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Product Design > 5 - Material Considerations > Flashcards

5 - Material Considerations Flashcards

1
Q

Name the 6 factors that influence material choice.

A

Cost & Availability, Aesthetics, Sustainability, Social Footprint, Properties & Characteristics, Functional Performance.

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2
Q

What are the main factors of aesthetics to be considered?

A

Colour, form, feel, shape, touch & style

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3
Q

How might the choice of material impact the cost of a product?

A

People may be willing to pay more for it, stock forms may cause more waste, a new/rare material will be more expensive, bulk buying, may be difficult to work with

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4
Q

What are the 3 types of outsourcing?

A

Onshore, nearshore and offshore (global)

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5
Q

What are the benefits of outsourcing?

A

Cost efficient, businesses can focus on what they’re good at, access to specialists, global reach, enhanced productivity/efficiency

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6
Q

What are the negatives of outsourcing?

A

Dependant on suppliers (could mess up JIT), communication issues can occur, loss of work for local producers, larger producers may have power over smaller ones

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7
Q

What are mechanical properties?

A

How the material reacts to forces on it. These include strength, flexibility, fatigue limit and elasticity.

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8
Q

What are chemical properties?

A

How the material reacts & changes when in contact with other substances. These include hygroscopy (water absorption), corrosion resistance and reactivity.

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9
Q

What are physical properties?

A

The handling characteristics. These include density, conductivity, melting point, flammability and optical & acoustic properties.

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10
Q

What are manufacturing properties?

A

Processing properties; required for the material to change into a required shape. These include formability, machinability and fusibility (how easily it melts).

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11
Q

What social factors may need to be considered when choosing materials?

A

-Working conditions
-Maintaining traditional & local materials
-Inclusive design
-Emissions

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12
Q

What cultural factors may need to be considered when choosing materials?

A

-May remove local/cultural resource related to community traditions.
-May cause offence when inappropriately culturally appropriated.

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13
Q

Describe MDF & HDF

A

Wood fibres compressed into a solid board with 2 smooth faces. Often made from waste/recycled timbers.

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14
Q

What is the difference between MDF & HDF?

A

HDF is thinner, denser, stronger and more water resistant (but not much more!)

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15
Q

What are the main properties of MDF & HDF?

A

Easy to finish, absorbs moisture.

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16
Q

What are the uses of MDF & HDF?

A

Flat-pack furniture, model making, kitchens and desks.

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17
Q

How is block board made?

A

Timber battens are placed parallel to each other and glued between veneer panels at high pressure.

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18
Q

What are the characteristics of block board?

A

Attractive smooth surface, stronger & cheaper than plywood, durable but susceptible to moisture damage.

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19
Q

What are the uses of block board?

A

Table tops, furniture & load bearing shelves.

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20
Q

What is chipboard?

A

Chips of timber compressed into a board, which may be laminated with a range of coverings.

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21
Q

What are the properties of chipboard?

A

Strong, absorbs water, lightweight, cheap.

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22
Q

What are the uses of chipboard?

A

Flatpack furniture, kitchen cupboards, worktops.

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23
Q

Describe the structure of plywood.

A

An odd number of veneer layers are glued & compressed at 90° to each other.

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24
Q

What are the properties of plywood?

A

Good strength in all directions, no grain weakness, easy to cut, finish & paint.

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25
Q

What are the uses of plywood?

A

Structural work, desktops, indoor furniture and floorboards.

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26
Q

What is the difference between strength, hardness & toughness?

A

Hardness is resistance to wear, strength is resistance to external forces and toughness is resistance to sudden impacts.

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27
Q

What are the main differences between high and low-carbon steel?

A

High-carbon steel is stronger, more brittle, more expensive and harder. Both corrode without protection.

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28
Q

What are the uses of low carbon steel?

A

Nuts & bolts, bike frames, piping and bed frames.

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29
Q

What are the uses of high carbon steel?

A

Blades that maintain a sharp edge, high-speed tools and springs.

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30
Q

What % carbon is cast iron, low carbon and high carbon steel?

A

Low carbon: 0.25%
High carbon: 0.5-1.5%
Cast iron: 2-4%

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31
Q

What elements are in stainless steel?

A

Chrome (18%), nickel (8%), carbon and others.

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32
Q

What are the properties of stainless steel?

A

Tough, hard, ductile and corrosion resistant.

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33
Q

What are some common uses of stainless steel?

A

Cutlery, sinks and surgical instruments.

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34
Q

What are the characteristics of cast iron?

A

Cheaper and has a lower melting point than steel, hard and has a high compressive strength.

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35
Q

What are the characteristics of pine?

A

Light weight, resists shrinking/swelling, straight grain, knotty.

36
Q

What are the uses of pine?

A

Utility poles, crates, flooring, paper, construction lumber.

37
Q

What are the characteristics of douglas fir wood?

A

Slightly wavy grain, few knots, stable, accepts finishes well.

38
Q

What are the uses of douglas fir?

A

Veneer, construction lumber, joinery, Christmas trees.

39
Q

What are the characteristics of spruce wood?

A

Easy to work, straight grain, resistant to splitting, bad rot resistance.

40
Q

What are the uses of spruce?

A

Indoor furniture, construction lumber, Christmas trees.

41
Q

What are the characteristics of beech wood?

A

Close grain, tough, hard, durable & smooth.

42
Q

What are the uses of beech?

A

Chairs, chopping boards, kitchen ware, turned bowls.

43
Q

What are the characteristics of teak?

A

Coarse texture, straight grain, strong, hard, tough, rot resistant.

44
Q

What are the uses of teak?

A

Boat building, veneer, furniture, exterior construction.

45
Q

What are the characteristics of oak?

A

Good weather resistance, tough, durable, attractive grain, contains tannic acid (will corrode steel!)

46
Q

What are the uses of oak?

A

Quality furniture, flooring, cladding, joinery.

47
Q

State the properties of LDPE.

A

Tough, good chemical resistance, weatherproof, low rigidity, available in translucent form.

48
Q

Give some uses of LDPE.

A

Squeezy detergent bottles, toys, carrier bags, bin liners, food packaging.

49
Q

State the properties of HDPE.

A

Tough, good chemical resistance, weatherproof, available in translucent form.

50
Q

Give some uses of HDPE.

A

Chemical drums, toys, kitchenware, long-life carrier bags, buckets, bowls.

51
Q

State the properties of polypropylene (PP).

A

Tough, good chemical resistance, good fatigue resistance, available in translucent form.

52
Q

Give some uses of polypropylene (PP).

A

Rope, folders, food containers, medical equipment.

53
Q

Define fatigue resistance.

A

The ability of a material to resist cracking or fracture under repeated loading conditions.

54
Q

State the properties of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS).

A

Hard, rigid, tough, available in translucent form.

55
Q

Give some uses of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS).

A

Yoghurt pots, fridge linings, single-use cups, toilet seats.

56
Q

State the properties of ABS.

A

Tough, hard, available in opaque.

57
Q

Give some uses of ABS.

A

Rigid luggage, food mixers, handles, computer housings.

58
Q

State the properties of PET.

A

Hard, translucent, good impact resistance.

59
Q

Give some uses of PET.

A

Drink bottles, chocolate box liners.

60
Q

State the properties of rigid polyvinyl chloride (uPVC).

A

Rigid, opaque, tough, hard, good weathering resistance, good chemical resistance.

61
Q

Give some uses of uPVC.

A

Window frames, external doors, guttering, water service pipes, bank cards.

62
Q

State the properties of flexible PVC.

A

Tough, flexible, available in translucent, good weathering resistance, good chemical resistance.

63
Q

Give some uses of flexible PVC.

A

Hose pipes, cable insulation, medical tubing, inflatables, imitation leather.

64
Q

State the properties of urea formaldehyde (UF).

A

Hard, heat resistant, good electrical insulator, brittle.

65
Q

Give some uses of urea formaldehyde (UF).

A

Electrical fittings, adhesives.

66
Q

State the properties of polyester resin.

A

Rigid, heat resistant, chemical resistant, brittle.

67
Q

Give some uses of polyester resin.

A

Castings, car parts, used in lay-up process for glass reinforced plastic (GRP).

68
Q

State the properties of epoxy resin.

A

Rigid, clear, hard, tough, chemical resistant.

69
Q

Give some uses of epoxy resin.

A

Adhesives, surface coatings, encapsulation of electrical components, cardiac pacemakers, aerospace applications.

70
Q

What is a composite material?

A

A material comprised of two or more different materials.

71
Q

Give some examples of composite materials.

A

Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), glass-reinforced plastic (GRP).

72
Q

State the properties of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass-reinforced plastic (GRP).

A

Both are light, corrosion resistant, tough, hard, and have good compressive strength. GRP is cheaper.

73
Q

Give some uses of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).

A

Bicycle frames, tennis racquets, fishing rods, racing car bodies, helmets.

74
Q

Give some uses of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP).

A

Boat hulls, pond liners, kayak shells, sports car bodies, locomotive train cabs.

75
Q

What is the definition of a modern material?

A

A material that is developed through the invention of new or improved processes.

76
Q

Give some examples of modern materials.

A

E-textiles, super alloys, graphene, bioplastics, nanomaterials.

77
Q

What are the features of e-textiles?

A

They contain conductive fibres.

78
Q

How can e-textiles be used?

A

Textiles with smart colour displays, heating elements, monitoring the user’s heart rate.

79
Q

What are the features of super alloys?

A

Significantly enhanced characteristics including strength, high temperature performance, corrosion/wear resistance.

80
Q

How can super alloys be used?

A

Turbine blades, jet/ rocket engines, ships & submarines.

81
Q

What are the features of graphene?

A

The world’s thinnest material, extremely light & strong, excellent conductor.

82
Q

How can graphene be used?

A

Skis, low temperature li-Ion batteries, foldable phones. Biomedical products and membranes for water purification are in development.

83
Q

What are the features of bioplastics?

A

They are made from plant-based sources like vegetable oil and corn starch.

84
Q

How are bioplastics being used?

A

Alternatives to single-use plastic items, e.g. packaging, straws & cutlery, also phone cases and carpet fibres.

85
Q

What are the features of nanomaterials?

A

A material’s properties are altered at the nanoscale, giving greater relative surface area, can improve properties e.g. strength, elasticity, conductivity.

86
Q

How can nanomaterials be used?

A

Aerogel for foam insulation in buildings, clothing, refrigeration, aeroplane bodies.

87
Q

What is a smart material?

A

A material whose physical properties change in response to a change in the environment.

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