Hello there, my name is Mrs. Dhami.

Thank you for joining me for your Design and Technology lesson today.

Now, the big question for today is how can we plan the manufacture of our products effectively.

Now I know we are all dead keen to get manufacturing and get on with the making part.

However, unless we plan this effectively, we might not make the deadlines and we might not make a really good quality outcome.

So, hard hats on, let's get considering some really good aspects of planning.

Our outcome for today is we will be able to create a detailed plan for manufacture.

Our keywords for today are manufacturing specification, which we'll cover in just a second, plan for manufacture, which is a step-by-step guide outlining the materials, tools, processes, and time required to produce a project accurately and efficiently, design decisions, I'm sure we know these by now, but let's remind ourselves, they are a deliberate choice to meet our design requirement or solve a problem, and lastly, quality assurance.

It ensures the manufacturing process prevents mistakes and maintains quality.

Our lesson today has two learning cycles, the importance of planning manufacture and then moving on to actually planning our manufacture.

So, let's start off with the importance.

The big picture for our iterative journey today is we will understand the importance of planning manufacture and we will explore and select from a range of methods suitable for presenting your plan of manufacture.

So, our first keyword, let's address that now.

So, a plan for manufacture is a step-by-step guide outlining the materials, tools, processes, and time required to produce a product accurately and efficiently.

A plan for manufacture is produced using information from the manufacturing specification.

So, a plan for a manufacture identifies: tasks and processes, safe use of tools and equipment that you may require, the amount of time required for each part, quality control points and checks throughout.

Now, often, it's easier to break a product down into parts and plan each part individually because, for lots of you, you will have used all sorts of different materials in your final product solution, which is great, but breaking that down really does help when you are planning.

Izzy says, "I have my manufacturing specification, so I am ready to manufacture." What do you think, folks? Is that true, or is that false? Have a think.

Come back to me when you've got an answer.

Well done if you manage to get false.

And why is that? Well, the manufacturing specification is the absolute perfect place to start your plan for manufacture.

It is important to plan your time effectively so that you can manufacture your product accurately in the timeframe given to you by your teacher.

A plan for manufacture ensures your time is managed effectively to meet deadlines.

That'd be great when if we had all the time in the world, but that is not the reality.

So we need to factor in lots of different parts that perhaps you might not have considered before.

So, have a think about the time for specific materials to be ordered and delivered.

It might be that you need a particular part or a particular material that you don't have in school.

You'll need to factor that in.

You might need to factor in practise or training time with new materials or processes.

You might use a different type of polymer that you've never manufactured with before.

In that case, you might need to practise how to get a really good surface finish on it and that will take time to be able to make sure that you achieve the quality that you are desiring.

You may need one-to-one time with teacher or technician for any specialist processes that you can't just get on with in a workshop without them being one-to-one.

We all know cues, don't we, in Design and Technology? You need to factor in that lots of people might want a particular machine or a particular tool.

Factor that in, please, folks.

Then, manufacture time, such as the print time when using a 3D printer.

Some 3D printers, some of the prints might be done in 20 minutes, but others might take 10 hours or so.

You need to factor that in about when you need to set that off so that it's completed in time for your successful manufacture.

Of course, drying, setting, or curing times, such as with resin or silicone.

Different types of resin take different amount of times to set.

And that is important to think about because if you've got one lesson one day and the next lesson the next day, it might not be set in time.

So perhaps you need to factor in something else that you can do while you are waiting for it to set.

And then, of course, buffer time in case of illness or trips or work experience or mistakes.

We all need to make sure that we factor that into our manufacturing plan.

So another thing, if your design solution cannot be manufactured in the timeframe, you may need to make some design decisions regarding perhaps alternative processes that perhaps you need to consider and think what will be achievable in the timeframe given to you.

You really need to ask your teacher what the timeframe you will have to complete your design solution in.

Remember, you are aiming for a really, really good quality design solution outcome.

So quality insurance is dead important.

Quality insurance should be planned within your manufacture.

This could be done through quality control checks, such as material or surface finish inspection, functionality checks, for example, do certain parts fit together and stay together when they need to? Safety checks, checking against design requirements or your manufacturing specification or both, quality control checks may mean that further design decisions are made to ensure a successful solution is designed and manufactured, and that is absolutely okay.

Let's take another check-in.

A plan of manufacture considers A, time management, B, quality control checks, C, design brief, or D, tools and machinery? Have a little think.

Come back to me when you've got an answer.

Well done if you manage to get A, B, and D.

A plan of manufacture considers time management, so crucial, quality control checks to make sure you've got a fantastic design solution coming out, and, of course, tools and machinery.

Well done if you got that right.

Onto our practise.

Number one, I'd like you to identify the importance of a plan for manufacture.

Number two, I'd like you to identify two potential issues that could arise during manufacture.

That's okay.

They can arise.

Part three, for each of those issues, I would like you to consider a solution.

Good luck.

Come back to me when you've got some answers.

Part one, a plan for manufacture identifies: tasks and processes, safe use of tools, equipment required, amount of time required, and quality control points and checks.

Well done if you got those correct.

Part two and three, I asked you to identify two potential issues that could arise during manufacturing.

And then, for each of those things, consider a solution.

So Jun says, "Absence from a couple of lessons due to illness could be an issue." Just like how I'm feeling today.

"It would be good to plan in buffer time just in case something like this happens." Great idea, Jun.

Aisha says, "My design solution is not going to be made using the processes I have planned in the time I have.

I have made the design decision to 3D print a couple of the more complicated parts to ensure I meet the deadline." It's still absolutely fine to make design decisions, folks, and please do, you've got to make it achievable.

Great thinking there, Aisha.

Onto learning cycle two, planning manufacture.

We will explore various methods to develop your manufacturing plan throughout your iterative journey.

You are not limited to the methods we share.

It is often easier to break a product down into parts and plan each part individually.

That's my biggest tip.

And remember to plan in your identified quality checks.

Now, when developing your plan for manufacture, you may discover something you have not yet researched or developed or that is impossible with the available facilities.

Now, this is an iterative process, as I keep saying, and you can carry on making design decisions.

That is absolutely fine.

Just because you're about to start manufacturing doesn't mean design decisions have ended.

They can carry on throughout the whole process.

You may like the idea of planning your manufacture using a table.

Now you can see the two tables on the right-hand side.

Those are two different parts that a student has planned separately because they use completely different processes, completely different materials, and completely different tools.

So it's okay.

Remember, you can plan each part separately.

So, tables provide a clear breakdown.

They allow for detailed information to be included, and you can define what you want the columns to be.

So you could change the column titles to whatever you would like.

You could include a column title for quality checks and plan those in within your table.

As I said, remember to record any design decisions that you make as you plan.

Andeep says, "My design has only two parts, whereas my friend's design has five.

I must have done something wrong." Is this statement true, or is it false? Have a think.

Come back to me when you've got an answer.

Well done if you got false.

And why is that? Everyone's design solutions will be different; this includes the number of parts and the methods that you may use for your plan of manufacture.

Everyone has their own iterative journey and that is perfectly okay.

Please don't let that worry you.

You may like the idea of planning your manufacture using a flow chart.

Now, flow charts are really visual and just see the product, well, show the product progressing, which is lovely.

So they clearly show the sequence, and they can highlight quality control points with different shaped boxes or the use of different colours.

And you can see clearly on the right that kind of greeny blue diamond with QC in standing for quality control and quality checks.

Just remember, as you plan your manufacture, record any design decisions that you make.

You may enjoy creating and using Gantt charts to help you with the plan of manufacture.

Now, Gantt charts, there's a lovely example here on the right.

They allow a visual timeline, which is kind of combining the table and the flow chart 'cause you see the table, but you see it visually progressing.

So, all those black blocks mark out the allocated time for each of the activities.

So, it is a visual timeline.

It allows tracking of tasks throughout manufacture.

It identifies any overlapping tasks, which might be great, especially if you are waiting for a particular tool or particular piece of machinery.

It could also include columns for quality checks too.

And remember, as you're planning it, you might find something that doesn't work.

You might have to make a design decision and put that right.

That's perfectly fine.

Just remember to record it.

When creating a plan for manufacture, which of the following are top tips? A, separate your design solution into parts.

B, combine your design decisions.

C, use your manufacturing specification as a starting point.

D, plan in buffer time and quality checks.

Have a think.

Come back to me when you've got an answer.

Well done if you got A, C, and D.

When you're creating a plan for manufacture, try and separate your design solution into parts so you can plan each one.

C, use your manufacturing specification as a starting point that's got all the details that you will need and it will really help you work out what you need to do and to what measurements at the right time.

And indeed, plan in buffer time and quality checks.

Remember, you might be ill, you might be going on a trip, you might be going from a work experience.

Plan in that time if you can.

Onto task B.

Part one, I'd like you to identify the different parts to your design solution.

If you had to break it up, which parts would you break it up into? Part two, plan the manufacture of all parts of your design solution.

Good luck.

Have a good crack at this.

Come back to me when you've got some answers.

Welcome back.

Part one, I asked you to identify the different parts to your design solution.

So Sam says, "I have two parts to my design solution, the ripstop nylon shade and the laser cut acrylic supports," where Sofia says, "I have three parts to my design solution, the 3D printed unit, the mould to manufacture for silicon, and the soldering of the PCB." Sam and Sofia have done a great job of splitting them into separate parts so that they could plan each part effectively.

Well done, folks.

Part two, I asked you to plan the manufacture of all parts of your design solution.

So, hopefully, you considered breaking your product into parts to plan and a method that works for your design solution.

Hopefully, you started with your manufacturing specification and you remembered to consider tasks and processes, tools and equipment required, amount of time required, and quality control points and checks.

Well done with all of your hard work on that.

We're about to get onto the exciting part of manufacturing.

This brings us to the end of our lesson today.

Let's summarise what we have found out.

A plan for manufacture is a step-by-step guide for manufacture produced using information from the manufacturing specification.

It could be communicated using a table, flow chart, or Gantt chart.

A plan for manufacture identifies tasks and processes, safe use of tools and equipment required, amount of time required, let's meet that deadline, quality control points and checks, and it is often easier to break a product down into parts and plan each one individually.

Well done with all of your hard work for today.

Great efforts, and hopefully, I will see you in another lesson soon.

Take good care.

Bye.