Mr. Jason’s 7th grade Technology classes worked collectively and designed a tabletop clock made from white pine wood that incorporates three geometric shapes as a class project, while studying Manufacturing Technology.
Students spent one week working in teams creating concept sketches, rough drawings and selecting the best ideas in their quest to developing the optimal solution. The final design was a hybrid clock depicting the best features from five clock designs while meeting the requirements and constraints of the design brief. Next, students debugged the prototype, made two changes resulting in a trapezoid shape for the base and a bored thru hole in the diamond shape back of the clock for easy access to the clock motor. Students began the pilot run on April 4 and then ramped up production working a total of 13 class periods each to mass-produce 40 Geo-Clocks.
“We started with industrial size lumber from our lumber rack making each individual part from start to finish,” Mr. Jason said. “Each student kept a work log of the jobs they performed and rated their job performance and clean-up each work day.”
The tech lab was retooled each work day based on the machines and operations required with eight or more work stations on going utilizing the intermittent manufacturing method. The 7th grade students used many of their skills learned demonstrating understanding and teamwork to complete the 62 steps required to manufacture each clock, manufacturing 120 total parts to create 40 clocks.
Mr. Jason added, “I admired the pride and enthusiasm each student put into their work embracing this design and production challenge and succeeding individually and as a class. Certainly a job well done students!”
