Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mrs. Taylor and I'm so pleased you can be here to join me today for our lesson.

Our lesson is wasting manufacturing processes for textiles, and this is part of the technical principles unit.

The outcome: I can explain and compare small-scale and industrial wasting processes.

There are four key words.

Wasting, which is removing material to shape or size a product.

Small-scale production.

This is making one or a few products using hand tools or basic machines.

Industrial, higher-volume production using machines for speed, accuracy, and consistency.

CNC, this is computer numerical control, so computer-controlled machining for precise cutting and shaping.

There are two parts to the lesson.

Small-scale wasting processes and industrial wasting processes.

Let's begin with small-scale wasting processes.

A wasting process is a manufacturing method where material is removed to shape or finish a product.

This includes different types of cutting, which is a process used in both small-scale production and industrial settings.

In small-scale production, for example, in school classrooms or workshops, we use hand tools for control and precision, power tools for speed and consistency.

Here we can see an image of fabric scissors on the left and an electric cutter.

Whilst hand tools are easier to control, power tools offer speed.

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

These small-scale production tools can be operated manually.

Fabric scissors are used to cut straight lines or a range of curves.

Pinking shears are used to cut the zigzag edge to prevent fabrics fraying.

And rotary cutters are used to cut straight lines and gentle curves.

These must be used with a cutting mat.

Here we have a check for understanding.

Which small-scale production hand tool is best suited for making a tight curved cut in a piece of cotton calico? Is it A, pinking shears, B, rotary cutter, or C, fabric scissors? Pause the video.

Wonderful.

Let's check.

That's right.

It's C, fabric scissors.

Well done.

Cutting tools are used to remove unwanted areas.

Punches force out a specific shape and can be used on some textile fabrics.

They are not suitable for fabrics which will fray as it would be difficult to finish the edges.

They work well on felt and leather or faux leather, and here we can see an image of a punch.

Cutting tools are used to remove unwanted areas.

Small-scale production tools can also be operated by power.

Electric cutters are useful to cut through multiple fabric layers at the same time.

They can even cut through thicker fabrics such as denim and carpet.

Here we have a check for understanding.

Match the fabric shape to the most suitable cutting tool, multiple layers of denim, a wedding dress pattern in silk, and an intricate flower shape in a felt hat.

Pause the video and have a go.

Great.

Let's check.

Multiple layers of denim would be most suitable to be cut using the electric cutter.

A wedding dress pattern in silk, the most suitable option is fabric scissors.

And an intricate flower shape in a felt hat, the most suitable option would be a punch.

Well done.

It can be desirable to make items of clothing look aged or worn.

Denim is an example of a fabric where this is often a design feature.

To achieve this look, the fabric is scraped or rubbed to remove some of the surface layer.

Removing material by rubbing is called abrading.

Pumice stones, sandpaper, or lasers can be used to create this look.

Here we can see images of a pumice stone, sandpaper, and the effect on an example of abraded denim.

We now move to task A.

There are four parts.

Part one, define the term wasting process in the context of manufacturing.

Part two, describe the difference in appearance between pinking shears and fabric scissors.

Explain their use.

Part three, explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using a power tool instead of a hand tool.

And part four, explain why both hand and power tools are used in small-scale production.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

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

For part one, you may have said, a wasting process is a method of shaping or finishing a material by removing parts of it such as cutting, punching, or abrading.

For part two, you may have said pinking shears and fabric scissors have different blades.

Pinking shears have a zigzag blade and are used to prevent fraying.

Fabric scissors have a straight blade to cut straight lines and a range of curves.

For part three, you may have said power tools are faster and require less manual effort, which means they can be used to cut multiple layers easily.

However, they can be more dangerous and require a power source.

And for part four, hand and power tools are both used in small-scale production because they each have different strengths.

Hand tools allow for greater control, precision, and detail.

While power tools help speed up tasks, cut through material more efficiently, and reduce physical effort.

Well done.

We now move to the second part of the lesson: industrial wasting processes.

Industrial wasting processes require more heavy-duty machinery.

This is because speed, accuracy, and consistency are required for larger production runs.

CNC stands for computer numerical control, which means that some machinery can be controlled by a computer using code.

CNC machinery is often used in industry because it can cut complex and precise shapes repeatedly with minimal human intervention.

Automatic cutters are computer-controlled systems which use knife blades or laser beams to cut fabric.

They enable fast cuts with minimal waste.

This is ideal for large batches.

They are CNC-controlled, allowing precise, repeatable cuts.

We can see on the image the fabric roll, the computer, the fabric table, and the cutter, which could be a blade or a laser beam.

Band knives are used to cut fabric.

The fabric is laid on the bed and guided through the band-knife, which has a smooth, sharp edge.

This is suitable for multiple layers of fabric to be cut at once in curved or straight shapes.

We can see here the smooth band-knife blade.

Here we have a check for understanding.

How does a CNC automated cutter differ from a band-knife? Is it A, it cuts by hand, B, it is manually powered, C, it is automated and programmable, or D, it can't cut large shapes? Pause the video and have a go.

Great.

Let's check.

That's right, it's C.

It is automated and programmable.

Well done.

Die-cutting is a process used for fabric and other materials such as papers and boards.

The die is a series of sharpened steel blades mounted on a board.

The die is placed over the fabric and pressure is then applied.

This forces the die to cut the fabric into the desired shape.

Here we can see two images.

The one on the left is the industrial die-cutter showing the steel blades, and the second on the right is examples of die-cut felt shapes used for crafting.

Punch machines are similar to die-cutting.

A sharp metal shape is forced under through fabric.

They are limited to cutting uniform holes or simple shapes, unlike die-cutting, which cuts more complex shapes.

Examples include making uniform holes in belts, bags, and shoes, a belt with punched holes.

Laser cutting is the process of cutting using a high powered laser, the heat from the laser burns through the fabric, and if the fabric is synthetic, it seals the edges.

It is accurate and produces precision cuts that do not fray.

Production speed is therefore increased as separate finishing techniques for the edges of the fabric are not needed.

Here we can see an image of laser cutting felt, and here we can see a garment, a dress with laser cut details.

We have a check for understanding now.

What is a key advantage of industrial CNC wasting processes? Is it A, higher production speed, B, less control over dimensions, C, higher power consumption, or D, lower accuracy? Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

Let's check.

That's right, it's A, higher production speed.

Well done.

Stone washing is a process which is used to create a worn and aged appearance in clothing, usually denim garments.

Pumice stones are put in the drum of a large washing machine along with the denim fabric.

As the washing machine rotates and agitates the contents, the stones abrade the surface of the denim to create a relaxed look.

Here we can see an image with large machines which tumble denim with pumice stones inside and the resulting stone-washed denim effect.

We now move to task B.

There are four parts.

Part one, explain one advantage of using CNC machines in industrial production.

Part two, name two industrial wasting processes and describe their main function.

Part three, why are industrial processes more suitable for higher volume production? And part four, compare a small-scale production process to its industrial counterpart.

Give one example and explain the main difference.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wonderful.

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

For part one, you may have said CNC machines can cut and shape materials with high precision and consistency, allowing large batches of identical components to be manufactured efficiently.

For part two, you may have said CNC automatic cutter cuts and shapes sheet material according to a computer programme and a die-cutter cuts multiple layers of material quickly and uniformly by applying pressure to a sharp steel blade called a die.

For part three, you may have said industrial machines, especially CNC, can produce large numbers of parts quickly, accurately, and with very little variation between them, which is ideal for higher volume production.

And for part four, you may have said fabric scissors compared to a laser cutter.

Fabric scissors are manually operated and less accurate.

Whilst the laser cutter is computer-controlled, faster, more precise, and can produce large batches efficiently.

It also seals synthetic fabric reducing the need for an additional process.

Well done.

We now have a summary of our learning today.

Wasting involves removing material to shape or size a product.

Tools and small machines remove material in small-scale production.

CNC stands for computer numerical control, which means that some machinery can be controlled by a computer.

Larger machines remove material quickly, more accurately and consistently at scale.

I'm so pleased you were able to join me for our lesson today.

Thank you and well done.