Industrial Technology and Design Excursion

Last Friday, Year 11 and 12 Furnishing Skills and Industrial Technology Skills students had an excursion to two workplaces. Their first stop was BFX Furniture at Yandina where they were given a tour of the factory that manufactures office furniture for businesses, schools and hospitals. Students gained an understanding of the tradespeople and equipment required, variety of materials and processes used, the recycling of waste products from one product line that gets used for other products and how automation streamlined the production processes.

Their second stop was the workshop of Far Far Furniture Designs in Witta. Here, students met local designer and maker, Paul Mitchell who is currently constructing a one-off 5.5m tall CNC routered ‘Reading Tree’ sculpture that will be installed in the new council library at Rosewood. He explained the process from dealing with the client, prototyping, CAD modelling, CNC routing and constructing. This unique design demonstrated how CAD software and CNC routing technology (which students use at school) can be utilised in a creative way on a commercial project.

Mr Ben Dutton, Industrial Technology Teacher