2.6 Selecting Appropriate Tools, Techniques and Processes Flashcards
What factors influence successful design?
material and material cost, product function, scale of production, proposed retail cost
If you wanted to produce a casing for a games console controller from a polymer, would you use blow moulding and why?
You could consider blow moulding to create a hollow shape for the controllers circuit to fit into, but this would not be appropriate because blow moulding doesn’t produce the high level of detail that is necessary and would limit the product’s ability to be taken apart for fitting and maintaining circuitry.
If you wanted to produce a casing for a games console controller from a polymer, would you use vacuum forming and why?
Vacuum forming may be considered in order to make 3 halves of the product for the circuitry to fit inside. However, vacuum forming would involve excess waste as well as uniform wall thickness, which would not protect the controller in the event of a fall from the table. Vacuum forming 2 halves could be used if another adhesive was used to join the sections together, but this would not be accurate and repeatable every time due to thee thin wall of the polymer.
If you wanted to produce a casing for a games console controller from a polymer, would you use injection moulding and why?
For a games controller casing, injection moulding would be the suitable process due to the ability to create different wall thicknesses, as well as creating click fittings and circuit board holders within the mould. It uses the same mould repeatedly, so each product would be identical in quality and accuracy.
What are safe working practices?
They serve to keep the person doing the work (as well as those in the vicinity) safe and free from harm. These safe working practices may include a set of guidelines for the people in the workshop to follow.
What are risk assessments?
They are a good way to initially consider what may cause harm to people, and the ways in which people can be protected as much as is practicable from hazard or harm.
What are the 3 regulations/acts that all employers should comply with?
HSWA (health and safety at work act)
COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health)
Personal Protective clothing regulations 2002
What should be carried out in all workplaces to keep it safe?
Risk assessments for all processes undertaken should be carried out and regularly reviews and updated to protect those involved both directly and indirectly in the manufacturing process.
When selecting the right process or tools for the job and safe manufacture, how and why should you consider the duration of the job?
Will workers be carrying out the same repeated task over a short or long timeframe, and could this lead to RSI (repetitive strain injury) or safety implications from boredom?
When selecting the right process or tools for the job, what are some factors that you should consider to ensure safe manufacture?
1 duration of the job
2 what hazards could be controlled before manufacture starts?
3 What hazards has the process introduced to thee workplace for both the manufacturer and others?
4 machinery and equipment
5 Is there a manual handling issue and has training been provided?
6 Is machinery and tooling properly maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications?
7 Are the appropriate safety guards fitted and in good working order?
8 Electrical safety
9 PPE (personal protective equipment)
10 emergency equipment
When selecting the right process or tools for the job and safe manufacture, how and why should you consider the machinery and equipment?
is there a safe place to load and unload materials, machinery and equipment? are the safe zones clearly marked?
When selecting the right process or tools for the job and safe manufacture, how and why should you consider the electrical safety?
Are power leads tested and tagged? Are RCDs (residual current devices) used with all electrical power tools? Are power leads a trip hazard?
When selecting the right process or tools for the job and safe manufacture, how and why should you consider the PPE?
Is all the necessary PPE supplied to protect workers and others in the vicinity? Are there systems in place for maintenance and replacement of PPE as required? Is the necessary signage displayed within the workplace for advisory noticed and to warn of hazards?
When selecting the right process or tools for the job and safe manufacture, how and why should you consider the emergency equipment?
Are fire extinguishers, first aid kits and eye baths available? Has training been provided for fire emergency procedures such as building evacuation in the event of fire?
What are the 3 main forms of prototypes prior to production?
1 visual
2 proof of concept
3 production
What is meant by a visual prototype?
This is a sample or model that shows the overall shape and size of the product, but does not usually have any working parts. The materials will not be the materials that would be used if the product were to be mass produced. Often the visual prototype is made from traditional modelling materials such as Styrofoam or it could be 3D printed. Visual prototypes provide an opportunity to test the visual impact that a product form may have, and enable designers and clients to suggest improvements
What is meant by a proof of concept prototype?
This shows the key functionality and main technical aspects of the design. It is not intended to look like the final product, and will be a functional model, which may make use of existing ‘off the shelf’ components. This prototype would not usually be made from production grade materials, but allows the design team to test the functions to see if they work as intended. There may be many proof to concept prototypes made and tested prior to a viable solution being found. They can be given out to trail or test groups to gain feedback of real world use rather than lab-based experimentation.
What is meant by a production prototype?
This gives a representation of how the mass-produced product would look and shows how the product would function. ‘Off the shelf’ parts may still be used at this stage, but it is more likely that it will be built from bespoke products. The materials used will be as close to production grade as possible. They are used to assess any alterations that may be required prior to mass production. These could be materials, positioning of components for more economic manufacture layout as well as the most suitable manufacturing processes.
What is an example of a product that needed thousands of prototypes before it was published?
James Dyson made use of a huge number of prototypes prior to the first Dyson vacuum cleaners being launched in the retail sector.
What will determine the type of machinery used to create a product/
The number of components or the complexity of the product and the volume of production
If a one-off dining table were being made in a workshop, what tools would be used?
standard tooling such as bandsaws, pillar drills and mortice machines
If a dining table were required to be manufactured in a batch of 50, what would be used to ensure repeatability and speed of the production?
The manufacturer would start to utilise jigs to ensure ease of repeatability and speed of production. Jigs could be used for many processes such as making a mortice and tenon joint for the legs, and the use of a gluing jog could ensure that all the frame joints were assembled quickly and ‘square’.
What is a one-off product?
A one-off is a product that has been designed and manufactured for a single, specific situation. Most one-off products are hand manufactured and are described as made to measure or bespoke.
In one-off manufacture, what machinery is used and why?
Machinery is usually set up for the task required as the machine is required and then adjusted for the next task. One-off production is labour intensive and is primarily the domain of skilled craftsmen and manufacturers.
