SOLE lesson

How are timbers and boards selected and processed for commercial products?

1st the timber is felled

Then it is stored on site

After that the timber is heated until its water content has lowered from 50% to 20% or 10% dependent on the use for the timber

The product is then cut into the standard sizes

The wood is then prepared for the market and sold

How are materials cut, shaped and formed
to a tolerance?

Timber can be shaped in multiple ways, such as; Being rut into a bag on a table and having all of the air inside removed bending it over the mold.It can also be shaped by steaming the wood and molding it by hand then leaving it to set.

The material is cut to standard sizes via a machine, this cuts cost in manual labor and is more efficient and accurate

How and why are surface treatments and finishes applied to wooden products?

Wooden products are given a surface finish to give it an aesthetic look, this can be achieved by using a machine to laminate it or paint it.

What would be three disadvantages of
using man made board?

Man made boards will blunt sharp tools when cut

Cutting and sanding it will release harmful dust particles

It uses glue to hold them together this makes it environmentally harmful

What are the factors that drive designers to choose specific materials?

What properties of manufactured board
make it suitable for flat-pack products? do you think these properties make it less aesthetically appealing?

Manufactured boards are good for flat packing because it is made flat and to certain sizes, it is made of discarded pieces of wood which makes it less aesthetically pleasing

Designers choose certain materials based on a range of decisions such as dependent on what the wood will be used for these include:

The water content

The stock size

The look of the wood

Cost effectiveness of the wood

The strength of the wood

What other advantages does CNC
routing offer over hand cutting?

What is CNC machinery?

What disadvantages would the introduction of CNC machinery present to a skilled workforce?

What are the benefits to the manufacturer
of minimising waste? And how could they dispose of the waste responsibly?

The use of computers to control machine tools

The manufacturer could use the waste to create man-made boards thus reducing the pollution and cost

The minimization of waste is beneficial because it doesn't cost much to discard smaller amounts

CNC is more accurate than cutting the wood by hand

There is less error with a piece of timber cut by CNC than by hand

CNC is cheaper to obtain in the long run

The CNC being introduced to a factory wood result in many of the skilled workers being released from the company due to the lack of use for them

What is QA/QC ? and why are tolerances important?

Why is it important for a manufacturer to ensure they have rigorous quality control systems in place?

QA/QC quality assurance/quality control

Tolerances are important because it optimizes the cost

Computer numerical control

if the manufacturer does not have thorough quality control system then the product will become sub-par and not be worth as much

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What is the differences between ‘mechanisation’ and ‘automation’?

automation is the use or introduction of automatic equipment in a manufacturing or other process or facility.

Mchanisation is where an area of work is completed by humans or animals has been replaced by a machine

What treatments and methods would you use to finish specific products? (eg garden shed, a toy wooden boat and a cricket bat) Can you justify why you would use these treatments?

What are VOC’s? :Traditional paints and finishes can have harmful effects on the environment, how do we minimise this effect?

What is the difference between aesthetical finishes and functional finishes? Can you give an example?

What are the advantages of applying a finish on a production line?

Add a varnish

Melamine formaldehyde

Add a veneer

functional finishes can impact the use of the product making it stronger

An example of an aesthetical finish is paint on wood

aesthetical finishes change the look of the product

It is cost effective

It makes the product look aesthetically pleasing

we can minimize the effect by using different paints which may cost more but will minimize the affect

Volatile organic compound

Is PPE important when manufacturing products and applying finishes?

PPE can be effective because it protects the worker applying the finish.