AOS 3: Technology Flashcards
What is technology?
Technology is the purposeful application of information in the design, production and utilization of goods and services, and the organisation of human activities.
What are the technological developments?
- Automated production lines
- Robotics
- Computer aided design (CAD)
- Computer aided manufacturing (CAM)
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Online services
What is automated production lines?
Automated production lines are where equipment and machines are arranged in a sequence and controlled by a computer system to perform tasks automatically.
What are advantages for automated production lines?
- Accuracy by removing human errors leading to improved quality and less wastage
- Improved safety
- Improved efficiency, saving time and increasing productivity
What are disadvantages of automated production lines?
- Initially expensive to set up
- If machine breaks, the production halts
- Results in redundancies of labour jobs
What is robotics?
Robotics is the intersection of science, engineering and technology that produces machines that replicate or substitute human actions.
- Often a part of automated product lines.
What are advantages of robotics?
- Accuracy by removing human errors leading to improved quality and less wastage
- Improved safety
- Improved efficiency, saving time and increasing productivity
What are disadvantages of robotics?
- Initially expensive to set up
- If machine breaks, the production halts
- Results in redundancies of labour jobs
What is computer aided design (CAD)?
Computer aided design (CAD) is a software that creates product possibilities from a series of parameters.
- used with CAM
What are advantages of computer aided design (CAD)?
- Can result in higher accuracy and quality of products
- Decreases cost of maintenance and production
- Can be linked to CAM and improve systems
What are disadvantages of computer aided design (CAD)?
- Workers need to be upskilled which can be costly and time consuming
- Expensive to set up and maintain
What is Computer aided manufacturing (CAM)?
Computer aided manufacturing is a software used to allow the manufacturing process to be directed by computers by controlling the production process.
- used with CAD
What are advantages of computer aided manufacturing (CAM)?
- Improves speed of production
- Improves quality
- Improves productivity
- Reduces wastage
- Reduces ongoing costs, wages
- Improves health and safety
What are disadvantages of computer aided manufacturing (CAM)?
- Workers need to be upskilled which can be costly and time consuming
- Cause redundancies
- Expensive to set up and maintain
- Less tech savvy employees may fear the change
What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
Artificial intelligence refers to the intelligence in machines that are programmed to mimic human action and thoughts.
What are advantages of artificial intelligence (AI)?
- Eliminates human errors when completing a task
- Cost saving and can complete repetitive jobs as its available 24/7
- Unbiased information provided
What are disadvantages of artificial intelligence (AI)?
- Initially expensive to set up
- Results in redundancies of labour jobs
- Ethical issues through gathering customer information without access to personal information
What is online services?
Online services refer to any information and services provided over the internet.
What are advantages of online services?
- Always accessible
- Can be used to help repair and resolve customer issues and gain feedback
- Reduces costs by reducing employees and decreasing the need to purchase physical spaces
What are disadvantages of online services?
- Cause redundancies
- Expensive to set up and maintain
- Can lead to negative outcomes spread by customers
- Can be time consuming to create and maintain
- If online services crash, work stops
