Assembler (ETI0482)

Course Description

ETI0482 – Assembler is a 150-clock-hour Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) course within Florida's Engineering Technologies > Industrial Systems Technology taxonomy. The course prepares students for entry-level employment as industrial assemblers in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and related industries. Students develop competency in interpreting engineering documentation, using hand and power tools, applying hardware and fastening systems, following workplace safety standards, and performing quality inspections on assembled components and subassemblies. Instruction is delivered through a combination of classroom theory and extensive hands-on laboratory practice aligned to Florida Department of Education (FDOE) industry standards and employer-validated competencies.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate safe work practices in an industrial or manufacturing environment, including compliance with OSHA general industry standards, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and hazard communication (HazCom/GHS).
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, assembly diagrams, bills of materials (BOM), and work orders to perform assembly tasks accurately.
• Select, use, and maintain common hand tools and power tools (e.g., torque wrenches, screwdrivers, drills, riveters) in accordance with manufacturer specifications and safety guidelines.
• Apply appropriate fasteners and joining methods, including threaded fasteners, rivets, adhesives, and mechanical fits, to specified torque values and assembly tolerances.
• Perform dimensional inspection and quality checks using precision measuring instruments (calipers, micrometers, gauges) to verify conformance to specifications.
• Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and assembly work instructions to complete components and subassemblies to required standards.
• Identify and apply principles of quality assurance, including defect identification, non-conformance reporting, and basic statistical process control (SPC) concepts.
• Demonstrate proper material handling techniques, including safe lifting, storage of components, and use of material handling equipment.
• Complete required production documentation and traceability records accurately.

Optional Outcomes

Institutions may also address the following outcomes based on local industry needs and program specialization:

• Apply lean manufacturing principles (5S, waste elimination, continuous improvement) within the assembly environment.
• Perform basic electrical or mechanical subassembly tasks, such as wire harnessing, connector installation, or mechanical sub-component integration.
• Use computer-based work instruction systems or manufacturing execution systems (MES) to retrieve and document assembly data.
• Demonstrate soldering or bonding techniques relevant to electronics or structural assemblies (e.g., IPC J-STD-001 basic awareness).
• Identify and apply aerospace or defense assembly standards (e.g., AS9100, MIL-SPEC references) where applicable to local employer requirements.
• Demonstrate teamwork and communication skills within a production cell or work team environment.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Workplace Safety and OSHA Compliance – Hazard identification, PPE selection and use, lockout/tagout (LOTO), HazCom/GHS, ergonomics, and emergency procedures.
• Blueprint Reading and Engineering Documentation – Orthographic projection, assembly drawings, detail drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) fundamentals, BOM interpretation, and revision control.
• Tools and Equipment – Identification, selection, calibration, care, and safe use of hand tools, power tools, torque tools, pneumatic tools, and assembly fixtures.
• Fasteners and Joining Systems – Types and classes of threaded fasteners (bolts, screws, nuts, studs), torque specifications, locking devices, rivets, pins, retaining rings, adhesives, and sealants.
• Precision Measurement and Inspection – Use of rulers, calipers, micrometers, depth gauges, and go/no-go gauges; measurement uncertainty; and recording inspection data.
• Assembly Processes and Work Instructions – Following written and visual SOPs, sequence of assembly, use of jigs and fixtures, and component identification and traceability.
• Quality Assurance Fundamentals – Introduction to quality management, defect identification and classification, non-conformance documentation, first-article inspection, and continuous improvement concepts.
• Material Handling and Storage – Safe manual handling techniques, use of carts and hoists, ESD (electrostatic discharge) awareness, and component storage and kitting.
• Production Documentation and Traceability – Completing traveler documents, time reporting, serial/lot number recording, and basic computer data entry for production records.

Optional Topics

• Lean Manufacturing and 5S – Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain; visual workplace management; and introduction to kaizen and waste reduction.
• Basic Electrical and Mechanical Subassembly – Wire harnessing fundamentals, connector and terminal crimping, routing and securing of cables, and mechanical sub-component installation.
• Soldering and Bonding Awareness – Basic soldering safety and technique awareness, adhesive bonding surface preparation, and cure verification.
• Aerospace and Defense Assembly Standards – Overview of AS9100, FAA/military specification awareness, First Article Inspection (FAI) requirements, and configuration control basics.
• Computer-Based Manufacturing Systems – Introduction to manufacturing execution systems (MES), electronic work instructions, and digital recordkeeping.
• Statistical Process Control (SPC) Awareness – Basic control charts, process capability concepts, and reading SPC data for assembly line monitoring.

Resources & Tools

• Textbooks / References: Manufacturing Engineering and Technology (Kalpakjian & Schmid); OSHA General Industry Standards (29 CFR 1910); Machinery's Handbook (Industrial Press); manufacturer-supplied tool and equipment manuals.
• Laboratory Equipment: Assembly workbenches and fixtures, torque wrenches and torque testers, pneumatic and electric power tools, precision measuring instruments (calipers, micrometers, gauges), rivet guns, and ESD-safe workstations.
• Standards Documents: ASME Y14.5 (GD&T), IPC J-STD-001 (soldering awareness), AS9100 overview documentation, and OSHA HazCom/GHS quick-reference guides.
• Digital Resources: Florida DOE PSAV program frameworks (flscns.fldoe.org), MSSC (Manufacturing Skill Standards Council) study materials, and employer-provided electronic work instruction systems where available.
• Software: Basic computer skills for MES data entry; Microsoft Office or equivalent for documentation tasks.

Career Pathways

Completion of ETI0482 prepares students for entry-level employment in a wide range of manufacturing and industrial sectors. Common job titles and pathways include:

• Production Assembler / Manufacturing Assembler – General manufacturing, consumer goods, and industrial equipment producers.
• Aerospace Assembler / Structural Assembler – Florida's aerospace and defense industry (e.g., companies in Brevard County Space Coast corridor, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, L3Harris).
• Electromechanical Assembler – Medical device manufacturers, defense electronics, and automation equipment producers.
• Quality Control Inspector (entry-level) – With additional quality training, graduates may advance to inspection roles.
• Maintenance Technician Apprentice – Pathway to advanced ETI courses in industrial maintenance and mechatronics.

This course may be stacked with other PSAV or A.S. program coursework in Industrial Systems Technology, Engineering Technology, or Advanced Manufacturing to build toward associate degree credentials and higher-level occupational certifications.

Special Information

Certification Preparation

Students who complete ETI0482 may be eligible to sit for the following industry-recognized credentials, subject to individual college program requirements:

• MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) – The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council CPT credential aligns with safety, quality, manufacturing processes, and maintenance competencies covered in this course. Florida's College of Central Florida and other ETI programs explicitly prepare students for MSSC CPT components.
• OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Card – Many Florida technical programs incorporate OSHA 10 training as part of the safety module, with students becoming eligible to receive an OSHA 10-hour completion card.
• NCCER Core Curriculum / Industrial Craft credentials – Students pursuing further study may align this coursework with NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) portable credentials in industrial maintenance or manufacturing.

Program Notes

ETI0482 is a clock-hour PSAV (Postsecondary Adult Vocational) course; the 150 contact hours represent instructional clock hours, not semester credit hours. Students enrolled in this course may be eligible for Federal Pell Grant funding under the Clock Hour Financial Aid system. This course may serve as an Occupational Completion Point (OCP) within a larger PSAV program sequence in Industrial Systems Technology, and local institutions may require a program-level application and placement assessment prior to enrollment.