Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mrs. Taylor, and I'm really pleased you can join me for our lesson today.

Our lesson today is Quality Control: Polymers and Timbers, and this is part of the Iterative Design: Nature unit.

The outcome, "I can use quality control to ensure the manufacture of my design is successful." We have three keywords.

Quality control, which are checks made on a product before, during, and after its manufacture so it meets quality and safety standards.

Accuracy, which means being correct and precise.

Tolerance, the acceptable range of variation in a product's dimensions.

The lesson has two parts, accuracy ensures quality and quality control in manufacture.

Let's get started.

Quality control checks are put in place to ensure that a product meets the required standard.

Quality control checks are important to ensure the product is fit for purpose.

Quality control checks are done throughout the manufacturing process, not just at the end of the process.

This ensures the quality is consistent throughout.

Here we have a check for understanding.

What are quality control checks? Is it A, assembly instructions used to guide the manufacturing process, or B, prototype testing to explore new design concepts before production, or C, checks put in place to ensure that a product meets the required standard.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's check.

That's right, it's C.

Quality control checks are checks put in place to ensure that a product meets the required standard.

Well done.

When quality control checks take place, they are ensuring accuracy.

Accuracy is when you are being correct and precise.

Accuracy when manufacturing is vital.

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

A common term in manufacturing is, "measure twice and cut once," meaning check your measurements twice to make sure they are correct before starting to cut, or remove, or subtract material.

This helps to ensure accuracy.

Quality control checks are set up as systems by manufacturers.

The systems involve monitoring and inspecting parts during manufacture, ensuring they meet set standards and tolerances.

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

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

A mechanical pencil must be no shorter than 18.

5 centimetres and no longer than 19.

5 centimetres to be within tolerance.

We can see on this diagram a mechanical pencil, a ruler, and the tolerance.

As it measures halfway in between the two measurements at 19 centimetre, this example is within tolerance, and would pass the quality control check.

A product's tolerance is shown as a number with a plus minus in front of it, and the plus minus sign is used to show a range of possible values.

For example, the tolerance of the mechanical pencil is 19 centimetres plus or minus.

5 centimetres.

The acceptable size is therefore between 18.

5 centimetres and 19.

5 centimetres.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What word means a range of acceptable measurements? Is it A, calibration, B, precision, or C, tolerance? Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's check.

That's right.

It's C, tolerance.

Well done.

The more accurate you can be when measuring your product for quality control checks, the better.

Using small units of measurements such as millimetres are the best way to ensure accuracy.

A digital vernier calliper is an example of a tool that can be used to conduct quality control checks.

It can measure to an accuracy of 100th of a millimetre.

It can measure outside dimensions, inside dimensions, and depth.

Jigs can also be used when ensuring quality and accuracy in manufacture.

Here we can see a picture of a pewter casting pouring jig.

A jig is a tool used in manufacturing to hold and guide a piece of material or part in place while it is being worked on.

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

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which one of these images shows a digital vernier calliper.

Pause the video.

Fantastic.

Let's check.

That's right.

It's B.

Well done.

Quality control checks are decided upon and identified at specific stages of the manufacturing process.

Here we can see a section of Aisha's time plan for manufacturer.

Aisha previously wrote a time plan for her manufacturer using a Gantt chart layout.

Aisha has begun to add quality control checks.

What quality control checks do you think Aisha could do for step 1, which is source the MDF? Aisha would need to order the correct size MDF.

She needs 12 millimetres thick for her design.

When it is delivered, she would need to check the dimensions and quality of the MDF, paying particular attention to the edges.

Here we have task A.

Look at your time plan and consider what quality control checks you can put in place throughout your manufacture to ensure standards are met.

Add your quality control checks to your time plan.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's have a look at some of the answers you may have come up with.

Aisha says, "I have added quality control checks onto each stage of my manufacturer so that I know what to check to make my product accurate as to ensure a quality product." We are now going to move on to part 2 of the lesson, quality control in manufacture.

Aisha plans to manufacture her herb planter using hand tools and workshop machinery, including a band facer.

She has outlined specific quality control checks she will need to perform to ensure an accurate and high-quality prototype.

Aisha now needs to manufacture her product using her time plan with quality control checks.

Step 4 is to use a template to mark out the base.

Here we can see a card template and the MDF for the base.

Measure twice, cut once.

Aisha checks the template by using a tape measure to check the measurements.

Step 5 is to cut the base.

Aisha used a coping saw and a vice to cut the base.

She found the curves quite difficult to get accurate.

She was careful to cut on the outside of the line.

Here we can see a picture showing the MDF held in a vice.

We can see the line and the waste.

"If you lose the line, you lose the design," is a really useful phrase here.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Explain what is meant by, "measure twice and cut once." Is it A, check the measurements before cutting, B, don't cut until you are sure the measurements are correct, or C, ask your teacher to check your work.

Pause the video.

Great.

Let's check.

That's right.

It's both A and B.

Check the measurements before cutting and don't cut until you are sure the measurements are correct.

Well done.

Step 6 is to drill the hole in the base.

We can see a picture here of the MDF base being held on the drill bed with a G clamp.

We can see the hole marked out and the Forstner in the chuck ready to drill.

Aisha used a pillar drill and a Forstner bit to drill the hole.

She clamped the MDF to the base and checked the Forstner bit was in the chuck correctly before drilling.

Once the setup was checked, the clear guard was moved to cover the chuck and drill bit.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What advantages does the pillar drill have over a hand drill? Is it A, it takes longer to set up, B, the chuck is fixed so the angle is controlled, or C, it relies on the operator holding it steadily, the angle can change? Pause the video.

Wonderful.

Let's check.

That's right.

The advantage of using a pillar drill is that the chuck is fixed, so the angle is controlled.

Well done.

We now move on to task B.

Using your time plan and quality control checks, manufacture your product using tools and processes planned and carry out the quality control checks you have recommended.

Record your manufacturing through photos and explanations of the quality control checks you have carried out.

Pause the video.

Brilliant.

Let's have a look at some of the answers you may have come up with.

Below is an example of the quality control checks Aisha carried out for these parts of her manufacturing process.

She says, "I use the same template for the base and for the large clear shelf to ensure they were the same." Here we have a summary of our learning today.

Quality control checks are put in place to ensure that a product meets the required standard.

Quality control checks are done throughout the manufacturing process, not just at the end of the process.

This ensures the quality is consistent throughout.

Accuracy when manufacturing is vital.

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

Quality control checks are set up as systems by manufacturers.

The systems involve monitoring and inspecting parts during manufacture, ensuring they meet set standards and tolerances.

I'm really pleased you could join me here today.

Thank you and well done.