you are not alone! brian russell. the examination room surrounded by 160 other students surrounded...

You are not alone!

Brian Russell

The examination room

• Surrounded by 160 other students

• Surrounded by good examples of design

• Surrounded by loads of materials and finishes

• Surrounded by standard components

• Surrounded by different examples of manufacturing

The exam packBoth the pencil case and the rule are made from PVC which is a thermoplastic The pencils are made from

cedar which is a softwood

The eraser is made from a synthetic rubber which is an elastomer

The pencil sharpener has been die-cast from aluminium

The BIC pen has a polystyrene barrel and a polypropylene top

The Berol pen is made frompolypropylene

BIC pen

• László and George Bíró designed the first ballpoint pen in 1931 and we continue to use the word Biro to describe all ballpoint pens.

• In 1950 Marcel Bich bought the patent for the pen from Bíró, which soon became the main product of his BIC company.

A Design Icon!

Design Icons set the standards for other products to follow

Safety

• Have a look at the pen top• Most are now manufactured with a hole in them• This is to prevent children choking to death if

they swallow them

This is a great example of risk assessment!

Safety

The Berol pen has a similar breathing hole in the pen top

Although this type of pen is a quality product, providing a good line at low cost it has built in designed obsolescence (it has a very limited lifespan). From an environmental viewpoint it is hard to justify this type of product as it cannot be repaired, refilled and is also difficult to recycle.

Just a polo shirt?

• Designed by René Lacoste in 1926 and originally known as the tennis shirt the design for the polo shirt has been copied by manufacturers throughout the world.

It’s a Design Classic

Another Design Icon!

What else do we know?

• Made from piqué cotton jersey knit (which means the fabric is knitted not woven)

• The logo is CNC embroidered in small batches

A great example of batch production because only small quantities are needed.

Flexible manufacturing

• The computerised machine embroidery file can be quickly swapped to produce a different logo for another organisation

This is a simple example of flexible manufacturing

And the sweatshirt?

• Also batch produced• The fabric is a mixture of cotton and polyester

A good example of a combined material

Combined materials

• Materials are combined to improve the properties or to create a material with enhanced properties

• Don’t write “to make it stronger”. • Lycra is added to denim to make the material stretch.

Polyester is added to cotton to make it more crease resistant. It also reduces the cost.

Properties of materials

• Breathable• Washable• Flexible• Soft• Good insulator......

If asked to describe the properties of a textile material use descriptions such as:

What else are you wearing?

• Just check out how many standard components you are wearing

• It is usually cheaper to manufacture these in large quantities in specialist factories rather than for each manufacturer to make their own

• Repairs are much easier when standard components are used

Standard components generally help products to be considered as more environmentally friendly

What are standard components?

• These are pre-manufactured parts which are bought in to aid the production of the product

• Nuts, bots, screws, buttons, zips etc. are all standard components

• In the food industry, components would include stock cubes, sauces, pastry cases, pizza bases, chocolate flakes etc.

Benefits to manufacturers and users

These might include:• Lower costs due to economies of scale• Consistent quality• Easier to maintain• Better for re-using spare parts• Standardisation of sizing• Ease of production• Reduced need to carry stock

Just a school chair?

• The school chair is based upon another Classic Design by Robin Day “The Polypropylene Chair”

• Over 14 million of the original chairs have been produced

• Loads of copies

A Design Icon because it was so innovative when first designed

Why so popular?

• Very cheap to produce in large quantities• Ergonomically very good – fits almost everyone!• Seat is flexible• Stacks so easy to store/transport

Very easy to copy once Robin day had done the hard work. Copies are made under license as the design is patented.

Design protection

CCopyright

Registered Design(often used with trade marks)

Trade Mark

Patents

T M

R

P

Design ideas are protected by law and products usually carry one of these symbols

Polypropylene

• Don’t forget, you are propped up on a polypropylene chair!

• Polypropylene is a thermoplastic

Properties of materials

If asked to describe the properties of the materials used in the design of the chair use descriptions such as:

• Polypropylene seat is flexible• Legs are stiff and rigid

5th – 95th percentile

• When considering anthropometric data ignore the extremes

• Top 5% and bottom 5% taken out• Consider the rest as a normal range• Be selective – tallest for doors, shortest for chairs?

The Polypropylene Chair is an excellent example of this as it is comfortable for almost everyone.

Ergonomics

• Size• Comfort• Stability• Safety• How easy to lift and stack...

Ergonomics is generally concerned with how easy and efficient products are to understand and use:

Design features

• Seat is injection moulded in one piece in polypropylene – can you see the injection point?

• Legs are fabricated in mild steel – welded together then powder coated

• Screwed to seat (an example of a standard component!)

Try feeling these features when you are sitting on the chair!

Quality assurance

• How could you ensure that each of the chairs are manufactured to the same quality?

Injection moulding ensures all of the seats are the same.Jigs are used to hold all of the metal parts in the correct position before welding

Quality assurance

• Often involves self-checking by workers of their own quality against agreed standards

• Puts more emphasis on prevention of poor quality rather than checking for poor quality

• Establishes quality standards and targets for each stage of production

Quality assurance

• Control checks are made at various stages• Samples of the correct standard are given to the customer• Rigorous testing takes place

The BSI Kitemark means the product has been independently tested

CE means that the product has been approved for sale in the European Union and may only have been tested by the manufacturer.

Quality assurance – Key terms

• Fitness for purpose (the product should be suitable for the intended purpose)

• Right first time every time (mistakes should be eliminated).

Manufacturing tolerances

• Acceptable range of difference from standard

• Sometimes measured in plus/minus

No product manufactured in quantity can be considered to be perfect in every detail

The exam desk

• Made from mild steel tubing with a MDF top• Designed to fold for easy storage/transportation• Furniture like this is usually batch produced

Saving space is a vital as they are only used for a few weeks a year

Ergonomics continues

• Designed to complement the school chair• Correct working height• Regulation size work area and is a good

example of a working triangle as everything is easily within reach

Designed to fit the 5th-95th percentile

Materials and manufacturing

• The desk top is a good example of a combined material

• The top is MDF with a melamine laminate on top• Melamine formaldehyde is a thermosetting

plastic• The slot has been routered

Using standard materials has helped keep the cost down

Properties of materials

If asked to describe the properties of the materials used in the design of the table use descriptions such as:

• Table surface is firm, smooth and hard wearing• Legs are stiff and rigid• Because the legs are hollow tubes they are also

lightweight

Materials and manufacturing

• The frame has been formed from mild steel round tubing hinged with two machine screws and nuts

• It has been powder coated to give a hard durable finish

• The top is held in place using a screwed bracket and a folded steel clip

The screws are a standard component as are the plastic feet!

Designed for 5th – 95th percentile

• Whilst the table is a fixed size many products adjust to make them more suitable for a wider range of people

• This has been a regular question in the past

Adjustable products

Designed to be adjusted to fit a range of sizes:• Belts• Watch straps• Bras....

You might be wearing the answer

Don’t take spectacles for granted

• They are another great example of flexible manufacturing.

• The frames are mass produced (but adjusted for each customer)

• The lenses are sometimes made as one-offs• They are assembled using standard

components such as screws

Every pair built to match your own prescription!

Specs may remind you

• Two different smart materials are sometimes used in spectacles

• Think “specs can make you look SMART”

Photochromic materials

• These materials change colour in response to changes in light.

• Some spectacles have reactive lenses which become darker as the light increases

Shape memory alloys

Shape memory alloys are used in some spectacle frames and these super-elastic alloys can be squashed beyond the point other frames would snap and will return to their original shape at room temperature.

Jewellery

• The jewellery you and your fellow students are wearing can also be a great resource.

Metals and jewels are all non-renewable materials

Jewellery

• Jewellery is often constructed using standard components. These are known as “findings”.

Using standard components make it much easier to repair or replace lost parts

Jewellery

Think about all of the metals you might be wearing:

• Gold

• Silver

• Platinum

• Titanium

• Anodised aluminium

These are all non-ferrous metals

Watches as well

• Many watch parts are standard components such as straps, hands etc.

• Leather straps are a good reminder of renewable materials (can be re-grown)

Think about all of the human factors which have been taken account of

Keys

• The keys in your pocket are also a resource• Standard blanks are manufactured in large

quantities using mass production• They are usually cut in small batches• Replacement keys are cut as one-offs• Most commonly made from brass or nickel alloy

The blanks are usually forged or stamped out

Key cutting

• Usually done with a grinding operation• This is an example of the general manufacturing

group “wastage”• It is easy to remember as the bits of metal that

are cut off the blank are waste materials

Grinding is a type of abrading process

Key fobs

The pewter cast key fobs you made are a great example of a product you could manufacture in quantity in school. Think of simple shapes with any decorative parts as a raised layer.

Chocolate moulding

• The same basic design could be used for chocolate moulding

Keep it simple!

Water bottle• Take a water bottle into the exam• Blow moulded from PET (think of it with a furry tail!)• The top has been injection moulded from HIPS• Every year over 50 billion plastic water bottles are sent

to landfill in this country

A great example of a product which should be recycled, or even better, reused!

The exam paper itself!

• The exam paper booklet has been printed using offset lithography

• The colours are produced from 4 process colours – yellow, cyan, magenta and black

• It is made from A3 paper which has been creased and stapled

Staples are a standard component!

Offset lithography

This is the best process to specify for printing your packed lunch container if you are using solid white board

Flexographic printing

This is the best process to use if you are printing onto Kraft board

Ink Trough

Impression cylinder

PaperFountain roller

Anilox roller

Printing cylinder

Die-cutting

Die-cutting is the method card shapes are cut out. A rounded blade creases where the container will be folded.

PlywoodFoam layer

Card to be cut

Blade

The exam paper is one of the few paper products that is not die-cut as a guillotine is used because all of the sides are straight

Die-cut lunch containers• Remember that the first question will require you to

design a packed lunch container which will be die cut. • You will need to be able draw it 3D

This question is likely to take more than the allocated time!

Solid white board

Solid white board is best if printing in full colour

Kraft board

Kraft board is made from recycled fibres, this is an unbleached board which is a pale brown colour. It is the best material for the environment

Which type of card?

• Sustainability• Biodegradable = Kraft board• Compostable

• Full colour printing = Solid white board

The answer may well be written in the design question itself. Read it carefully

Envelope bottom net

This type of container uses an envelope bottom

Crash bottom net

This type of container uses a crash bottom

Adding dimensions

Make sure that you know how to accurately show three main dimensions. Use projection lines then neat arrows which touch the projection lines. Measurements should be in millimetres.

Dimensioning the handle

• Do not put dimensions over the top of the drawing

Adding a window

• Rounded corners are much stronger• Use cornstarch for the window

The exam room

• The doors are made from blockboard as they need to be very strong

• The door furniture (handles etc.) are all standard components

• The doors and frame are finished in gloss paint• Walls eggshell paint on concrete block• Climbing bars varnished

What other finishes can you identify?

How many other components?

Blockboard

This is a manufactured board made up of a core of softwood strips. These strips may be up to about 25mm wide. The strips are placed edge to edge and sandwiched between veneers of hardwood. The sandwich is then glued under high pressure.

Paints and varnishes

• Gloss-finish paints are generally more resistant to damage than emulsion paint, more resistant to staining, and easier to clean.

• Eggshell paint is also very durable but does not shine as much so good for rougher surfaces

• Emulsion paint is a mix of oil and water and is not very durable

• Varnish is simply a transparent finish. Think of it as a clear paint which can be gloss or eggshell

Paints and varnishes are used to protect the materials and to improve the visual appearance

Concrete blocks

• Concrete is a great example of a combined material

• Made of sand, gravel and Portland cement it is very strong at withstanding compression forces

• The materials which make up concrete are non-renewable as they come out of the ground

There is always a clock• Made from standard components• Clock mechanisms are now standard

components!• Clock face screen printed• Powered by battery

Batteries cause big environmental problems!

Environmental issues - batteries

Means that the product cannot be placed in a normal bin and needs specialist recycling facilities. Usually found on electrical products and batteries

This has been a very common question in recent years

Instruction board

• Usually a flip chart to record start and finish time• Aluminium frame• The whiteboard surface is melamine

formaldehyde covered chipboard or MDF and is another good example of a combined material

Lots of human factors to consider – size weight etc.

Aluminium

• A lightweight non-ferrous metal• Usually a dull grey colour although it can be

polished to a very high gloss• Frames are made by extruding the aluminium

(which means pushing it through a shaped die)

This is a good example of forming materials

Feel better?

• No other exam has so many resources to assist you

• But don’t turn around to look around!

You are being watched!