Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

Designation of occupation

Technician in heavy-duty fabric goods manufacturing (m/f)

Duration of traineeship

3 years
The venues for training delivery are the training company and the vocational school

Field of activity

Technicians in heavy-duty fabric goods manufacturing are skilled workers capable of carrying out, unaided, appropriately and to fixed deadlines, all duties involved in the manufacture and repair of technical goods made of heavy-duty fabrics or plastic-coated fabrics and films. Their product range is extensive and diverse, and so too is the range of property criteria to be met by the products. The products include tents, tarpaulins, and protective devices (e.g. awnings), but also complex air-inflated structures and all textile products used in the construction industry. Technicians in heavy-duty fabric goods manufacturing are employed in textile companies, mechanical engineering companies and the engineering supplies industry.

Occupational skills

Technicians in heavy-duty fabric goods manufacturing produce technical goods on the basis of the knowledge and skills they have accumulated and in compliance with regulations on safety at work, environmental protection and also functional and commercial considerations. They essentially use three different processing techniques: sewing, welding and glueing. Technicians in heavy-duty fabric goods manufacturing carry out their work unaided on the basis of technical documents, taking due account of quality assurance aspects. They subsequently assess the quality of the finished product. As a result of their initial training, these technicians are competent in assuming responsibility for their own field of activity and for ensuring cooperation within the enterprise.

The following skills developed during training are applied in their regular work:

• selection of textile materials, films and other inputs with reference to intended purpose and economic efficiency;
• development of documentation for design and work preparation;
• setting up, operation and monitoring of plant and machinery in the cutting, sewing, welding, glueing and quality control stages of production;
• handling systems for the automated capture and evaluation of operating data and electronically controlled devices in plant and machinery;
• joining material sheets by means of sewing, welding or bonding;
• special tasks (e.g. rope and wire fastening systems), and application of accessories (fastenings, eyelets, bands);
• assessment of product quality and initiation of quality assurance measures.

Last modified on: December 12, 2006