Problem Solving in the Workshop – An Innovative
Approach
Author:
Ken Scougall
A group of 4th year
Technology Education tertiary students are required to establish a simulated
manufacturing company with individuals being assigned various roles within that
company. A Design, Make and
Appraise (DMA) model is adopted leading to the fabrication of a prototype which
satisfies a specific educational need as identified by the University. After negotiation with the client, refinements are made to
the prototype followed by a production run.
Products are packaged and payment made upon delivery.
While enhanced motivation and educational benefits to the students are the primary goals, secondary benefits to all players involved are also personally rewarding to the lecturer. It is anticipated that participants at the forum will find that, with minor modifications, this approach may benefit their respective students and disciplines.
The tertiary subject focussed upon in this paper is
"Manufacturing Systems" and is studied by students enrolled in
Griffith University's Technology Education Degree program.
Generally, the students in our program come to us from industry, business
and year twelve secondary education. Entrants
to this degree are selected by way of their Overall Position or Tertiary
Entrance scores. The tertiary
subject "Manufacturing Systems" is attempted in the first semester of
the last year of the four-year degree program.
The
subject consists of four hours per week contact where some of this time is spent
in a theoretical setting and the remainder in a practical workshop.
One cannot be more specific here as the ratio between theory and practice
varies significantly from week to week and from project to project.
The student population varies, too, but a typical year would be around
forty-five students divided into three groups of around fifteen.
Each group is placed in one of the following workshops; wood biased,
metal biased or plastics biased. Students
are given the flexibility to select the area of bias they prefer.
Of the groups formed, I am responsible for the metal biased one with
other rooms and facilities being made available to me as deemed necessary to
undertake aspects of the specific design project for which the general metals
facility is not appropriate. For
further details regarding the subject itself, refer to "Appendix A"
attached. The lecturers involved adhere to this subject outline, but
freedom exists to vary some aspects of delivery. It is this degree of flexibility afforded lecturing staff
that has enabled me to adopt the approach that I have been using with my student
groups, over a number of years, while continuing to maintain the integrity of
the subject (see Appendix A). From
this point onwards, this paper specifically refers to the student group for
which I am responsible. The subject
and the problem solving approach adopted have been well received by students
and, hence, the team approach to the design, make and appraise model has proven
to be very satisfying and personally rewarding for my students and myself.
Even the few students who were a little reluctant at first soon became
quite motivated in a relatively short time.
The
group of students (around 15) are required to establish a simulated company
complete with name, logo and policy documents.
Each student, through negotiation, is allocated two roles; one in
administration or another professional role like industrial designer, drafts
person, accountant etc. The second
role for each person involves being an employee involved in the production or
assembly line activities. The group
collectively designs and builds a prototype to satisfy the design brief given
them. When, and only when, this
prototype has been fully tested by students and been personally approved by the
client is a mass production run attempted.
Sometimes the process of designing and producing a prototype that
satisfies the client's needs can prove to be quite a challenge, but
alternatively, the prototype may only require little or no modification to
obtain the client's endorsement. A
small group of students in administrative or accounting roles then meets with
the client to negotiate the product price, per unit.
The number of units required is also negotiated at this time. A contract is formulated and signed by both parties (ie. the
client and the producer). While
these negotiations are taking place, a suitable production layout in terms of
efficiency and effectiveness are being determined and drawn up requiring
considerable input from the central players in terms of production (ie. jig
makers, welders, supervisors etc.).
Obviously,
it is not always appropriate or possible, for reasons of safety, to rearrange
large machinery. However, within
the parameters of what can reasonably be attempted in a safe manner, the most
appropriate modes of production are determined. Two or more students are given the specific role of ensuring
that such production considerations have been suitably researched and
appropriate solutions found.
The
production run with everybody working in their allocated roles is then set in
motion. Once the required number of
products have been manufactured, finished and inspected, they are packaged for
delivery complete with a logo and company name sticker placed on each product.
An instruction booklet regarding the product's intended and safe
operation is also included. Delivery
of the product is then made and financial matters transacted.
It
is important to select a client who possessed a friendly disposition and the
following;
A
knowledge of a range of products suitable for our purpose.
The client must also have a knowledge of the positives and negatives that
have been identified by academic staff and repair technicians, over time, for
each of these equipment items. A
person who is accessible and has an open door policy is also important.
One who is optimistic and enthusiastic with regard to the project is also
worthwhile. One who is patient,
fair and reasonable in discussions with the students; in particular with regard
to financial matters. A person who
has control over a budget so that payment can be made with a minimum of fuss at
the appropriate time.
The
person in charge of our Technical Services section is such a person whose role
in all this, over a number of years, has been exemplary.
This person has an office on the Mount Gravatt Campus near where the
students are undertaking the activity under discussion.
Apart from this being convenient, it is also a safety factor as students
are not required to travel by car to meet with the client.
Our
aim was to manufacture a product that was cheaper, more durable, superior and
more user friendly than alternative products on the market.
To date, we have worked on two types of overhead projector trolleys,
stage lighting equipment and computer stations.
The students were not paid directly by the university as this would mean
that students would have to be placed on the university's payroll and, as such,
was not an option. However, we got
around this problem by refunding student fees that had previously been paid by
the students. The shortfall to the
university as a result of this transaction was then rectified from monies
received from the sale of the manufactured products.
The students do not pay personal tax as they are simply having their own
monies reimbursed. Another concern
was that since we purchase our materials sales tax exempt for educational
purposes, we were not permitted to sell the products on the open market.
However, since we choose an educational product to produce and these
products are retained on campus, no sales tax is payable.
In
the subject Manufacturing Systems, the students have displayed enthusiasm and
motivation beyond anything I have observed in my years as lecturer on the Mount
Gravatt Campus of the Griffith University.
Student feedback by questionnaire over a number of years has reinforced
these observations. The financial
inducement to each student of around $100 to $120, too, provides incentive.
The entire student population on the Mount Gravatt Campus are provided
with purpose-built equipment that not only has significantly reduced the number
of complaints and minor breakdowns, but has also proven to be virtually
indestructible. Fewer complaints
and no repairs means that the busy Technical Services staff are freed up to
devote their time elsewhere. Lecturers,
too, have fewer problems and prefer using the student-built equipment.
With more equipment, all rooms now have permanent fixtures saving time
and confusion in shifting equipment from room to room which may also damage the
expensive electronic equipment being transported.
The Griffith University, in general, and the Mount Gravatt campus, in
particular, benefit from improved purpose-built equipment, resulting in savings
in time and money and/or receiving more items of equipment for monies spent. The lecturer has had a win for all the above reasons and
more. The lecturer gets to keep the
balance of revenue raised after student incentives and materials costs have been
reimbursed from product sales. These
monies have been placed in my Griffith University "consultancy
account" from which I am permitted to purchase such items as a personal
computer and printer for home use. It
is rather ironic, but I have received more praise and recognition from this
team, design approach than my remaining collective teaching duties.
This is largely because all academic staff come in contact with equipment
that is automatically associated with my students, the Technology Education
Centre and myself, since the business name and logo are affixed to each item of
equipment in service.
It
is my hope, that with little modification, conference attendees may use a
similar approach with their students and, hence, achieve similar successes in
their particular educational setting.
SUBJECT
INFORMATION SUBJECT OUTLINE
1.0
IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
Subject Code:
VTA4131
Subject
Title:
Manufacturing Systems
Faculty:
Education
School:
School of Vocational, Technology & Arts Education
Course/s for which
subject is designed:
Bachelor of Technology Education
Status of subject
within course:
A Core Subject
Credit Point Value:
10 Credit Points
Prerequisites:
VTA3131 - Manufacturing Technology
VTA2131 - Construction Systems
Year and Semester:
Fourth Year, Semester One
Subject Convenor:
Robert Brett
Teaching Team Members:
Robert Brett, Ken Scougall and Brian Wheeler
_______________________________________________________
2.0
OBJECTIVES
(i) To develop knowledge and understanding of the principles associated with the structure and processes that encompass manufacturing systems.
(ii) To provide
opportunities for students to participate in individual and group work in
developing skills associated with the systems of manufacturing products.
(iii) To provide students
with a range of pedagogical skills associated with the structure and processes
that encompass manufacturing systems.
3.0
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
This subject provides students with the opportunity
to look at high rate production, including the structural arrangements necessary
from a management perspective, as well as the organisation of materials and
processes, from the ideation, market survey and company establishment phase,
through to production and marketing.
4.0
CONTENT
This subject will enable students to study and experience the systems used in manufacturing. Students will be involved in the process associated with manufacturing systems, including company formation; product sale and viability assessment. A substantial portion of the student effort will be involved in prototyping, tooling and jigging for high rate manufacture.
5.0
ORGANISATION AND TEACHING METHODS
This subject will be taught through four hours of
combined studio lecture and workshop time each week. During this time students
will research and adopt a supervisory role within a company management structure
as well as working within a group to design, manufacture and market a mass
produced product or products.
Attendance at studio workshop lectures is
compulsory.
6.0
ASSESSMENT
6.1
Methods and Rationale
a. Performance
of assigned collaboration task in production activity. Students are to research
this area of management and present a seminar to their peer group. The assigned
collaborative task requires significant cooperation and teamwork, as well as
individual effort, to facilitate the production of the final object in the high
rate manufacturing process.
Weighting:
50%
b. Assignment
work is designed to assess students' ability to research data, analyse and make
judgements from the content associated with manufacturing systems. This
assignment is to be structured as a teaching resource package for the beginning
teacher.
Weighting:
20%
c. A
two-hour examination covering all elements of the subject is designed to
evaluate knowledge, understanding and application of topics covered.
Weighting:
30%
7.0
TEXTS AND SUPPORTING MATERIAL
Prescribed Texts
Wright, R.T. (1990) Manufacturing
Systems. South Holland, Illinios: Goodheart - Willcox.
Recommended Readings
Komacek, S.A., Lawson, A.E. and Horton, A.C. (1990)
Manufacturing Technology. New York:
Delmar.
Wright, R.T. (1990) Processes
of Manufacturing. South Holland, Illinios: Goodheart-Willcox.