This subject enables the student to employ and augment the theoretical subjects, through the practical application of investigating techniques, using standards, to test and analyse a components function/design. This subject is designed to give the student an understanding of the design, manufacture, and assembly of everyday objects.
Design and manufacture analysis:
- Students will dismantle and analyse various products in order to understand how they were designed, manufactured and assembled, and why functions and features were included by the designer. Factors included for discussion include the financial, environmental and social impact of product elements.
- Using both research and knowledge gained from other modules they will determine how the various parts were manufactured, finished and assembled. Attention is paid to the design for manufacture and assembly of both the parts and their required tooling.
- Students will propose and discuss methods of measuring or investigating critical features and functions of products e.g. Gas flow rate (hairdryer), Temperature (curling tongs / hairdryer), Force required to operate a device (stapler) etc.
- Students will investigate the various safety features incorporated into products ranging from seals for ingress protection to thermal cut-outs. This will be an underlying theme throughout all of the module contents.
- Students will search for, and discuss, various international standards relating to the devices they investigate. This will be an underlying theme throughout all of the module contents.
Electro-Pneumatic Circuit Design:
- Students will research and build pneumatic, hydraulic and electro-pneumatic circuits in order that the operations of these devices, and their applications in manufacturing and testing, can be described. Their use in various areas of design will be investigated.
