Manufacturing Technologies: Making a Picture Frame

Several disciplines of engineering are involved in creating factory manufacturing processes, such as producing picture frames. This activity simulates the work that may be done in a factory so that students experience first-hand the basic steps of the manufacturing process. Cutting, shaping, assembly, joining and finishing are the methods used by manufacturing engineers to ensure quality, safety and production goals.

• To learn and apply the basic processes in manufacturing systems: cutting, shaping, assembling, joining, finishing, quality control and safety.

Manufacturing systems generate uniform parts and pieces that, when combined, create the high-quality products we use in our daily lives.CopyrightCopyright Recovery at Commerce http://recovery.commerce.gov/

What do you do with a photograph of a special friend, a pet or your family? Most likely, you display it in a picture frame so that everyone may enjoy it. Although you may not think about it as you pick just the right picture, the frame you are using was probably made in a factory that uses many manufacturing processes. While designing and creating your own picture frame, you will learn the processes involved in this basic manufacturing system.

Discussion

• Explain the basic processes of manufacturing systems, for example, cutting, shaping, assembling, joining, finishing, quality control and safety.
• Discuss the basic processes in manufacturing systems and then brainstorm with students to fit the manufacturing process of a picture frame into to this structure.
• Also discuss automated systems that reduce the need for human workers and increase product consistency (quality control).

Cutting

1. Cut out the front and back of the cereal box. This results in four cardboard rectangles – the back, front and two sides (where the nutrition facts are listed).
2. Cut a 6 inch (15.2 cm) x 8 inch (20.3 cm) rectangle from the front of the box.
3. On the side with the print, label this piece part A in one corner.
4. Mark a B in the center of piece A.
5. Now measure a 3 inch (7.6 cm) x 5 inch (12.7 cm) rectangle in the center of the piece you just cut.
6. Cut this piece out, and label it "A" (see Figure 1).Figure 1: Measurements for cardboard frame pieces cut from a cereal box.

Brainstorming and Stand Design

7. Show the students the popsicle sticks and masking tape (or even given each table a popsicle stick to pass around). Ask the students to brainstorm different ways they could use 10 popsicle sticks to build a stand for their frame. Basically, the goal would be to build something similar to Figure 2, but much simpler. Have them sketch their designs on scrap paper.
8. When their designs are drawn, give each student their 10 popsicle sticks and 1 foot of masking tape. Have them "loosely" assemble their frames using small pieces of the masking tape.
9. Have the students bring you their assembled frames, and hot glue them together.Figure 2. Nice Wooden Picture Frame Stand

Assembling

10. Enhance the frame with decorative accessory materials. Be creative, but school appropriate!
11. Paint the back of the frame, and the other pieces. Wait for the paint to dry.

Finishing

12. Clean away extra glue or PlayDoh pieces left on the sides. Make sure that the accessories you added are stable and dry.

Quality Control

13. Put some light pressure on your picture frame and stand, they should not break apart. If it does, glue the pieces again and use more tape. Replace any decorations that fall off.

Safety

14. Be careful when using the scissors. Do not leave any pointed or sharp parts on the frame.

Using a fixed design (no popsicle sticks and hot glue available):

1. From the sides of the box (where nutrition facts are listed), cut another rectangle that is 7 inches (17.8 cm) x 2 inches (5 cm). Label it "B."
2. You now have three separate pieces.

Shaping

3. Fold rectangle B in two places – 3 inches (7.6 cm) from each end, so that you have a one-inch (2.5 cm) space in the middle (see Figure 3). This piece becomes the picture frame stand.Figure 3: Measurements and fold lines for side panel piece.

Joining

4. Glue your picture on the cardboard piece, and cut it so that it fits on the piece exactly.
5. Place the cutout with picture into the middle of the frame, where it was originally cut from. If you cut it accurately, it should fit exactly. Use tape on the back or the frame to secure the picture.
6. Glue or tape the middle of the stand (rectangle B) to the middle of the back of your frame so that it leans on the two folded out parts (see Figures 4 and 5).Figure 4: Attach rectangle B to the back of the picture frame.Figure 5: Rectangle B serves as a picture frame stand.Figure 6: An example the final product.

Use the attached rubric to aid in grading students' picture frame construction and comprehension of the topic.

• Picture Frame Rubric (doc) (DOC)
• Picture Frame Rubric (pdf) (PDF)

Compare multiple solutions: When all students are done, go around the room and have each student show the class their frame. Emphasize that the photo frame should stand up to be displayed using the frame. Ask the students what the constraints of the problem were? Which types of materials would have worked better?

Depending on the level of the students, consider providing the attached step-by-step instructions, Picture Frame Supplement (PDF), for cutting out piece A.

For more advanced students, tell the class that accuracy in length and angle measurements is crucial. Then have students brainstorm and determine methods for making sure that the lengths are measured accurately and all angles are 90 degrees.