationships with others, works collaboratively, contributes ideas and challenges appropriately

B7

Responsive to change, for example flexible to changing working environment and demands; resilient under pressure

B8

Shows company/industry perspective, for example promotes the position of the business in relation to market and competition, keeps up to date with industry and market advancement, commercially aware

Mechanical Food and Drink Engineers have the following knowledge and understanding:

MK1

Mechanical design, mechanical analysis (static) performance of components, mechanisms and systems; study of friction wear; the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion (tribology)

MK2

Laws of thermodynamics and its applications within a hygienic food and drink environment: the fundamentals of heat transfer, thermo-fluid analysis, entropy, energy efficiency; conservation and sustainability

MK3

Steam fundamentals such as fuel types, combustion, feedwater, boiler controls and instrumentation, operation of boilers, safety and legal requirements and boiler efficiency

MK4

Heat recovery systems and energy management including the requirements of efficient best practice

Mechanical Food and Drink Engineers will demonstrate the following skills and can:

MS1

Design, produce, and operate mechanical machinery

MS2

Design power circuits, utilising software and calculation

MS3

Apply specialist reliability engineering techniques to prevent or reduce the likelihood or frequency of failures i.e. vibration analysis, oil sampling, heat mapping, non-destructive testing

MS4

Apply thermodynamic theory to more complex engineering systems, for example tempering chocolate, cleaning systems, sterilisation, vacuum cooling

MS5

Design and improve systems, for example steam, water or air

Electrical Food and Drink Engineers have the following knowledge and understanding:

EK1

Electrical and electronic systems, design techniques and their applications to British Standards

EK2

Installation of systems and supply systems following food safety standards e.g. tray work

EK3

Advanced electrical principles (low voltage (LV) to high voltage (HV))

EK4

Instrumentation and calibration techniques for systems, for example thermo, weights and flow

EK5

Automation and control systems primarily with the following low voltage systems, i.e. building automation systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controls, access control systems, data cabling and fiber optic cable installation and termination

EK6

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and network systems

EK7

Electrical safety systems and smart solutions

Electrical Food and Drink Engineers will demonstrate the following skills, and can:

ES1

Design and configure electrical systems i.e. add distribution boards to circuits

ES2

Modell dynamic systems utilising software tools

ES3

Design and modify electrical control engineering systems i.e.: Engineering LAN/ network

ES4

Diagnose faults on complex control systems

ES5

Decipher complex programme sequences in higher and lower level languages

Duration

Typically 3-years

Typical Entry  Requirements

Individual employers will set their own entry requirements in terms of prior academic qualifications and vocational experience. Typically candidates will have 2 A-levels at Grade B or equivalent, including A-level in maths or equivalent and at least one further STEM based subject and 5 GCSEs including English and maths (grade C or above). The Apprenticeship as a Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer provides a preparation route for this Apprenticeship.

Level 

5

English and Maths

Apprentices must achieve level 2 English and maths prior to taking end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualifications for those whom this is their primary language.

Qualification

Foundation Degree  in Food Engineering

Renewal

This apprenticeship standard will be reviewed after 2 years

Professional Recognition

Completion of the apprenticeship is designed to be recognised by the relevant professional institutions as contributing towards the appropriate level of professional registration (Incorporated Engineer). However, it is recognised that additional experiential evidence may be required.