Industrial Practices, Systems and Control atKey Stage 4

AbstractThis article discusses the relationship betweendesigning and making processes followed indesign and technology and industrial andcommercial practices commonly used inindustry. It identifies a range of industrial andcommercial practices and gives examples ofhow these can be translated into classroompractice in different focus material areas. Aunit of work for Key Stage 4 textilestechnology demonstrates how industrialpractices can be integrated into textiles work,using simple industry-related activities. Theunit of work includes learning objectives,possible teaching activities, opportunities forbuilding an understanding of industrialpractices and further activities/homeworkideas.

Manufacture (CAD/CAM) and Informationand Communications Technology (ICT).These have revolutionised the way theindustry works, enabling companies tocommunicate information quickly and todesign and manufacture on a global scale.

Thus it is that these practices are part of therequirements of the National Curriculum fordesign and technology and they are alsopractices used by UK industry to achieve thesuccessful manufacture of innovative productsthat provide valuable exports. Industrialpractices used in this way enable andencourage creativity.

The relationship between the designingand making processes followed indesign and technology and industrialand commercial practices commonlyused in industryIn design and technology we follow a designand manufacturing process that is based on anindustrial model. At Key Stage 4 the NationalCurriculum document refers to these activitiesas 'industrial practices'.

In industry these designing and manufacturingprocesses enable manufacturers to make highquality, cost-effective products at a profit.Many industrial design practices andmanufacturing systems make use of ComputerAided Design and Computer Aided

We need to use them in the same way, asprocesses that enable students to design andmake innovative products. We also need toprovide a curriculum that is relevant andforward looking. Using up-to-date industrialpractices will enable us to do this, as long aswe use them as processes for encouragingcreativity, innovation and enjoyment of designand technology. Bringing industrial practicesinto the classroom will also give students:

a wider understanding of the importanceof industry and what it has to offer

an understanding of how lCT hasrevolutionised industry, enablingmanufacturing on a global scale

the opportunity for improved motivationand higher levels of achievement

an understanding of the need for change.

Figure 1: Summary of commonly used industrial and commercial practices and how they can be translated intoclassroom activities for different focus materials areas.Industrial and commercial practices Examples

Research and developmentInvestigating and analysing:

market researchproduct analysisresearching British and internationalstandards legal requirementsresearching scientific and technicalinformationinvestigating safety requirements andidentifying risksconsidering values issues (aesthetic, cultural,economic, environmental, ethical, political,social, technical)costing productsdeveloping design specifications.

Designing for manufactureDeveloping ideas.Modelling and prototyping.Testing before production.Designing for different levels of production.Designing for ease of manufacture,maintenance and product life.Designing for quality and safety.Designing for cost-effective manufacture.Developing manufacturing specifications.

Resistant materialsUse market research to establishthe profile of the target marketgroup, identifying the buyingbehaviour, age group, lifestyle andbrand loyalty of potential customers.

Graphic productsUse a shop report to analyse producttypes, new ideas and technologies andthe competition from othermanufacturers.

FoodGenerate and model ideas for a varietyof food products using a knowledge ofmaterials, texture, composition andflavour.

Graphic ProductsUse 2D and 3D modelling techniques,including CAD software to prototypeproducts and test before manufacture.

TextilesMonitor the life cycle of a textile productfrom cradle to grave, to assess its effecton people or the environment.Investigate the raw materials, thedesign, manufacture, distribution, useand disposal of the product.FoodInvestigate food products already on themarket. Use disassembly activities toidentify ingredients, tastecharacteristics, manufacturingprocesses and value for money. Use theresults of the investigation to draw updesign specification for a new foodproduct.

Systems and controlDesign and use test procedures tocheck the quality and safety of design,so the system meets needs of the userand the environment.

TextilesProduce a manufacturing specification,to ensure that the product ismanufactured as the designer intends.Provide information about styling andconstruction details, dimensions,materials and components.

Production planningProducing a production plan.Identifying and planning materials,components and equipment.Identifying the method of assembly and thestages of manufacture.Planning and safety requirements.Planning time and cost constraints.

TextilesDraw up a production plan whichincludes specifications, details ofmaterials and components, a costingsheet, lay plan, cutting instructions andthe work order.

Resistant materialsUse ICT to help plan the ordering ofmaterials and components, so theyarrive just in time for production.

FoodProduce a detailed time plan to setdeadlines for the different stages ofman ufactu re.

Systems and controlUse a systems approach to find themost appropriate components andassembly process. Identify criticalcontrol points where quality can bechecked.

Product manufactureUsing the most appropriate method ofproduction.Product assembly.Using finishing processes.

QualityUsing quality assurance and control.Testing and monitoring production.Testing against British and internationalstandards.Testing against specifications.

Graphic productsIdentify how the method of productioncould be simplified so the productmeets budget requirements.

Systems and controlUse ICT appropriately for controllingand manufacturing components andsystems.

Resistant materialsUse a quality assurance system toensure that products meet the requiredspecifications.

Resistant materialsExplore a range of materials,components and processes to improvethe method of production.

TextilesUse finishing processes to ensure thatthe product is fault-free and matchesthe manufacturing specification.

Graphic productsUse CAD systems to customise andcontrol colour quality to enablethe manufacture of identical products.

Food Systems and controlUse qualitative testing against specified Use quality assurance tests to ensurequality standards to monitor the quality that product specifications andof food products. tolerance levels are met.

Figure 1: Summary of commonly used industrial and commercial practices and how they can be translated intoclassroom activities for different focus materials areas (continued).Industrial and commercial practices Examples

Health and safetyFollowing legal requirements and standards.Using risk assessment and safe workingpractices.

Systems and controlA systems approach to design andmanufacture.Control systems.Quality systems.Manufacturing systems.Computer systems.ICT systems.Marketing systems.

A further reason for including industrial andcommercial practices in design andtechnology is to enable an understanding ofthe need for change and how to manage it. Inthe future a job will not be for life. We will allhave to be adaptable. The future for ourstudents is life-long learning if they are to stayin the job market. Design and technology isone of the few subjects in the curriculum thatwill enable students to learn to be flexible anddevelop an understanding of change.

ProductsResearch the legal requirementsrelated to safety standards in theworkplace, for the consumer and forthe environment.

Systems and controlResearch industry-standard hazardanalysis and risk assessmenttechniques. Explain where hazards arelikely to occur in food processing.Analyse the potential risk of that hazard.

TextilesInvestigate BSI and EU standardsrelating to textile manufacture, useand disposal.

Resistant materialsDemonstrate care, precision andattention to detail in the use of tools,equipment and processes, showingawareness of safety in the workshopand beyond.

FoodResearch the use of computer systemsin high volume manufacturing. Explainhow a computer system can help in thedesign and manufacture of products.

Resistant materialsPlan a project using a systemsapproach, to improve planning, toenable the use of feedback and tomonitor quality.

Graphic products TextilesInvestigate the use of control systems Explore how ICT enables feedback ofin high volume manufacturing. product sales information to a garmentCompare high volume printing methods manufacturer. Use a block diagram towith hand block printing. explain this process.

Designers and technologists are well placed tomanage change because design andtechnology training encourages new thinkingand new ideas.

Figure 2: This shows a typical Key Stage 4 textiles project. It demonstrates how a variety of industrial practices can easily beintegrated into textiles work.Unit Title: Stylish Textiles

About the unitThrough this unit students develop design and manufacturing skills by analysing, disassembling and evaluating commercial textilesproducts. They learn that the design of many textiles depends on image, style or fashion as well as on using appropriate materials andprocesses.

Develop design andmanufacturingunderstanding and skillsby analysing andevaluating commercialtextile products.

Design and make assignment• Students are to design a simpledecorative textile accessory fora chosen interior using theinfluence of a design style ora theme.• Identify the learning purposesof the DMA, analyse the task,set out the assessment criteriaand help students plan a step-by-step approach to the project.

Opportunities for Building anUnderstanding of Industrial Practices

• Analysis of existing products (byhand or eye) is a process used byindustrial designers to identifywell-designed products and togather information. It is anopportunity to discuss thedesign features of existingproducts and to use technicalterminology.

• The evaluation of productsencourages the recognition of

IDEA: Style analysis product.In pairs choose an interior (couldbe living room, bedroom, • High lighting topics such asrestaurant etc.) from magazines image or lifestyle helps to raiseor catalogues and draw up a awareness of the marketing of achart to explain the style of the range of manufactured productschosen room, explaining: and the values issues that go• type of interior with it.• types of patterns (checks,spots, floral etc.)• colour schemes (warm, cool,bright etc.)• mood of the room (modern,traditional, country etc.).

Students could add sketches forcolour and pattern/styleinformation.

Homework Ideas and Further AActivites

HomeworkMarket research - collectinformation about style andcolour trends for interioraccessories. Students can recordinformation in a chart similar tothe one used in class.

Further activitiesMany manufacturers use imageand branding to promote the saleof products. Explain howconsumers are encouraged tobuy products because of theirimage. Identify a particularproduct and evaluate itsrelationship with a way of life orlifestyle.

Understand how market Focused practical task:research and disassembly Market research analysisare used to inspire design Choose one textile accessoryideas. from the market research and

explain why it is suitable/notsuitable for the chosen interior.Students could think about:• aesthetic appeal• fitness for purpose• maintenance/aftercare.Explain what may haveinfluenced the style/colourof the textile.

Recognise that social,moral, cultural, artistic ortechnological issuesinfluence the developmentof style in textiles.

Use a mood board tocommunicate ideas aboutdesign, colour, themes,trends and styling. IDEA: Investigating fabrics

In pairs students examine arange of different printed ordecorative fabrics and recordthe pattern style, pattern repeat,fabric properties and possibleend-use. Comparisons could be

• Textile designers regularly analysefabrics, style and colour trends -they need to be up-to-date. They alsodisassemble fabrics to get ideas aboutpattern and properties, which they canuse as starting points for designing.

• This links to the use of contextualstudies to inspire design work - usingart, design and cultural influences.

Moodboards are used widely bydesigners in the textiles industryto develop ideas and to presentthem to clients. Students caneasily model this practice to helpdevelop their own ideas. Theuse of themes to develop moodsor 'stories' about textiles.

HomeworkStudents work on mood boardsfor the chosen interior, usingindividual themes and theinfluences of style/colour trendsfrom research.

Further activitiesStudents could report on thefollowing: Textiles designersoften use the influence of othercultures to develop their ideas.Do we exploit or promote thesecultures by making use of theirtraditional design styles?

Collect pictures of textileproducts and explain how theyhave been influenced by othercultures.

Figure 2: This shows a typical Key Stage 4 textiles project. It demonstrates how a variety of industrial practices can easily beintegrated into textiles wor co ed

made with the textiles seen inmarket research, with studentswriting a simple designspecification for one of thetextiles that they have evaluated.

Develop and use detaileddesign specificationswhen designing textileproducts.

Use design specificationsto generate design ideas.

DMADesign specificationEach student draws up a designspecification for their textileaccessory using researchinformation and mood boardsto help them.

Generating ideasStudents generate design ideasthat are guided by the designspecification. They can basecolour schemes on theirmoodboards. Encouragestudents to think about:• colourways, repeats and scale• developing co-ordinated fabricsfor accessories• fitness-for-purpose.

FPT: Using CADStudents watch video 'Talentand Technology' about the useof CAD in the textiles industry.Discuss the impact thatcomputers have on design,modelling and prototyping andhow ICT enables designers andclients to 'talk' to each other.

• Design specifications are developedthrough research information and usedto generate and evaluate design ideas.

• The homework asks students todevelop design ideas and suggestsworking to a limited colour palate -an industrial practice.

• The video enables students tounderstand the use of CAD and ICTin industry. If computers are availablestudents can use CAD to developdesign ideas and colourways.

HomeworkStudents develop ideas andcolourways for their accessory.You could limit the number ofcolours to be used in the design- often fabric designs have amaximum of three or four colours.

Further activitiesStudents can explain the benefitsto the textiles industry of usingCAD and ICT ego• How CAD is used to developand adapt designs and colour-ways etc.• How designers use ICT towork with clients• The impact of CAD/ICT on thedevelopment of prototypetextile products.

Test and evaluate designideas against the designspecification.

DMA: Star diagramsStudents use star diagrams toevaluate their design ideasagainst the specification,

Understand the difference justifying the chosen design.between quality of designand manufacture. FPT: Experimenting with

techniquesStudents can experiment withtechniques to test the decorationof the accessory, using blockprinting, tie-dye, batik, fabric-painting, applique, embroideryetc, depending on students'prior knowledge and teacherexpertise.

• Opportunities here for students toexplore techniques - industrialdesigners have to be artistic and havean excellent technical knowledge sothat they understand the limitationsand possibilities of what they aredesigning.

• The concept of practising textiletechniques - practice makes perfect -can provide the opportunity to discussthe idea of quality of design andman ufactu rer.

HomeworkStudents can mount samples,write up and evaluate theappropriateness of theirexperimental techniques fordecorating their accessory.

Further activitiesStudents could investigatemanufacturing issues such as thewater pollution caused by dyeingand finishing of fabrics.

Produce and use adetailed production planwhich identifies thestages of manufacture,the materials, componentsand equipment required tomake a textiles product.

DMA: Production planningThe production plan includes amanufacturing specification forthe accessory, with detaileddrawings, design details,dimensions, seam allowances,tolerance, materials and costs,fastenings and finishing details.

• Production planning is a key industrialpractice. The manufacturingspecification provides clear and detailedinstructions about the product's styling,materials and construction.

• Students can use a systems - aflow diagram with feedback loops to

HomeworkProduce a flow diagram to showwhere and how quality can bechecked when making theaccessory.

Further activitiesUse a computer to produce a

Figure 2: This shows a typical Key Stage 4 textiles project. It demonstrates how a variety of industrial practices can easily beintegrated into textiles work (continued).

Provide quality checksand feedback to helpsolve problems.

show how and where quality checksare made to monitor quality.

work order, giving the assemblyprocesses, equipment requiredprocess time and tolerances.

Understand that a textile'squality of manufacture canbe judged by theappropriate use of suitablematerials, how it meetsmanufacturingrequirements and itsfitness for purpose.

DMA: Practical workPractical work to producedecorative elements for theaccessory.• Designs could be output froma computer and printed ontofreezer paper, then ironed ontoa fabric base e.g. for samplinga product as in the video Talentand Technology'.

• Textiles CAD/CAM equipment isrelatively inexpensive and providesopportunities for computer control.

• The information in the production \plan will help students to monitor thequality of work, making checks at eachstage of production.

Practical work to produce theaccessory.• Students use the productionplan to monitor quality and thetime available.• Students use computer-aidedequipment where available toproduce accurate/repeatablemachine work.

HomeworkAs required.

Further activitiesStudents can write a checklist toexplain what changes would beneeded if the accessory was tobe made in quantity.

DMA: Presentation of workand evaluation• Students display and discusstheir work.• Individual evaluation ofachievements.• Exam Board assessment sheetprovided for student/teacherevaluation of success.

• Presenting ideas and finished work isan industrial practice to be encouraged.A display and/or oral session canimprove design and evaluation skillsand can be motivating for students.

So what is the way forward?If our subject area is to expand we need tokeep up with new ideas and new technology.We need to encourage familiar design andmaking skills but we also need to emphasisethe importance of new ideas, creativity andinnovation. We need to find a balancebetween 'design' and 'technology'. Recentlythere has been an emphasis on 'technology'and on 'manufacturing' aspects in design andtechnology, which may have stiltedimaginative thinking but if we balance thetechnological side with creative aspects, oursubject can move forward with confidence.Incorporating industrial practices that include'designing' and 'manufacturing' andcreativity will enable this.

In order to manage constant change and inorder to keep our subject at the leading edgeof the curriculum we need to have access toup-to-date materials, leT and the Internet.Access to new materials and technology mustbe easy and new information needs to berelevant. We also need to enable the easy

HomeworkAs required.

integration of industrial and commercialpractices into design and technology work.

There are a number of questions related todesign and technology that need to beanswered. Design and manufacturing practicescan involve designing and making for one-off,batch or high volume. Why do we need toknow about this? Are we simply enablingstudents to have an informed choice or agreater understanding of the importance ofdesigning for manufacture? Should we beencouraging more designers when we alreadyproduce many brilliant designers that ourindustry fails to employ? If we encourage aninterest in manufacturing as well as designwill we enable students interested in productdesign to become more employable? Theseare issues that also face higher education.There is no doubt that industry needsinnovative designers, but ones that also havean understanding of designing cost-effectivecommercial products. Industry needstechnologists who can source materials, havean understanding of them and develop

products to a price point. Industry doesn'tneed designers, it needs design technologists.This is one reason why design and technologyis important. Check out higher educationcourses relating to design or technology - thecontent of many of these courses is now muchmore closely related to the design andtechnology curriculum.

"Should we be encouragingmore designers when we already

produce many brilliantdesigners that our industry fails

to employ?"

"If we encourage an interest inmanufacturing as well as design

will we enable studentsinterested in product design to

become more employable?"Industrial and commercial practicescommonly used in designing andmanufacturing and how these can betranslated into classroom practice indifferent focus material areasIndustrial and commercial practices areprocess-based activities that enablemanufacturers to make cost-effective productsat a profit. Industrial practices include

manufacturing and designing activities, usedto ensure the production of high qualityproducts for specific market groups.

The industrial practices used bymanufacturers depend on the type of productsthey make, the scale of production and thetarget market group. Many industrial practicesare common to a range of manufacturingsectors, where the influence of style and

Laying fabric forcutting.

Images in outlineCAD.

'values' issues on design is increasing - in aglobal manufacturing environment successfulproducts cannot compete on cost alone, butneed the 'added value' that quality of designcan bring. Design and technology encouragesan understanding of quality of design andmanufacture.

Translating industrial practices intoclassroom activitiesThe left-hand column of the chart (Figure I)shows commonly used industrial andcommercial practices. The examples in theright hand columns show how some of theseindustrial practices can be translated intoclassroom activities for different focusmaterial areas.

A unit of work for Key Stage 4 textilestechnologyFigure 2 shows a typical Key Stage 4 textilesproject. It is written to demonstrate how avariety of industrial practices can easily beintegrated into textiles work. It is not possiblein the space of this article to include details ofevery possible activity related to industrialpractices. Refer to Figure I for more ideas.

The unit of work includes:

learning objectives

possible teaching activities

opportunities for building anunderstanding of industrial practices

homework ideas/further activities.

Removing cut piecesof fabric.

ReferencesQCA (1998) Draft documents 'Design andTechnology - an Exemplar Scheme of Work forKey Stages 1-2' and 'Design and TechnologyScheme of Work - Teacher's Guide'

ASIA Level Design and Technology (Pilot) SupportMaterials, developed for the Edexcel Foundation

Cresswell, L (1998) Understanding IndustrialPractices in Textiles Technology Zig-Zag, PO Box24113, London SW18 5WT

Lesley Cresswell is an author/consultantworking in curriculum development. PrincipalExaminer for ASIA Level textiles technology.All views expressed in this article arepersonal and do not represent those of anyagency or organisation.