Lesson video

Hello, thank you for joining me for your 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 safely using hand tools.

And these are our keywords.

We have manufacture, one-off production, and hand tools.

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

So, first of all then, we're going to look at one-off and specialist products.

So manufacturing is the process of making products from raw materials using machines or labour.

But there are different scales of production when it comes to manufacturing.

Now the scales of production refer to the amount or volume of goods that are manufactured.

And it can be split into four main categories.

We have one-off production, batch production, mass production, and also continuous production.

Let's look at each one of these in a little bit more detail.

So, first of all, one-off production.

Now one-off production is usually handmade, it's quite unique in appearance, and only one is made.

Batch production has some automation put into the process.

They are quite consistent in appearance and a certain amount is made, not necessarily a small amount or a large amount, but a particular amount.

Mass production is mainly automated.

And quite often, it uses CAM, which is computer aided manufacture.

And the products are made in a very high volume.

And then lastly, we have continuous.

And continuous is highly automated, incredibly so.

And all the products are identical in appearance and the product line is running continuously, or running constantly.

So let's look at one-off production in a bit more detail.

So one-off production is when a single, custom-made product is manufactured for a specific customer.

Examples of one-off products would be things such as a handmade wedding dress, or a unique piece of furniture, or a 3D printed prototype.

One-off and specialist products are quite labour intensive, however.

Now these are labour intensive to manufacture because every product is different.

They are usually handmade and also very unique in appearance.

The workers who are producing one-off products are often really highly skilled and specialise in specific materials or products, such as the furniture maker.

And they also use specialist techniques and tools.

Because one-off products are manufactured really specifically to suit an individual's needs or preferences, they are often better suited to the needs and wants of the end user.

So that's a really big benefit.

They're often manufactured as well with higher quality materials and they have a greater attention to detail.

Now that's because the maker focuses on just one item at a time.

Okay, quick check for understanding in all of that then.

Which scale of production is used when a single, custom-made product is made for a specific customer? Is it a, mass production, b, one-off production, or c, batch production.

Take a moment, pause the video here, and just think about your answer.

And the correct answer, it is one-off production.

Well done if you got that right.

So in comparison to that then, we have mass production.

Now mass production is the process of manufacturing really high quantities of the same product quickly and efficiently.

And usually, automation and computer aided manufacture is used as part of that to help in that efficiency.

So examples of mass-produced products would be things such as vehicles and also smartphone.

They are made in a really, really high quantity numbers.

Now, usually, as the scale of production increases, so does the level of automation.

Now this is because automation is really key for producing large quantities more efficiently.

It's all about speed.

And the use of CAM, Computer Aided Manufacture, can aid with really high volume production by increasing that speed and by that accuracy.

Now as more products are manufactured more quickly, the cost per product is often much lower than one-off production.

Okay, quick check for understanding on that then.

Which of the following is a major benefit of using CAM in manufacturing? Is it a, increased production time, b, lower precision in parts, c, improved speed and accuracy, or d, reduced flexibility in designs? Pause the video here just to take a moment to think about your answer.

And the correct answer was the improved speed and accuracy.

That is a massive benefit for using CAM in manufacturing, especially in things such as mass manufacture.

Okay, it's gonna be up to you now to have a go at a couple of tasks.

The first thing I'd like you to do is to define one-off production and also give two examples of products that are suitable for this scale of production.

The second task I'd like you to do then is to compare and contrast one-off production and mass production when making guitars.

So you've got an example here of a mass-produced guitar and also a custom one-off guitar.

So have a little go at these two tasks.

Pause the video here.

And good luck.

Okay, how did you get on? Let's look at the first task then.

The first one I asked you to do was to define one-off production and give two examples of products that are suitable for this scale of production.

So if we just look at an example answer them.

The example answer says one-off production is when a single, custom-made product is manufactured to meet a specific customer's needs.

Products are usually handmade and unique in appearance, with workers often being highly skilled, specialising in specific materials or products, using specialist techniques and tools.

Examples of one-off products include a tailored suit or a custom-built bicycle.

Just compare your answer to the example one there and see if you've got all the information that you need.

So the second question then was to compare and contrast one-off production and mass production when making guitars.

So again, let's just look at an example answer and compare your answer to this as I go through it.

A one-off produced guitar would be manufactured to the user's specification.

A mass-produced guitar would be standardised, using the same specification and components for every guitar.

A one-off guitar might take months to manufacture by a highly skilled worker using specialist techniques and tools, whereas a mass-produced guitar would be manufactured on a production line quickly using automation and also CAM.

Now the final one-off produced guitar would be of a high quality and very expensive.

And a mass-produced guitar would be lower in cost.

The quality of the materials and manufacturing would also be lower as well.

Okay, just compare your answer to that one and see if you've got all the key pieces of information in there.

Okay, next we're going to then look at timber hand tools.

So hand tools are often used when making one-off products.

And this is due to the precision and accuracy that can be achieved when using them.

And hand tools are manually operated tools used for shaping, cutting, joining, and finishing materials in practical projects.

Hand tools are not as effective at manufacturing products quickly, so they're not as suitable for things such as mass manufacture.

But often, with one-off products, speed is not the key objective, so these are actually very, very helpful to use.

So let's have a look at some examples of timber hand tools then.

Now before you actually even start to cut or shape your material, you need to add lines to work to.

And these lines are measured and then marked out.

Now marking out hand tools are specifically used to mark accurate lines on the material.

So typical kind of tools or hand tools that are used for this are a soft pencil.

Now these are used so that you can rub out mark lines really easily.

Also a steel rule as well.

And a steel rule is used more often in a workshop or with timber because they're more durable than a plastic or polymer ruler.

So also that means that it's less likely to break in a workshop environment.

And lastly then, a try square.

And a try square marks a 90 degree line onto your timber or your material.

You may be familiar with all of these and have used these previously in your workshop at school.

Now we move on to cutting hand tools then.

Cutting hand tools are used as part of the wasting process to remove any unwanted areas.

Now these small scale or one-off production tools can be operated manually.

So a typical example then would be a coping saw.

A coping saw has a really thin blade that can be rotated easily.

And what this means is it can actually cut out really intricate shapes quite nicely and in a lot of detail.

The blade can also be removed to cut internal shapes as well.

Again, you can see an image of a coping saw there that may be familiar to you.

You may have used one-off these in the workshop at school previously.

So you've got the handle there, that really, really thin blade that can be rotated, and also the frame.

And the frame has a really big space around it as well to make sure you can move around the material quite nicely and easily.

Another example of a hand tool then would be a tenon saw.

A tenon saw has a short, stiff blade with really fine teeth.

And it also has a reinforced back along the top of the blade.

Hopefully you can see that on the little label there where it says back.

That's quite a reinforced, strong back.

And it's used for making straight cuts in timber.

So your coping saw is really good for curved and intricate shapes, whereas your tenon saw is really good for those straight cuts.

Again, this may be a tool that you've used previously in the workshop and may be quite familiar with.

Okay, quick check for understanding then.

Which hand tool is best suited for making a curved cut in a piece of wood or timber? Is it a, coping saw, b, mitre saw, c, tenon saw, or d, circular saw? Pause the video here.

Just take a moment to think about your answer.

And the correct answer, it was a, the coping saw.

Well done if you got that right.

Okay, let's move on to some more hand tools then.

Now drilling can be achieved with a hand tool as well.

And we actually do that by using a manually operated hand drill.

Now this is an example of a manually operated hand drill, and it's used for quite precise and small holes.

You can also put different drill bits in there.

And drill bits are cutting tools that attach to a drill to make holes in materials.

And there are different types of drill bits designed for specific materials, hole size, and finish, things such as twist bits which make, on general, smaller holes, and also flat bits which drill large holes very quickly.

So most people, when they think about drilling, they do think of more of a power tool, but you can get these manually operated hand drills and you're actually just kind of like winding it to work it.

A chisel is another example of a timber hand tool as well.

And a chisel has a sharp metal blade used for cutting, shaping, or removing wood.

It's often used in small scale or one-off production because of the time and also the dexterity required.

There's a lot of skill that goes into using a chisel.

You can see there some examples of chisel shown on the screen.

Now the bevel describes the slanted sides of the chisel, which you can just kind of see on the top and to the sides of those images of the chisels there.

Now there are many different types of chisels, but the most common is the bevel edge chisel, which you can see there.

And it can be used with a mallet to remove large amounts of material or by using just hand pressure for the fine and more delicate cuts, which is a technique called paring.

Okay, quick check for understanding on a couple of those bits then.

Which of these images show twist drill bits.

Is it a, b, or c? Pause the video here.

Just take a moment to think about your answer.

And the correct answer was c.

Okay, so filing and abrading is also another wasting process that involves removing material to shape or smooth a piece of timber or material.

So some more hand tools that we can use then, this time for filing and abrading.

This is a hand file.

And a hand file is a hand tool with a metal surface which is covered in tiny little teeth.

And it's used to smooth or shape materials such as timber, but also it can be used with metal and polymer.

And you do that by rubbing it back and forth.

Hand files come in lots of different sizes and profiles.

And again, you may have used these in the workshop previously and noticed that they do come in these different kind of sizes and profiles.

So you've got things such as triangular, round, flat, and also half-round.

Abrasive paper is another hand tool.

And this is used also to smooth or clean surfaces.

It kind of comes after using a file.

And it comes in different grades, or grits, which tell you how rough or smooth it is.

The number, or that grade, corresponds to the size of the abrasive grit on the paper.

It kind of can be coarser or finer.

You can see an example there of abrasive paper, and you may have or probably have used this before.

So the lower the grit number, the more coarse that abrasive paper is, whereas the higher the grit number, this one goes through to 800, for example, is the more fine the grit is.

So low number grades are rough and remove a lot of material quickly, while medium grades are for smoothing things out.

And then by the time we get through to those really high-number grades, they are used more for polishing.

Okay, quick check for understanding on that then.

Which grade of abrasive paper is smoothest and will give a fine finish? Is it a, 50 grit, b, 400 grit, or c, 200 grit? Pause the video here.

Just take a moment to think about your answer.

And the correct answer was that 400 grit.

So the higher the grit number, the smoother or the more fine that grit is.

Another hand tool then is a manual plane.

Now these remove thin layers of word to smooth, straighten, or reduce its thickness.

And using a plane requires a lot of skill and also a lot of dexterity.

So again, it's another thing that needs to be mastered, which is why it's quite often again used in one-off or small scale production.

And now you can see an example of that manual plane and it being passed over the surface of the timber.

Okay, it's gonna be up to you now to complete some tasks on timber hand tools.

So the first thing I'd like you to do is just to explain the benefits of using hand tools in one-off production.

I'd like you to use examples of tools to help you with your answer.

The second thing I'd like you to do then is then think about your own product.

I'd like you to consider which hand tools would be suitable in the manufacturing of your product.

Name your choices, but also explain why they would be suitable and how they could be used as well.

It doesn't mean you have to use them, but just have a think about which ones would be suitable if you were to use them.

Okay, pause the video here and good luck with your task.

The first task I asked you to do then was to explain the benefits of using hand tools in one-off production specifically.

And I also asked you to use examples of tools to help you with your answer.

So let's have a look at a model answer then.

Using hand tools in one-off production is useful because they allow for greater control and precision, especially when making one-off or custom products.

For example, a chisel or a file can be used carefully to get an exact fit that a machine might not manage.

Hand tools are also more flexible, meaning they can be used on different materials or shapes without needing to set up machines.

Overall, hand tools are great for detailed work and also finishing touches in one-off items. Just compare your answer to this one and see if you've got all the key points included in there and that you've also used examples of tools to help you with your answer.

The second task I asked you to do was to consider which hand tools would be suitable for the manufacturing of your product.

Now your answer will be very personal and specific to your product, but let's have a little look at Andeep's answer, considering his final design.

So Andeep has explained, "I'm going to need to use a tenon saw to cut some of the straighter edges, but I will need to use the coping saw for my curved edges as well.

If I use hand tools instead of CAM, I would also need to use a combination of the tenon saw, chisel, and file to cut and shape the comb joints accurately." And he may also use a coping saw to do that as well.

Compare your answer to Andeep's.

Have you explained why the tools that you have chosen are suitable for the making and manufacturing of your product? Let's summarise today's lesson then.

Today we've been looking at specialist tools and equipment for manufacture.

Now one-off production is when a single, custom-made product is manufactured for a specific customer.

And one-off products are manufactured specifically to suit an individual's needs or preferences.

Hand tools are often used when making one-off products due to the precision and accuracy that can be achieved.

And lastly, hand tools are not as effective at manufacturing products quickly.

Thank you so much for all of your hard work today.

I will see you soon.

And thank you very much.