Perfect Match Assembly and our recent paper towel experiment

How Do Companies Test Products?

This week we are focusing on our second teacher question and how companies actually test their products. The article below gives some examples.

Quality Control and Product Testing

What is Quality Control?
Quality control covers all activities from the design, development and production of a product. Each step taken to produce a product, beginning with its materials, its assembly and through to the final product and all its parts are inspected and tested to make sure the product is of good quality. If during any one of these stages there is a problem with a product, the problem is identified and fixed. This is sometimes called the Plan-Do-Check-Act approach.

Examples of Quality Control Testing

Failure Testing
A valuable process to perform on a completed product is failure testing (also known as stress testing). This process involves testing the operation of a product until it fails, often under stresses such as increasing vibration, temperature and humidity. This kind of testing exposes many weaknesses in a product that were sometimes not expected. The data gathered in this kind of testing is used to drive manufacturing process improvements. Often quite simple changes can dramatically improve product service, such as changing to mold-resistant paint. Failure testing or destructive testing is also a valuable tool in designing buildings that are able to withstand earthquakes.

Statistical Testing
Many organizations use statistical testing to make sure that the likelihood of product failure is extremely remote. Statistical process testing usually involves randomly sampling and testing a fraction of the output. For example, if a company produces 5,000 toys in one day only a small fraction, eg. 20 in 5000, are tested for quality control. Even if only one of the 20 toys doesn’t work or breaks easily, it’s a sign that more of the 5,000 toys are defective. Once statistical testing shows a problem with a product, the problem is recorded and fixed.

Animal Testing
Animal testing / animal experimentation is the use of animals in scientific experimentation. Animal testing is used for many products. Everything from items in your home to products you use and medications you take have likely been tested on animals at some point prior to their sale. Some of the products that commonly involve animal testing include:
· cosmetics;
· drugs;
· food additives;
· household products;
· pesticides; and
· industrial chemicals.

Virtually every available medical treatment today has, to some degree, involved animal testing. The animals themselves may be bred specifically for testing or they may be captured in the wild. There are also businesses that sell animals specifically for use in animal testing. Animals are considered to be similar to humans and are therefore a good indicator of whether or not a product may be harmful to people.

Unit Introduction

Welcome to our third unit of the year. It promises to be another interesting and hands-on unit with lots of testing and hypothesising throughout the unit! Now that we know what businesses and companies have to do to sell and market their products (courtesy of our last unite A World of Trade) we are in a good position to assess whether or not these products are as good as the companies would have us believe.

Our central idea to the unit is that modern day companies test drive everyday products before they are released to the general public. During the unit we will be inquiring into:

• the physical properties of everyday products
• the scientific process
• reasons for testing products

The teacher questions that will guide us throughout the inquiry are:

1. What are products made of?
2. How are products tested?
3. Why do we need quality control?