© Boardworks Ltd 20051 of 22 Resistant Materials Industrial Practices These icons indicate that teacher’s notes or useful web addresses are available in.

© Boardworks Ltd 20051 of 22

Resistant MaterialsIndustrial Practices

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Learning objectives


Lea

rnin

g o

bje

ctiv

es To understand the roles of the client, designer and manufacturer in the development of products.

To recognize that products are manufactured using different scales of production, depending on the quantity of items being made.

To be familiar with the systems used to manufacture one-off, batch and mass produce items.

To realise that after products are manufactured, they must be distributed to retailers and marketed to potential consumers.


Manufacturer

In the world of design and manufacture, several groups of people are involved in the development of products for industrial manufacture:

Industrial practices

ClientDesigner


The client will have a clear idea of needs and what he/she wants from a product.

The client is also likely to be the person who pays for the product.

Role of the client


budget

materials

processes.

The designer works to turn the client’s ideas into a design.

Designers need to consider the available:

Role of the designer


The manufacturer or product maker has to translate the designer’s ideas into reality.

This may involve some changes being made. For example, designed shapes may be too complex to manufacture, or material costs may be too high.

Role of the manufacturer


one-off production

batch production

mass production.

Industrial manufacturing systems work on three scales of industrial practice:

Industrial systems

When designing a product it is important to think about how it will be produced, and what the costs involved will be.


One-off production is the manufacture of a single product.

Each product is unique and made for a specific client.

Often the whole product is made by one person.

One-off production

The Millennium Dome and hand crafted jewellery are both examples of one-off items.

When you make things in the school workshop, you are usually involved in one-off production.


Batch production involves the manufacture of a fixed number of identical products, for example, a batch of 60 matching chairs for a restaurant.

Batch production

A batch may be as few as four identical dining chairs or as many as several thousand.Batches may be made at specific times of the year, for example, Christmas trees or Olympic medals.Moulds are made, the work is done, the batch made and the moulds then stored until the next time the product is required.The machines are then used for other products.Products are less expensive than one-off items, and less skilled work is required.


In the school workshop you can begin to think about the scale of industrial practice by exploring batch production.If you have made a one-off product, what changes would you make if you were going to make a small batch?

Batch production

When batch producing items you should consider using jigs, templates and CAD/CAM systems. You should also plan how best to minimize waste.

Batch production on an industrial scale has commercial implications.

Manufacturers have to consider the costs of labour, factory space and machinery, as well as the time it will take to produce each item.


Waste costs money – any materials that are used should be used in the most economical way possible. Designs need to be laid out so that the amount of waste created is minimal.

You are making several plastic boxes. How will you lay them out?

A layout like this is uneconomical. It wastes materials and only four boxes could be manufactured. Is there a better way?

Waste reduction


Planning to avoid waste


Because batch production is the manufacture of identical products, it involves the use of jigs and templates.

It will usually involve the use of some machinery and/or automation.

It might involve the use of CAM (computer aided manufacture).

Batch production


CAD/CAM

The video clip below shows how labels for sandwich packaging are designed on computer, and then cut out using a computer controlled vinyl cutter.


Mass production is the manufacture of a large number of identical products. In mass production, processes are normally automated, and expensive machinery and tools are used. The set-up costs are often high. However, because a large number of items are manufactured, the cost per item is often lower than in batch production.

Mass production

Everyday items like disposable cups and plastic bags

are mass produced.

Continuous flow production is often associated with mass production. The production line runs continuously for extended periods of time with no interruptions.


Economy of scale


One-off, batch and mass production


Cell production involves a number of workstations grouped together. Each workstation produces single components, either by hand or machine.

Production systems

In manufacturing, goods are produced using a range of production systems depending on the type of product, the number of items being made and the skills the staff have.

Line production systems such as car assembly lines use a conveyor belt, with components added one at a time.


Just-in-time production is a stock control system which works on the basis that components arrive just in time for manufacture.

Control systems are put in place to ensure that component stocks are replenished on a rolling basis.

This method reduces warehouse and storage costs as manufacturers do not have to hold large stocks of materials or components.

One drawback is that if components do not arrive, there are major implications as manufacture will stop, incurring heavy costs.

Just-in-time production


Retail methods


Marketing methods

Market research should be conducted before a product is manufactured to find out what potential customers want.

Products need to be advertised so customers are aware of the products and the benefits they offer.

Products can be advertised:

in newspapers and magazines

on posters in public spaces

on television and radio

by direct mail

online.


Key points


Key

po

ints

When designing a product it is important to think about how it will be produced and what the costs involved will be.One-off items are unique but expensive to manufacture.Batch production is used to produce a number of identical items. Jigs, templates and CAD/CAM systems are often used to ensure accuracy and improve efficiency.When a large number of identical products are required, they may be mass produced. The more items manufactured, the lower the manufacturing cost per item is.After products are manufactured, they must be distributed to retailers and marketed to potential consumers.

© Boardworks Ltd 20051 of 22 Resistant Materials Industrial Practices These icons indicate that teacher’s notes or useful web addresses are available in.

Documents

client slide

manufacturer slide

industrial manufacture

learning objectives

industrial systems

development of products

product maker

single product