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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

CHAPTER 1

1.0 Executive Summary

People living in the rural areas of Botswana face many problems when it
comes to cutting their hair. To be very specific, the proposed product will
primarily function to cut head hair, but other hair in the body would be a
secondary function of the product. The targeted potential customers
include all females and males, of all ages. They are excluded from
enjoying the benefits of having to cut hair easily and affordably. In the
remote areas, there is no electricity, most machines or any other high
quality hair cutting product use electricity to function. At these faraway
places in Botswana 90% of people living there are very poor or earn
minimum wages if they find a job. Buying a high quality product to cut
hair would be luxurious.

Now the proposed manual hair cutter is going to use human power to
move. It is a hand held device, which does not use batteries or electricity,
but human movement in terms of fingers to the wrist of the hand. It
incorporates the green design concept where the energy used does not
pollute the environment. The proposed product will cut head hair evenly
and safely. It will incorporate an innovative feature, the buttons that
move the linkages to move the blades. Existing products in the market
have not designed the mechanism yet.

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CHAPTER 2

2.0 The Brief/market opportunity

People in the rural areas use razors, hand clippers and scissors to cut
their hair. These products do not cut their hair evenly like high quality
products in urban areas. They share razors, and this is dangerous as
transmission of diseases is very high nowadays.

2.1Problem scenario

Picture shows a teenager with big


and unmanageable hair. He cannot
cut the hair because of fear of
sharing blades.

Pic 2.0

2.2 Design brief

The brief is to design and make a product that will be used by people who
are poor and live in remote areas. The brief is addressing the key point of
function. The proposed product is going to cut hair evenly, hence solving
the problem faced by the rural people.The proposed product is going to
address the issue of sharing blades amongst people. It will address the
issue of durability that potential customers feel should be addressed.

Pic2.2

Razors are used to cut hair in


the rural areas. They are very
dangerous because they can
cut and transmit deadly
diseases such as AIDS.

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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

The brief has expanded to address the issue of innovation, where the
product is having some innovative feature. The buttons and linkages are
some of the innovative features that have been incorporated.

2.2 Market opportunities

Existing products in the market do address some key points of the brief,
but the affordability and accessibility makes them to fall back in the
market that the proposed product has entered and penetrated.

Product needs skill to use


and aesthetically not
This product uses replaceable
appealing.
blades that are expensive.

Not ergonomically Blades are not easy to


designed, to clean. Not easily
accommodate people accessible, in the market.
living in the rural It is also expensive.
areas.

Clipper handles are not


ergonomically designed. The
clippers are not easy to find in
rural area shops.

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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

From the analysis above, it is evident that the existing products have
flaws in design and market opportunities are not exploited in the rural
areas. Leading manufactures have shifted focus from manual hair cutters
to electric and rechargeable machines. The proposed product has a
chance to make sales in the rural areas.
electric machine 78
rechargeable machines 67
hand/manual machines 34
100%

90%

80%

70%

60% hand/manual machines


rechargeable machines
50% electric machines

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
1 2 3

Fig.1.0 The table shows classification of hair cutting tools.

The table above shows sales from Botswana suppliers of hair cutting tools or
devices. It shows that the market is open to be exploited because there is no
stiff completion on manual hair cutters.

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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

CHAPTER 3

3.0 PRODUCT DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

Product design specifications for a manual hair-cutting product, to


be used in rural areas.

Background information

Is there a need to have a product that cuts hair in rural areas whereas
people are facing difficult problems?

Hair cutting is a simple ritual that people do and sometimes realise that
they need when their starts to give them problems, it is just like
dentistry, people realise the importance of teeth when they have a
toothache. Besides, from being put in the spotlight with big hair, diseases
and other hair related issues arise. People in the rural areas seem to be
forgotten by the urban society when it they design high quality hair
cutting products.

The product design specifications (PDS) were formulated from the


problem scenario and analysis of existing products in the market. The
PDS are what the potential customers want to see in the new product.
They specify what the product is going to look like when it is complete.

Function

-the function of the product is to cut black African evenly in rural areas
where there is no electricity.

Performance

 The product must be capable of cutting hair evenly. It must perform


where no electricity is.
 The product should be shared amongst more than one person. The
blades should be durable, easy to sharpen so that they are not
disposed.

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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

Environment

 The product should be waterproof so that it can be used during


rainy seasons.
 All components should be resistant to corrosion resulting from
effects of weather. It should conform to the “GREEN DESIGN” motto
that emphasises the use of recyclable material to conserve the
environment.

Materials

 There are no pre-determined materials. Those chosen should have


good strength and stiffness to weight ratio.
 They should be durable and resist to liquids such as oil and water.
Materials should light in weight so that it can be lifted easily.

Target product cost

 The target-selling price for the product is between P40 and 80.This
is to allow target users to buy the product affordably.

Aesthetics, appearance and finish

 The product should look well designed, attractive, appealing,


socially acceptable and easy to use.
 It should bright in colour to attract even the young people. It should
have a matt finish to resist abrasions.
 It should blend with environment.

Ergonomics

 The product should take into account hand sizes to allow easy
handling.
 Any buttons should be well rounded to allow fingers to fit.
 Body of the product should be easy to grip so that it does not slip
from the hand.
 Buttons should have serrations to allow fingers to grip firmly.

Safety and product liability

 The main safety issue relate to children there should be no sharp


edges on the product that can injure them.

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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

 Sharp parts such as blades should be covered to avoid injuries.

Customer needs

 Potential customers felt that they need a product that will cut their
hair evenly.
 It should be reliable to be used for a long time. The customers also
felt that it should be easy to use but still have quality
craftsmanship.

Maintenance

 There should be few maintenance requirements.


 The blade should be easy to sharpen.
 They also should be easy to sterilise. Cleaning of hair from product
should be easy.

Intellectual property rights

 This product is manufactured and assembled by Thulani Mpofu.So


far the parts used are only designed and assembled by the owner
under the brand name THUTS GREEN DESIGNS.

Market

 The market is going to be rural areas in Botswana.


 It should start small and then can relocate to urban areas or other
countries depending on the sales of the initial market sales.

Manufacturing

 It will use manufacturing processes in the FET


workshops.Sustanabilty in terms of using materials should be
considered.

Packaging

 It has to be exhibited to the potential customer before it can be


packaged.

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CHAPTER 4

4.0 INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED

Two methods were used to gather information about the feasibity of the
manual hair cutter in the market.

 Questionnaire method

A questionnaire was given to people living in Setatse farms near Palapye.


It was very difficult to gather information from these people because they
were not interested until some drinks were bought. They started to
respond as planned. They also draw on the ground to the shapes of the
product they would like to see.

Below are the results of the questionnaire and summaries.

Do the targeted customers really need a new product? The tabulated


information below shows the results from responses made by people
interviewed at Setatse farms near Palapye.

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Q.1 How often, do you cut or trim your hair?

MONTHLY 5
WEEKLY 2
NEVER 3

Summary

 The results above show that people in the rural areas would like to
have clean and well-managed hair. The shortage of hair cutting tools
makes it difficult for them to cut and manage their hair. Barbershops
and salons in town are very expensive and far. Some have decided
not cut their hair at all.

Q.4 which hair-cutting tool do prefer to cut your hair.

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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT
HAND CLIPPERS 1
ELECTRIC CLIPPERS 0
RAZORS 5
SCISSORS 4
DOUBLE-EDGE CUTTERS 0

1 5

HAND CLIPPERS ELECTRIC CLIPPERS RAZORS SCISS

Summary

 The above information from the stacked pyramid shows that people in
the remote area struggle to cut their hair. They use tools that do not
cut hair evenly. Some of the tools are very dangerous to use, for
instance the razor that is preferred a lot.

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Q5.Do you share hair-cutting tools in the household?

The chart below shows results about the sharing of cutting tools in rural
areas.

YES 8
NO 2

Summary

 It has been deduced that the sharing of hair-cutting tools is very


prevalent.

Comment

“we share hair cutting tools ,but nowadays it is scary because of HIV”.

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Q.6 Do you there is a need to design a new hair cutting device for
you?

The chart below shows the need for a new product results.
YES 8
NO 1
DO NOT CARE 1
9

Summary 0
YES NO DO NO
 The need for a new hair cutting is very high, the chart shows that
people in the rural areas are struggling to cut their hair.

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Q.7 Do you feel like you are left out, when it comes to designing of
hair cutting products for areas like yours?

YES 8
NO 2

YES
NO

Summary

 It clearly shows from the pie chart that poor people in rural areas are
not catered for in terms of quality products that can cut their hair
evenly, therefore, excluding them from the mainstream society.

Q.8 Do you think the hair cutting tools that you use need to be
improved?

YES 9
10
NO 1
9
8

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 Summary

People in the rural areas use makeshift or inappropriate ways to cut


their which leads to many problems.

Q.9 what do you think needs to be changed or improved on the


existing hair cutting tools you use?

FUNCTION 10
MATERIAL 2
SIZE 5
SAFETY 7
ERGONOMICS 3
APPEARANCE 6
REALIABILITY 8
PORTABILITY 6

Summary

 From the chart above, it shows that the listed elements of design
need to be changed or improved. Most people complained about the
functionality of the existing products. Most people also complained
about the reliability of the existing products used rurally.

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4.1 Observation method

Observation method was conducted to see the real problem. A collection


of pictures was taken to support the observation.

HAIR TYPES

The pictures above show the different hair types that exist in the rural
areas. The old and young share one common problem, cutting hair
evenly. Schoolchildren face the most pressure from teachers at school.ii
was observed that the big hair on children can develop lice and dandruff.
Dandruff is bad for health in children because they scratch their heads
and dandruff gets into their fingernails, which they can swallow when they
eat food unwashed.

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4.2 Web searches

The internet was used to gather information relating to existing and


interesting products in the market.

Ref: http:// amazon.com.

The above products were obtained from the internet. They were then
analysed to find their relevance to the problem scenario. Design ideas
were also gathered from these products.

4.3 Interesting products

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Ref:http://alibaba.com.

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CHAPTER 6

4.4 Modelling

The logbook was used to brainstorm some ideas; they were sketched
every time there was an inspiration. Modelling component of the design
process was continuous throughout the design process. Modelling was
greatly driven by research results and provided a means of visualising the
design, enabling it to be evaluated against the PDS and to get feedback
from users.

4.5 Sketching

Sketching was made using two-point perspective and mixture in 2D and


3D format. A page would contain more one idea that is aligned to the PDS
and some concepts borrowed from the existing products.

These are sketches


generated in
3D.They are in line
with the PDS and
customer
requirements.

Sketching the
ideas was done
in a short time to
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generate many
ideas.
MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

There was a problem with sketching the initial ideas because of using
isometric. Practice and guidance from Lecturer helped to generate
sketches in perspective.

4.6 3D modelling

The form of the product was modelled using expanded polystyrene.


Shapes were cut to be shown the potential customer to choose the shape
they would like to see on the product. The three models explore the
different shapes and form.

Layout of the models in order of shape


and form.

CHAPTER 5

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5.0 Concepts developed

Three concepts were developed, and these were close to the PDS
requirements. The form was explored from the modelling.

Concept 1

This concept explores the roundness of


the product. It emphasis the function
of the product. The computer mouse
inspired it. The form and button
complement the roundness of the
product.

Concept 2

This concept shows the structural


form of the product. It is very
simple to visualise in real form. The
difference between this one and the
previous one is that this one is rigid
and simple. The first concept is
rounded, the focus is on the
form.Aesthetically, and this one is
This concept explores
not appealing as the aspect of
compared form
with the
and functionality.
PDS. The button gives it an
aggressive look unlike the first concept the
button is rounded. The size and portability
was in mind against the PDS.

Concept 3

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5.1 CONCEPT SELECTION

Concept screening matrix

Datum

Selection Concepts
Criteria
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Function-
cutting of hair
evenly + + + 0 0 0 + 0 0 +

Ease of Use + + - 0 0 - - 0 0 -

performance + 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 + 0

Compatibility + - 0 + 0 + + 0 + +

reliability + - - - 0 0 - 0 0 +

Ease of + - + 0 0 0 - 0 0 +
maintenance

aesthetics + 0 + + 0 + + 0 0 +

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Sum +’s 7 1 3 2 0 2 3 0 2 5

Sum of 0’s 0 3 2 4 0 4 1 0 6 1

Sum of –‘s 0 4 3 2 0 2 4 0 0 2

Net Score - -3 0 0 0 0 -1 0 2 3

Rank 7 11 5 5 0 5 8 0 3 2

Continue? ye no no no no no no no ye ye
s s s

Key: ‘+’ Better than datum

‘0’ same as datum

‘-‘Worse than datum

5.2 Concept screening review

From the concept-screening matrix, it was gathered that the analysed


concept scored more in the function aspect. The aesthetics also scored
better than the other aspect.Overall.function and aesthetics seem to be
main aspects featured in the proposed product.

5.3 Concept scoring

the concepts generated after concept screening, concept scoring was used
to increase the objectivity of narrowing down concepts when using the

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method of controlled convergence. The same aspects of the PDS used


during concept screening were assigned weights and each concept was
rated against a datum concept and weighed as per the PDS element
assigned weight over total weight. Concepts were then ranked against a
datum concept generated during the same phase, using the total scores
they had during the process and ranked. The final 3 concepts carried
forward had a minimum score of 3.5. (See folio)

A few potential customers


preferred the second
concept. It is rounded in
form and elliptical in
shape.

The first concept model was The third was the most
the least preferred because preferred concepts. A lot a
the form is rigid.The generic potential customers like
shape does not enable easy the shape and form. It is
handling. easy to handle.

CHAPTER 6

6.0 selected concept development

Sketch shows the initial stage of


development. The form has
been developed and parts are
added to make it complete.
Old design

Buttons have been


added to the
concept.The shape is
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MINOR DESIGN AND MAKE PROJECT REPORT

Selected concept Round tail to enable easy


before development. handling.

Buttons have been added to


increase functionality.

Final proposed product

Figure shows blade


mechanism
Figure shows and front
the internal
Hair sizer part.
mechanism of the product.
6.1 CAD
Base shows layers used to join the
Modelling
base to case.
After developing the selected concept Solid
works and Rhinoceros, software was used to create the final proposed product.

Fig. Side view of final product Fig. End view of the final product.

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Fig. Front view of the final CAD design.

The above views show the final design in CAD design using solid works
and rendered with rhinoceros software. The views show the form and
different features added to the product.

6.2 detailed design

6.2.0 Materials

This product is to going to be used by people in the remote areas of


Botswana. It is to be used by poor people on harsh conditions. As the PDS
suggested, that it is going to be made from a tough material. The product
at first was to be made from Acrylic that is a tough material, which can
withstand harsh conditions.ABS, was chosen after the development to
allow the product to be vacuum formed easily.

ABS is also water-resistant and can be formed easily. In the PDS, the
designer recommended that the product should be waterproof so that it
cannot be affected by water.

Aluminium is used for making the mechanism because it is easy to shape


and it does not rust like other metals.

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COMPONENTS MATERIAL

1.CASING ABS
6.2.1

2.BASE ACRYLIC

3.BUTTONS NYLON

4.MECHANISM ALUMINIUM
LEVERS
5.SPRING STANDARD
COMPONENT
6.COUNTERSUNK STANDARD
HEAD SCREWS COMPONENT
7.COACH SCREW STANDARD
COMPONENT

Components

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Components for this product includes casing which houses the


mechanism,base,mechanism levers,buttons,razors,coach screw and
countersunk head screws.

6.2.2 Technology

The product is to cut and trim African hair short. The blades reciprocate to
cut the hair. The mechanism is moved with the aid of the buttons.

CHAPTER 7

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7.0 Planning for Prototyping

The prototype is the actual size as the real product. The size is to be
determined by the size of the mechanism. The prototype is going to focus
on the functionality and aesthetics of the product.ABS is going to be used
to make the casing for the mechanism. The base is going to be made
from acrylic to allow it to increase the rigidity of the prototype. The
mechanism levers are to be made from aluminium to allow easy shaping.

The prototype should be ergonomically designed to allow easy handling.


The casing will affect the costing of the prototype because it has used
more material.

The blades are going to be disposable on the real artefact. The blades on
the prototype are going to be permanently joined to the levers due to the
restriction of material to hold them temporarily. The arising issue with
blades is the accurate alignment to allow prototype to cut the hair.

The hair sizer will be fitted to prototype using screws in the actual
product, but on the prototype it going to be glued to the base.

A fully scale prototype will be made using CAD to fully explore the
features. The CAD design will allow observer to view the different
elevations of the prototype.

7.1 Review

Besides time as the main constraint, the prototype meets the need for
manufacture. It is a viable product to the society living in remote areas.
Potential buyers will benefit from this product after the main refinements
of the prototype.

Ergonomics factors have accomplished on the prototype. The finish has


also been explored fully.

Manufacturing processes are viable for the prototype. Vacuum forming


allows the prototype to be waterproof when used in moist conditions.

APPENDIX

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