Filters
Encouraging training skills in the furniture and woodworking industries through an innovative simulation-based approach
The article presents the results of the project aimed at applying gamification in education. ENCOURAGING SUnRISE ERASMUS+ project builds on the emerging needs of companies in the Wood and Furniture Industry to give employment to young graduated generations (in HE and VET) including: students prepared technically and students motivated to work in this specific sector. To achieve this challenge, the project explored the use of gamification and the Simulation Learning Environment. In particular, ENCOURAGING SUnRISE introduced gamification to the Wood and Furniture Sector training program. The project is a step to trigger modernisation in initial and continuous VET in the sector through gamification and simulation tools. Therefore, the objective of this research was to prepare and investigate the influence of gamification and the Simulation Learning Environment in improving competencies in the furniture and wood sector, as an innovative educational solution. After identifying the needs and challenges, a selection of skills (soft and hard) was made to perform various tasks in the scenario-based simulation game. The quality assessment of the course has been highly rated by students, teachers, and workers As well as the rate of improvement of technical and non-technical knowledge at the end of the course. This creates a chance to respond to needs and opportunities of traditional industries by offering innovative didactic approaches. ENCOURAGING SUnRISE may in a modern and attractive way reinforce the top skills that the most outstanding workers of the sector usually display.
Study on the Influence of Selected Fabrics and Stitching on the Strength of Upholstery Covers
So far, no coherent and comprehensive method has been elaborated allowing investigation of tensile strength of upholstery seams dedicated to upholstered furniture. Producers of this type of furniture are interested in the assessment of the quality of upholstery material joints, which seems to be particularly important for ensuring the appropriate quality of products. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the influence of the type of material used and the direction of the fabric cut on the strength of upholstery covers. Static tensile testing of selected upholstery fabric samples was performed, and an attempt was made to identify the most optimal fabric–seam joints. It was stated as a conclusion that the fabric tensile strength was the highest for Secret 10 fabric. In addition, the strength of upholstery covers is not influenced by the direction of the fabric die cut. For each fabric, a different configuration is preferable, as shown by results (Power 13: A-B, Secret 10: B-B, Soft 10: A-A). The method, implemented for upholstered furniture, allows for an objective assessment of the strength of upholstery covers and the selection of the most advantageous fabric–seam combination for future furniture designs.