Course Title: Materials and Technology

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2009

Course Code: BUIL5374

Course Title: Materials and Technology

School: 320T Design (TAFE)

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5111 - Diploma of Arts (Furniture Design)

Course Contact : Tom O'Regan

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4150

Course Contact Email:tom.oregan@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Contact name:       Julian Pratt - program co-ordinator

Phone:                     9925 4820
Fax:                           9925 4039
Email:                       julian.pratt@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with the skills and knowledge required to select appropriate materials and technology for furniture construction.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

VBK203 Materials and Technology

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the major characteristics of trees
2. Discuss the major characteristics of wood
3. Describe the specific uses and qualities of particular timbers
4. Describe the major factors affecting the serviceability of timber
5. Discuss a range of materials used for contemporary furniture and sculpture
6. Discuss a range of technologies used in contemporary furniture manufacturing

Details of Learning Activities

Planned Learning Experiences

• Students learn the major characteristics of trees through classroom lectures and tours of particular sites in
  East Gippsland , which will include: rainforest, logging coups, saw millers and processors
• Knowledge of the major characteristics of wood is gained through lectures, classroom demonstrations and discussion of different timber samples and testing of physical characteristics of shrinkage, strength, gluing properties, machinability and surface qualities. Knowledge will also be gained through research into timber furniture products
• Knowledge of specific uses and qualities of particular timbers is gained through lectures and classroom demonstrations of materials and site visits to timber yards. Students will do personal research into a particular timber of interest for class presentation
• Knowledge of the major factors affecting the serviceability of timber is gained through lectures classroom and workshop demonstrations
• Knowledge of the range of materials and technologies used for contemporary furniture and sculpture is gained through lectures and classroom demonstrations of materials, including videos of processes and materials that are impractical to access directly. Site visits to suppliers and processors and research assignments into materials usage will give students deeper understanding building on the classroom input

Teaching Schedule

Week	Date	Topics	Field trips	Assessment activity
1	9/2 -13/2	Major characteristics of trees Major characteristics of wood	Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne East Gippsland camp
2	20/2	Introduction to course Major characteristics of trees		Issue assessment tasks 1 and 6
3	27/2	Information sourcing and research skills	Library tour • facilities & services • research techniques
4	6/3	Major characteristics of wood • appearance characteristics • mechanical properties
5	13/3	Properties of timber, sourcing and purchasing timber	Mathews Timber, Vermont
6	20/3	Timber species presentations		Assessment task 1 presentations
7	27/3	Timber species presentations		Assessment task 1 presentations Issue assessment task 2
8	3/4	Wood • moisture content • seasoning
		Mid-semester break
9	24/4	Wood • Calculating and costing • Standard sizes
10	1/5	Veneers and veneering Laminates		Assessment task 2 due Issue assessment task 4
11	8/5	Manufactured board • Types, properties • manufacture • sourcing and purchasing
12	15/5	Manufactured board • bent laminated furniture
13	22/5	Timber – written test		Assessment task 3
14	29/5	Textiles and leather
15	5/6	Textiles and leather	Instyle Textiles
16	12/6	Plastics – types & forming
17	19/6	Plastics - polyurethane foam
		Semester break
18	10/7	Review timber test
19	17/7	Glass and stone		Assessment task 4 due Issue assessment task 5
20	24/7	Glass	Pilkington Glass
21	31/7	Composites
22	7/8	Stone	Amalgamated stone
23	14/8	Metals - ferrous
24	21/8	Cutting technologies
25	28/8	Metals – non-ferrous	Cutting technologies
26	4/9	New technologies		Assessment task 5 presentations
27	11/9	New technologies		Assessment task 5 presentations
28	18/9	Review and summary of course Feedback		Assessment task 6 due
		End of course - mid semester break

 Important note - dates of some classes and field trips may vary due to availability of field trip enterprises

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

While there are no compulsory texts, the following references will be useful for study and completing assessment tasks. They are all available from RMIT libraries.
Walton John, Woodwork in Theory and Practice
Bootle, Keith R,Wood in Australia - types, properties and uses
Boland, D.J et Al.Forest Trees of Australia
Lefteri, Chris,Making It - manufacturing techniques for product design
Lefteri, Chris.Plastic, Materials for Inspirational Design
Byars, Mel.50 Chairs: Innovation in Design and Materials
Byars, Mel.50 Lights: Innovations in Design and Materials
Byars, Mel.50 Tables: Innovations in Design and Materials
Byars, Mel.50 Products: Innovations in Design and Materials

Other Resources

RMITs online learning resource Blackboard will be used extensively for communication and to distribute notes and presentations.

Students must familiarise themselves with Blackboard and other online learning resources

Overview of Assessment

Assessment activities are related to learning outcomes and are intended to help develop students research and study skills.
Assessment tasks include writing research reports, class presentations, an in-class test and the preparation of a materials resources file.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment task 1

Due date:   20 March 2009

Mark value:   8% of final course result

In class presentation & Information sheet– Identification and analysis of a specific timber
5 minute presentation of a timber covering areas such as basic botanical information, surface and mechanical properties, grain, location where grown and availability. Information sheet (up to two A4 pages)

Assessment task 2

Due date: 1 May 2009

Mark value:   10% of final course result

Research assignment – Timber furniture
Written assignment involving investigation of a contemporary wooden furniture item and analysing its use of materials

 

Assessment task 3

Test date: 22 May 2009

Mark value: 25% of final course result

Exam – Timber structure, conversion and seasoning
Written test using multiple choice and short answer questions on trees, timber properties and use, seasoning and tasks on preparation of timber for furniture manufacture

 

Assessment task 4

Test date: 17 July 2009

Mark value: 24% of final course result

Research reports
3 written reports involving investigation of contemporary furniture items constructed from materials other than wood

 

Assessment task 5

Test date: 4 September 2009

Mark value: 18% of final course result

Presentation of research project – New technology
15 to 20 minute group presentation of research into a new material or technology that could be used in furniture manufacture

 

Assessment task 6

Test date: 18 September 2009

Mark value: 15% of final course result

Research file – Materials library
Collection of information, samples and supplier details for materials used in furniture manufacture. It should encompass all areas of materials studied during the Learning Unit

Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview