Sarah Krasley

Navigating the world of mass production can be challenging. Prototyping and making one of something for class is pretty straightforward, but what happens when other people want one? How much will it cost to make five of what I made once? How about 50? How about 5000? Where will it be manufactured and with what machines? Questions like these can feel daunting.

This class is for students who have identified a well-defined product idea and/or digital or physical prototype. Coursework will focus on increasing the student’s understanding of how they would attempt to mass produce the product and how much it would cost.” Classes will be a combination of lecture, hands-on work, and student presentations. Between the first and second session, students will be assigned to work through a network manufacturer to complete their BOM and RFQ. This two session class teaches an approach to planning for mass production. In the first session, we will learn what goes into a Bill of Materials (BOM) and how to structure a request for quote (RFQ). In the second session, we will review student presentations of their results working with sourcing providers and evaluate different options for production against a set of criteria (hypothetical and real).