South Metropolitan TAFE, Australia

Introduction

Recent changes to the Qualification structure for plumbers in Australia have increased the complexity of the design assessments for those wishing to become self-certifying.

Students must design a circulating heated water system, hydrants, hose reels, and non-drinking supplies throughout a 7-level building.

Benefits

Time away from work is costly, and the workload to produce compliant designs is high.

South Metropolitan TAFE in Western Australia uses h2x to resolve these competing priorities, and we have found multiple advantages:

• Real-time calculations of pipe system changes are great for training in basic hydraulics.
• Drafting on a computer eliminates problems caused by students’ limited drafting experience with ink.
• A simple user interface helps ‘computer-shy’ students operate the application.
• The export capability allows a student to easily detail the materials required for the design.
• Automatic calculations allow manipulation of the design to achieve compliance with a challenging requirement in the Australian Standards that limits pressure variation between the inlets of a mixing valve or tap.
• Students gain experience with a ‘cutting-edge’ design method that will surely become the industry norm.
• Assessment is accurate and streamlined thanks to automatic warnings and the design report export.

Summary

I am certain that South Metropolitan TAFE is covering all the design requirements of the Australian Standards and the ‘fit-for-purpose’ requirements of clients by using h2x.

Equally, I am certain we could not achieve this if students worked with paper, pen, and spreadsheets.

Using h2x allows me to confidently tell prospective students they will get the best training available by choosing our college.