Higher Product Design Exam Revision Question 1

Materials Frame- Pine

Materials Frame- pvc coated mild steel tube, Corner Joints- ABS Mesh- Rip Stop Nylon

1. Outline a product specification for One of these cots Cot 1 Safety The Cot must have no sharp edges that could cut and injure a child. The Cot must not have any gaps that a young child could get their head stuck through. The Cot must be finished using a non toxic finish as young children are likely to be teething and may chew the product. Any locks/catches used must be secure and inoperable by a young child to eliminate the risk of “escape” or injury to the child Function The Cot must hold a baby/young child securely and prevent them rolling out of bed while sleeping. The Cot must convert into a bed. This will allow the product to “grow” with the child The Cot must be a flat pack design to allow customers to transport the product home in the back of a typical family car Cost The bed must be priced competitively if it is to compete with other cots in this market

2. Justify the choice of materials used in the manufacture of both cots Cot 1 Cot 1 is made from pine which has a number of advantages over other materials. It is a low cost wood that is widely available. Pine is generally considered a sustainable recourse because it grows quickly and can be replanted. Aesthetically pine is an attractive neutrally coloured wood that would complement most modern houses. Cot 2 Cot 2 is made from what would be considered more modern materials. The PVC coated mild steel is ideal for the frame because it is strong and lightweight, The plastic coating preventing the steel from rusting. The ABS used for the corner brackets is an ideal choice for a number of reasons. First of all it is strong yet flexible, It is capable of being moulded in an injection moulding machine (Which is the most likely method used to make the corner brackets) and is available in a wide range of colours. The Rip Stop nylon has been used due to its hard wearing properties and again, the wide range of colours available. All three materials are lightweight which is ideal foe a travel cot

3. Give four reasons why one of these cots is suitable for mass production Cot 2 Cot 2 is suitable for mass production for a number of reasons. First of all the Materials chosen are all widely available and low cost. The process of injection moulding used to make the corner brackets is ideally suited to automation, Indeed it would be un-economic to set up the tooling required unless you were producing many 1000s of units. The fact that this product is a travel cot and therefore will fold down into a small space makes bulk storage and transport of the end product economically viable

4. With regard to the cots describe quality issues that would concern a)The manufacturer b)The Customer a) The quality issues that would concern the manufacturer would be the quality of the materials, For the pine cot this would concern the amount of knots in the wood and whether it has been dried properly. The quality of the standard components would also be important (nuts bolts etc) If they were poor quality this may cause problems during the home assembly of the product (and leave unhappy customers). For the travel cot the quality of the standard components would also be important but this time poor quality components could lead to a slowing down of the production line (as this product is more than likely factory assembled). The quality of the moulds used in the injection moulding process would also be important (as all moulds deteriorate with uses) and if sub standard could produce inferior components that may not fit well. The manufacturer of both cots would be concerned with the quality of the supply of their materials. Obviously if there was a hold up in supply it would cause a hold up with production. b) The quality issues that could concern the customer would be things like how long the product is guaranteed for (this will give an idea of its predicted lifespan). Whether the product is well finished (No rough edges etc) Whether, in the case of the flat pack cot that all the correct bits are included for home assembly (and none missing)

5. Describe the possible appeal of both cots from a consumers viewpoint Cot 1 Cot 1 has a number of features that would appeal to a consumer, First of all it is made from wood which give the impression of a well crafted piece of furniture. The ability to convert the cot into a bed when the child grows would appeal to many consumers as this will reduce future expenditure. Cot 2 Cot 2 also has features that would appeal to consumers, first of all the cost seems highly competitive. Next the ability to fold the cot up and take it with you if you are going on holiday is a very useful function, Finally, being part of the Mothercare “Brand” is likely to assure customers of the quality of the travel cot,

6. Describe the Health and Safety and Environmental issues associated with these cots and their production Cot 1 The Health and safety issues associated with this cot would be the risks associated with wood dust produced during the manufacture and the risk of toxic fumes being produced when “varnishing” Environmental issues would be whether the pine has come from a renewable resource and whether the material has come from a local source (as opposed to transported half way round the world) Cot 2 One Health and safety issues associated with cot 2 might be the risk of toxic fumes being produced during the injection moulding process. Environmental issues would be whether to use recycled plastic during manufacture, To try to minimise the amount of materials used to aid recycling, and likewise to label all plastic parts to make recycling easier. With both cots the appropriate training of staff to uses saws, routers, moulding machines is an important issue as the risk of injury to an employees would be significant without this