GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product

GCSE Engineering A621 1B Engineering a

product
Soldering iron stand
The Queen Katherine School 42331
Tom Mason
Candidate number

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product
Situation and client brief
The soldering iron stand and circuit board holder is
designed for someone who uses electronics and makes
circuits. It will be made to work in a workplace/workshop
environment. The stand will hold a soldering iron and will
have clamps to hold a circuit board. For example, Dave
the guy who builds robots for a hobby might use this to
hold his circuit board when he is soldering and to old his
soldering iron.
The Soldering iron stand will need to be sturdy, as it will be
in a workspace environment where there might be heavy
objects that could hit, and potentially damage this product.

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product
Cost: 15 to 20
Aesthetics: It will (depending on
look appealing materials used)
What: A
and I will take
soldering iron
Size: Will hold a
the appearance
stand with circuit
100mmx100mm
into
board holder
circuit board
consideration
Where: Indoors
(in a workbench
area)

Manufacture: I
will use various
engineering
processes such
as milling,
routing and using
a lathe Environment: A
desktop/worksho
p environment

Task analysis

How: I will have

an adjustable Why: To make
soldering easier
clamp which
holds circuit
boards

Materials:
Client: Someone
Plastics and
who uses circuit
Metal
board, e.g. A
robotics hobbyist

Function: To hold
circuit boards
and a soldering
iron

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product
I will make
part of the
stand with
vacuum
formed plastic

The stand will

have a tray like
this to store
electrical
components

I will mill the

clamps from
metal
(aluminium)
The stand will
have a coiled
wire to hold a
soldering iron.
The clamp will
be similar to
this

Task analysis
area

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product
Why this area is important
How can you satisfy the
client in this area

The size of the

product.

It is important because the

product will need to fit in a
certain area. For example, It
will need to fit on a desktop or
workbench

Make sure that the product is of

a suitable size, relative to
where the product will be put.

Design features

The product will need to suit all

of the clients needs, for
example, if a electronic
hobbyist owns this stand it will
need to hold a soldering iron,
circuit board, and electrical
components

Ensure that the product meets

all of the clients needs.

Cost

To ensure that the product is

not too costly

Try to keep unnecessary parts

to a minimum to reduce cost

Quality

To ensure the product has a

long lifespan and does not
break after light use

Use the highest quality, cost

effective parts possible.

Aesthetics

To ensure the product looks

good and of high quality

Design the product so it is

attractive and high quality

Time-scale production

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

20 hours or less
product

Function

To hold soldering irons, circuits and electrical components

Performance

This design is made to be used in a work area environment, it will need to me able to hold heavy items (heavy-ish)

Size

30 cm wide and 15 cm deep

Weight

1kg

Target market

Age 16+

Life in service

5 years

Aesthetics

Rubber coated metal to improve appearance and coloured plastic

Ergonomics

Clamp handles will need to fit hands, and

Materials

Rubber, metal, plastic, foam, sponge

Safety

Soldering iron stand will have to not conduct heat

Cost

30

Reliability

Will need to be very reliable

Manufacture

Vacuum formed base with cast or machined clamps. Soldering iron stand will be machined/sheet metal/spring

Possible conflicts

Heat from soldering iron could melt plastic

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product

This turns to adjust the

angle of the holder
Aesthetically pleasing
base to improve looks
Clamps will hold a
circuit board in place
(aluminium)
End caps to stop
clamps falling off the
bar

Good points:
Clamps have grooves to secure circuit board
Clamps turn and adjust to fit any circuit boa
Aesthetically pleasing
Adjustable base
Simple design
Bad points:
Not much support for a soldering iron
or components
Minimalistic
Cannot adjust the tilt angle
Thin base
Tools and materials required:
Aluminium
Plastic
CNC machine
Sander
Lathe

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product

This turns to adjust

the angle of the
holder
This tilts to adjust
the angle of the
holder
Aesthetically
pleasing base to
improve looks
End caps to stop
clamps falling off
the bar
Clamps will hold a
circuit board in
place
(aluminium)

Good points:
Clamps have grooves to
secure circuit board
Clamps turn and adjust to fit
any circuit board
Aesthetically pleasing
Adjustable base
Simple design
Can adjust the tilt angle
Bad points:
No support for a soldering
iron
or components
Thin base
Tools and materials
required:
Aluminium
Plastic
CNC machine
Sander
Lathe

This turns to adjust

the angle of the
holder
Aesthetically
pleasing base to
improve looks
Trays to hold
components and
other items
End caps to stop
clamps falling off
the bar
Clamps will hold a
circuit board in
place
(aluminium)

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product

Good points:
Clamps turn and adjust
to fit any circuit board
Aesthetically pleasing
Adjustable base
Simple design
Trays to hold
components
Bad points:
Not much support for a
soldering iron
Minimalistic
Cannot adjust the tilt
angle
Thin base
Clamps dont have
grooves for holding
circuit boards
Tools and materials
required:
Aluminium
Plastic
CNC machine
Sander

This turns to adjust

the angle of the
holder
Aesthetically
pleasing base to
improve looks
Easy access tray to
minimise
movement while
soldering
Trays to hold
components and
other items
End caps to stop
clamps falling off
the bar
Clamps will hold a
circuit board in
place
(aluminium)

Good points:
Clamps turn and adjust
to fit any circuit board
Aesthetically pleasing
Adjustable base
Simple design
Easy access tray for
components
Bad points:
Not much support for a
soldering iron
Minimalistic
Cannot adjust the tilt
angle
Thin base
Tools and materials
required:
Aluminium
Plastic
CNC machine
Sander
Lathe

Clamps will hold a

circuit board in
place
(aluminium)
Easy access tray to
minimise
movement while
soldering
Trays to hold
components and
other items
End caps to stop
clamps falling off
the bar
This turns to adjust
the angle of the
holder
This tilts to adjust
the angle of the
holder
This comes off to
help with easy
storage
This contains a wet
sponge to wipe
solder with

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product

Good points:
Clamps have grooves to secure
circuit board
Clamps turn and adjust to fit any
circuit board
Base tilts to adjust angle
Highly adjustable base
Complex design
Soldering iron holder to integrate
more features
Sponge to clean solder from
soldering iron
Trays for components
Easy access tray to minimise
movement when soldering
Thick base for strength
Can be deconstructed so it can
be stored
Bad points:
Aesthetic base sacrificed to
integrate more features
Very small circuit boards not
supported
Limited tilt angle
Tools and materials required:
Aluminium
Plastic
CNC machine
Sander
iron holder
Soldering
Lathe

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

Engineering diary: keep a record product
of all of the stages you took to make your product. You can
use the table below to fill in the details. It may take more than one page.
Engineering process name and
with photo

Description of
process
Including tools

Quality Control checks

carried out

Risk assessment:
Low/medium/high
Risk/5
Safety equipment/precautions

Time
scale

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product
Photographs from a number of angles of finished
product.
Images which show product being used are essential.

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product
Quality control techniques used: You must detail on this page a range of Quality Control
techniques that you have used during your project. An example has been given.
Activity
e.g Making foam
model

Quality control
used
Visual check for
symmetry and
aesthetics

Reason why this

has been done
To make sure the
product looks
right

Procedure
description
Product examined
from a number of
angles, areas
where material
needs to be
added/removed
highlighted to
allow
improvements to
be made

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product
Suggesting detailed and justified modifications to the design solution and
giving consideration to the use of modern materials, processes and
technologies.
You should include a response from your client on the completed product, detailing what
they thought of the product.
You should compare or evaluate your product
directly with your specification. E.g
Evaluation
Specification
Cost of product. It cost me 3.90 to make so this
Cost of product. No more than 5
point was achieved
What happens to product at end of its
What happens to product at end of its working life.
working life.
Maintenance.
Maintenance.
Environmental issues.
Environmental issues.
Regulations and safety/quality standards.
Regulations and safety/quality standards.
You should list the
modifications that you
could make with reasons
for them and give other
procedures or materials
that could be used to
improve your Engineered

Modificatio
n
no.

Chan
ge to
make

Reason for change

and/or
improvement

Possible use of
Smart/modern
material

GCSE Engineering: Engineering a

product

Well done,
youve finished
it all- feet up
and have a