To help the manufacturing proccess of my final project: a jewellery box, go as smoothly as possible, I decided to research on the different materials and manufacturing techniques
that I would first of all have access to and be able to use easily. This research would help me find out about the restrictions/disadvantages of using each material and machine
(manufacturing techniques) and also the advantages of using each type of material or machine, which will ensure that I choose the materials and manufacturing techiques most
suited for my project. To help me conduct this research in the best way I could, I first brainstormed the properties that I would want the material of my jewellery box to have,
thereby helping me choose a material with all the desirable properties I want and then looked at the manufacturing processes.
Materials with these properties:
Looks good when
polished, stained etc.
Tough
In my final project, I plan to use the following materials stated below because they possess the properties wanted in a
jewellery box. Firstly, I will probably use wood because wood is relatively pretty after it’s polished, stained etc. and
also will last for a long time (durable). However, I will probably not used manufactured timbers because it looks too
unnatural, which is not appealing to my target market group, who generally preferred natural designs like flowers. Also,
I am planning not to use softwoods either, as hardwoods generally look better and also are harder, hence the name.
From there, I narrowed my hardwood choices down to 3 potential hardwoods. These include ash, beech and oak. The
reasons I have chosen these materials for the following reasons are mentioned below.
Name Picture
Evaluation of its appearance
Desirable properties
Ash
It has a Light, creamy brown colour, which
is quite an appealing colour for a jewellery
box. It also has a nice grain pattern.
It is tough and flexible, making it a
good choice for jewellery box material.
Beech
Beech has a White-to-pinkish brown colour,
which gives a more feminine touch to the
jewellery box which possibly could make it
more appealing to the target market group as
they are females
It is hard, tough and strong , thereby
matching my desirable properties list
(look at spider diagram) well. It also
wears well. However, it warps easily.
Desirable properties
for a jewellery box
Strong
Durable
Hard
Name:
Oak is Light brown in colour and looks
generally appealing. Also, its grain is harder
It is very strong, hard and tough and
to see compared to ash and beech, which
therefore matches my desirable
could make it more appealing or less
Oak
properties list excellently. However, it
appealing to people in my target market
will corrode steel screws and fittings
group depending on their individual
preferences.
I may also use acrylic to help decorate the box. I’ve decided to use acrylic for this purpose because it’s quite durable
and polishes well, making it a good plastic to use. Another reason for using acrylic is because it’s a thermoplastic
meaning that it can be heated and reshaped many times, making it easy to reshape the plastic if I wish to. Besides this,
acrylic just generally looks good and comes in a variety of colours which makes it useful when trying to brighten up the
jewellery box and make it more appealing to my target market group.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/resistantmaterials/materialsmaterialsrev1.shtml
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Manufacturing processes
The pictures here are machines within my school’s D.T. department that I am thinking about using when making my jewellery box. Therefore, I have done a bit of research on each
one to help me understand their restrictions and advantages so I can make the best use of them.
The picture on the left shows a laser cutter. I am thinking about using a laser cutter to help manufacture my jewellery box because it has many
advantages over the traditional mechanical cutting. The advantages of using a laser cutter include a high level of precision due to the fact that
there is no wear on the laser and also because the laser cutter cuts exactly what you have designed in the computer program, which means it’s a lot
more accurate than cutting it manually, where it’s easy to make mistakes. Also, due to it cutting exactly what has been designed on a computer
program, it makes it easy to make accurate replicas. Besides this, it is also very fast as the laser cuts through the material faster than it takes for us
to cut through the materially manually, especially if trying to cut extremely complicated shapes, thereby making the process of cutting a lot easier
when using a laser cutter. However, using a laser cutter is not always feasible as it require a lot of energy, making it expensive to run. Besides this,
the laser cutter at school can only cut through a 6mm height of material maximum, which means it may not be suitable for cutting thicker pieces
of material, which means that if I’m planning to use the laser cutter, the maximum height of my material must be 6mm. Also, laser cutting is
unsuitable for some materials, these unsuitable materials include aluminum and copper alloys, due to their ability to reflect light as well as absorb
and conduct heat. It is also unsuitable for transparent materials like glass and crystal as light goes through it.
Sources: Sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cutting, http://www.laser-cutting-services.com/info/laser-cutting-services/ and Mr
Ford my D.T. teacher.
The picture on the left shows a CNC milling
machine. I am thinking about using the CNC
milling machine because it can cut straight lines,
complicated shapes or even 3D designs, due it
running on 3 different axis. Also, like the laser
cutter, it can cut identical designs, objects etc. over
and over again, without any work at all with the
exception of placing the material in the correct
place every time. It does this well because it is
operated by computer and therefore follows the
same design already designed on the computer
program again and again, without any difficulty.
The components are also cut very accurately and
leave minimal finishing to be done such as
polishing the acrylic edges. Also, it is a lot easier
to operate a CNC milling machine compared to a
manual milling machine as it’s a less skilled job as
the machine is mainly programmed by computer,
making it harder for mistakes to be made.
The picture on the left shows a
Band Saw. I am thinking about
using a band saw to help construct
my jewellery box because it cuts
very accurately and is good for
cutting irregular shapes. A band
saw is also useful for cutting things
really quickly and cleanly and can
cut through materials of a large
height as the blade moves faster
than 40 feet a minute and is also
very long. However, the problem
with the machine is that it’s
restricted and only allows teachers
to use it. Besides this, it also can’t
cut curves that well and is restricted
to gradual curves and straight lines
Source:
http://www.builderssquare.com/x
bg_Band_Saws_Buying_Guide_
23.aspx, and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_s
aw
Source: ‘Resistant material technology’ by Barry
Lambert
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