Lesson video

Hello, thank you for joining me for design and technology lesson.

My name is Mrs. Conway, and I will be guiding you through your learning today.

So today's lesson outcome is I can manufacture accurately and to a high quality.

And these are our key words: manufacture, quality assurance, quality control, accuracy, and tolerance.

I'll go through each one of these in a little bit more detail as we work through the lesson.

So the first thing we're gonna look at today then is quality assurance and quality control.

So when we design and manufacture products, it's really important that we make sure they are safe, reliable, and also made to a really high standard.

Now, to manufacture something is the process of making products from raw materials using machines or labour.

And to ensure that products are made to a really high standard, designers and manufacturers use something called quality assurance, which is sometimes just shortened to QA, and quality control, or QC.

Now quality assurance and quality control checks are done throughout the manufacturing process, not just at the end, which is what sometimes people think happens.

And this ensures the quality is consistent throughout the whole process.

Now, the difference between the two.

Quality assurance is all about checking the planning and the processes, and it really focuses on preventing any problems before they may happen.

Whereas in comparison, quality control is about checking the product to make sure that it meets the required standard.

And that checking of the product again can happen during the process or at the end of the process.

Okay, quick check for understanding on that then.

Why are quality assurance and quality control used in the manufacturing of products? Is it A, to speed up the delivery of products to customers, B, to reduce the number of workers needed on the production line, or C, to ensure that products are made to a high standard.

Pause the video here just to take a moment to think about your answer.

And the correct answer was C.

So QA and QC are used in the manufacturing of products just to make sure that the products are made to a really high standard.

Well done if you got that right.

Okay, so let's just compare these two again and make sure that we really are clear on the difference between them.

So quality assurance occurs before and during the actual manufacturing process, and it checks the processes that are in place.

Whereas in comparison, quality control happens during the manufacturing process and after it, and it checks the product.

So there's really big clear differences here.

Quality assurance happens before and during compared to quality control, which happens during and afterwards.

And quality assurance checks the processes whereas quality control checks the product.

So as a way to remember which one is which, think about and look for the letters in the words here.

So quality assurance, which is the A, avoids problems, whereas quality control catches the problems. Quick check for understanding on that then.

Quality assurance is about checking the, something, and processes.

It focuses on, something, problems before they happen.

Pause the video here to have a go at filling in the missing words there.

Okay.

Quality assurance is about checking the planning and processes.

It focuses on preventing problems before they happen.

So quality assurance can include things such as planning and checking designs, tool and equipment checks, material inspection, health and safety procedures, using templates or jigs, and also, following step by step instructions.

So any of these things can be part of quality assurance, and of course, as said before, can happen before or during the actual manufacturing.

Now quality control can include any of these: the measuring of finished parts, visual inspections, function testing, fit and assembly check, product testing by user, and using a go/no go gauge.

So these are just some examples of quality control.

And these, again, can occur during or after the actual manufacturing process.

So when quality assurance and quality control checks take place, they are ensuring accuracy.

Now, accuracy is when you are being correct and precise.

And accuracy, when we're manufacturing, is vital.

If a process is being rushed or not given enough attention, then accuracy can suffer, and this can then affect the final quality of a product or a prototype.

Now, a common term in manufacturing is measure twice, cut once.

And you may have heard your teacher say this before.

Now, this means that you check your measurements twice to make sure they are correct before starting to cut or remove, subtract, material.

And this helps to ensure accuracy.

And this is an example of quality assurance and quality control.

We are checking our products as we go along.

Okay, over to you now to have a go a few questions.

First question is, when does quality assurance take place in the manufacturing process? And I'd like you to give examples of quality assurance as part of your answer.

The second question is, when does quality control take place in the manufacturing process? And again, I'd like you to give examples of quality control as part of your answer.

And the third question is why is quality assurance and quality control important in the manufacturing of products? Pause the video here to have a go at answering these three questions, and good luck.

Let's look at each one of these questions and answers in turn.

So the first question then was when does quality assurance take place in the manufacturing process? And I wanted you to give examples of quality assurance as part of your answer.

So let's look at a model answer.

Quality assurance takes place before and during the manufacturing process.

It is used to make sure that the product is made correctly and to a high standard by preventing mistakes from happening in the first place.

So there's the first part of the question.

I'm explaining when quality assurance takes place.

The second part of the question was to give examples.

So examples of quality assurance including inspecting materials, using jigs and templates and creating and following step-by-step instructions.

Okay, you might have slightly different examples listed, and you might have explained the quality assurance process or when it takes place slightly differently, but the key bits that you needed to make sure you had there is that it takes place before and during the manufacturing process, and you have some examples of what that can include.

Okay, question number two.

When does quality control take place in the manufacturing process? And again, I asked you to then give examples of typical quality control checks.

So here's the model answer.

Quality control takes place during and after the manufacturing process.

It is used to check the final product or parts of it to make sure they meet the required standards and are free from faults or defects.

So again, that's the first part of the question.

So the key bit there is to make sure that you have mentioned that it happens during and after the manufacturing process.

I then go on to give examples.

So examples of quality control include measuring parts, visually checking assemblies, and testing the product works properly.

Again, you might have slightly different examples listed.

That's fine, just check that you have got some included, and they are actually quality control and not quality assurance.

And the last question then, why is quality assurance and quality control important in the manufacturing of products? And the model answer explains, quality assurance and quality control are important in manufacturing because they help to make sure that products are made to a high standard, are safe to use, and work correctly.

Again, just compare your answer to the example there, and make sure that you've got that really explained clearly.

So next we're going to just look in a little bit more detail at quality assurance and how that works in practise.

Now, a designer is designing and manufacturing a one-off custom guitar.

And even before the guitar is made, the designer will use quality assurance.

Now, have a little think, what quality assurance do you think the manufacturer could put in place when the making of a one-off custom guitar? Feel free to pause the video to have a little think about this.

Okay, so Sam has suggested, the designer could make sure they've created detailed drawings of the guitar, including measurements, materials, finishes, and joining techniques.

And Aisha has suggested they could choose high quality materials, such as hard words like mahogany or maple, for the body, for their strength, durability, aesthetics, and tonal properties.

Izzy has recommended or suggested all tools and machines, e.

g.

saws, chisels, sanders, would need to be checked and maintained to ensure clean, accurate cuts.

And Laura has suggested a step-by-step plan could be created for cutting, joining, sanding, and finishing.

And the plan would help to avoid mistakes and keep the work consistent.

These are all good recommendations.

A quality assurance that could be put in place for the making of this guitar.

Jun has also said, the maker could use templates for identical features like the frets, and jigs to make any joints more accurate and repeatable.

And Lucas has suggested they could make sure that PPE, so personal protective equipment, is ready, the workspace is safe, and the materials are stored correctly, ensuring the product and the maker stay safe.

Again, excellent suggestions.

Quick check for understanding on quality assurance checks then.

Which of the below would be quality assurance checks? A, detailed drawings to work from drawing manufacture, B, use of jigs and template, C, measuring the finished product to make sure it matches the design, or D, inspecting a completed item for scratches or damage.

Pause the video here, just take a moment to think about your answer.

There are two possible correct answers here.

So A, detailed drawings to work from during manufacture, and B, use of jigs and templates.

The other two examples were examples of quality control, not quality assurance.

Now, ensuring there are detailed drawings with accurate measurements and sizes is another quality assurance.

So this is an example of an orthographic projection, which has detailed measurements included on it.

Now, having drawings help to avoid any misunderstandings during manufacture.

Now, assembly and exploded diagrams can be created from CAD, and these are also useful as part of quality assurance.

These can help with understanding how parts fit together, what fixings to use, and what order to assemble parts.

And they're used as part of quality assurance as issues can be identified before manufacture.

Jigs are another example of quality assurance.

And this is a quality assurance device that can be used when ensuring quality and accuracy in manufacture.

Here's an example of a pewter casting pouring jig.

Just to remind you, a jig is a tool used in manufacturing to hold and guide a piece of material or a part in place whilst it's being worked on.

And it really helps you ensure accuracy and consistency by controlling the location and movement of the part during processes like drilling, cutting, or shaping.

Okay, quick check for understanding on some of those quality assurance examples there.

Which of the below images shows a jig? Is it A, B, or C? Pause the video here, just take a moment to think about your answer.

And the correct answer, it was C.

So there's a pewter casting pouring jig example shown there.

Jigs look very different depending on what you are using them for and what you actually want them to achieve, but here is just one example.

Another example of quality assurance then is creating a manufacturing plan such as a Gantt chart, and that helps just carry out some quality assurance checks as you work through.

So here's an example of a Gantt chart manufacturing plan.

Now, quality assurance and quality control can also be added onto the manufacturing plan to further help in improving the quality of the product.

So you can see in this example here, we have two columns, quality assurance checks and also quality control checks.

And these can be completed as part of the larger manufacturing plan, and really helps to ensure accuracy and also quality of the product.

You can see those two columns clearly shown there.

Okay, over to you now to have a go at some tasks.

The first thing I'd like you to do then is to think about your own product that you are making, and I'd like you to consider what quality assurance checks you could put in place for the manufacturing of your own product.

So just thinking about quality assurance at this point.

I'd like you to then record your quality assurance checks as part of your manufacturing plan as well.

Pause the video here to have a go at these tasks.

Okay, let's have a little look at these tasks and look at what Andeep has done.

Andeep has considered the following quality assurance points for the manufacturing of his product.

He's going to make sure that he checks the quality of the timber, have accurate working drawing with detailed dimensions for me to check against when manufacturing, he's going to create a Gantt chart manufacturing plan to check my progress, and also he's going to check the extraction on the laser cutter and ensure it is turned on prior to starting.

These are some really great quality assurance points for the manufacturing of his product.

You will have slightly different ones depending on what you are making and what you've decided is the most important.

So just check you've got enough examples, and are there any that Andeep suggested that you didn't think of that actually could be quite useful? For the second task then, Andeep has added his quality assurance considerations into a manufacturing plan.

And you can see he's added those into the quality assurance column that he had added into his manufacturing plan previously.

Okay, lastly then, we're going to look at quality control and quality control in practise.

Now, quality control checks are set up as systems by manufacturers.

And the systems involve monitoring and inspecting parts during and after manufacture, and ensuring that they meet set standards and also tolerances.

And tolerance is the acceptable range of variation in a product's dimensions.

Let's have a quick closer look at tolerances then.

So the mechanical pencil below needs to meet set standards to ensure that they are all made to the same, and also meet the quality control standards.

Now this example of the mechanical pencil must be no shorter than 18.

5 centimetres, and no longer than 19.

5 centimetres to be within what's called tolerance.

And you can see that shown on the diagram there.

That is the tolerance it must fall within to be acceptable.

Now, as it measures halfway in between the two measurements at 19 centimetres, it is within tolerance and would pass the quality control check.

But any measurements in between 18.

5 and 19.

5 would be within tolerance.

A product's tolerance is shown as a number with a plus-minus sign in front of it.

And the plus-minus sign is used to show a range of possible values.

So for example, the tolerance of the mechanical pencil is 19 centimetres plus-minus 0.

5 centimetres.

And the acceptable size is between 18.

5 centimetres and 19.

5 centimetres.

Okay, what word means a range of acceptable measurements? Is it A, calibration, B precision, or C tolerance? Pause the video here.

Just take a moment to think about your answer.

And the correct answer, it was tolerance.

So the word meaning a range of acceptable measurements is tolerance.

Well done if you got that right.

Now quality control checks can be carried out during the manufacturing of a product and can be planned in as part of the manufacturing plan, as I showed you before.

So here's what this can look like.

This is again, chart manufacturing plan with quality control checks included on it.

Now, some examples then of what we can use for quality control.

A digital vernier calliper is an example of a tool that can be used to conduct quality control checks such as measuring parts and components of a product.

And here is an example of a digital vernier calliper.

It can measure to an accuracy of 100th of a millimetre, so incredibly accurate, and it can measure outside dimensions, inside dimensions, and also depth.

This would ensure the parts and components are within that word, tolerance.

Okay, which one of these images shows a digital vernier calliper? Is it A, B, or C? Pause the video here just to take a moment to think about your answer.

And it was B.

Now, a visual inspection of products during or at the end of manufacture is quality control check.

And that can help to identify any issues in the quality.

So some examples then such as scratches, rough edges, glue marks, or even uneven paint can be identified through visual checks.

So visual inspections are just as an important version of a quality control check.

Okay, over to you now to complete a couple of tasks then.

Just like you did with quality assurance, I'd like you to now consider what quality control checks you can include as part of the manufacturing of your product.

And as your second part of your task, I'd like you to add your quality control checks to your manufacturing plan again, just like you did with the quality assurance checks.

Okay, pause the video here to have a go at these two tasks.

Alright, again, let's just look at Andeep's as an example.

So Andeep is considered the following quality control points for the manufacturing of his product.

He's going to check CAD drawings against working drawing measurements to ensure accuracy.

He's going to test the settings on the laser cutter by checking the quality of the cut and the engrave.

He's gonna do visual checks on the joints to see if they fit together correctly.

He's going to measure joints to ensure they match the working drawings.

He's going to check first cut panels to ensure clean cut and also to clear engrave and also clear engrave before manufacturing further panels.

And he's going to ensure that glue is not spilling out of wood joints, and the joints have not slipped once the pressure is applied from the clamps.

Yours are going to be different, but just have a little look and see if Andy has prompted any things that you have missed and could include.

And Andy has then added his quality control considerations into his manufacturing plan.

So here we can see the manufacturing plan where he's already added his quality assurance checks, he's now added into the quality control checks column all of the checks he's going to carry out as well.

So this is going to prompt him as he is manufacturing, and also at the end of manufacturing, what he needs to be checking as he goes to ensure that high accuracy and really good quality product or prototype.

Okay, let's just do a quick summary of today's lesson then.

Today, we've been looking at quality assurance when manufacturing.

And to ensure products are made to a high standard, designers and manufacturers use quality assurance, which is QA, and quality control, which is QC.

Quality Assurance is about checking the planning and processes, and it focuses on preventing problems before they happen, whereas quality control is about checking the product to make sure it meets the required standard.

And when quality assurance and quality control checks take place, they are ensuring accuracy.

And accuracy, when manufacturing, is vital.

If a process is being rushed or not enough attention is given, the accuracy can then suffer, and this can affect the overall quality of the product or the prototype.

Well done for all of your hard work today.

Thank you so much for joining me for the lesson, and I will see you soon.

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