DT Mock Exam 2021

Question 1

Automation

Answer 1

Automation has been developing in factories since the Industrial Revolution, with machinery being used to complete tasks previously done by humans. Automated machines are programmed to carry out a procedure multiple times, eg repeatedly creating the shape of a car door using a press, to improve production time. The cost of setting up machinery is high but, when they are operating, less waste is produced and running costs are lower.

Question 2

Robotics

Answer 2

Automation has been developing in factories since the Industrial Revolution, with machinery being used to complete tasks previously done by humans. Automated machines are programmed to carry out a procedure multiple times, eg repeatedly creating the shape of a car door using a press, to improve production time. The cost of setting up machinery is high but, when they are operating, less waste is produced and running costs are lower.

Question 3

Specialist buildings

Answer 3

Smart technology has improved the efficiency of buildings, with many factories using renewable energy sources to try to minimise environmental impact. Modular buildings can be erected quickly and at a low cost, and improvements in stock control mean less storage space is needed.

Question 4

Crowdfunding

Answer 4

Traditionally, new businesses would borrow money from a bank to raise enough funds to develop a project. This is risky and, with interest payments, can be expensive. Crowdfunding uses websites to advertise products as investment opportunities, where people can choose to back a project with a financial donation if they think it will be viable. Backers are often rewarded with free gifts, discounts or a pre-agreed part of any profits if the product is successful.

Question 5

Virtual marketing and retail

Answer 5

Promotion of products online and sharing experiences, reviews and recommendations has rapidly become part of the retail experience. Algorithms can generate information about users’ buying habits and suggest relevant retail sites for them to try using search engine optimisation (SEO). Blogs, vlogs and social media all provide advertising platforms, and costs of retailing from a website are far lower than from a high street shop.

Question 6

Cooperatives

Answer 6

Cooperatives are organisations with lots of people working together towards common goals. The cooperative is run and owned by members who share decision-making, profits and risk. The Co-operative Group, John Lewis and Partners and Nationwide Building Society are examples of cooperatives in the UK.

Question 7

Fair trade

Answer 7

Fair trade is a trading partnership that ensures workers in developing countries are given suitable working conditions and are paid a fair wage. It is not a legal obligation for companies to follow, but it has become more popular over time as it represents a growing belief that workers who produce products should be treated well. This has encouraged companies to fair trade endorse some of their products to support their sales.

Question 8

Finite resources

Answer 8

Finite resources are non-renewable and will eventually run out. Metals, plastics and fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil) are all examples of finite resources. Finite resources are popular as they are easily accessible due to strong supply chains and often have benefits for manufacturing particular products or for energy supplies. Companies have become more careful in their use of finite resources, and they now consider the ecological footprint caused by using such materials

Question 9

Non finite resources

Answer 9

Non-finite resources are found naturally and can be replaced. Examples include wood, cotton and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Where trees are cut down for wood or hibiscus plants harvested for cotton, new ones can be planted in their place.

Question 10

Waste disposal

Answer 10

How materials and resources are disposed of is carefully monitored and managed by local councils. Households are encouraged to recycle waste items where possible, including products made from various materials such as hard plastics, paper and steel. Natural garden waste can also be recycled. In 2016, the UK recycled 25 per cent of household waste, with the target of 50 per cent in 2020. All other waste goes to landfill sites, which release harmful gases that pollute the surrounding air and soil.

Question 11

Continuous improvement

Answer 11

Continuous improvement is the practice of continually making small adjustments to production techniques to improve speed and quality and save resources. This process is known in industry by the Japanese name ‘Kaizen’, and it encourages people to work together and give regular feedback to make small improvements. This can increase productivity and create team harmony.

Question 12

Efficient working

Answer 12

It is important to ensure that companies work in an efficient manner. This includes increasing the speed of production, reducing errors and reducing waste, which can be done by utilising automation or computer aided manufacture (CAM). Implementing quality control checks ensures that errors are quickly spotted and provides the customer with reassurance.

Question 13

Pollution

Answer 13

Pollution is caused when harmful substances are released into the natural environment. Pollution can occur in the air, water or natural land. Legislation has been brought in to help with this issue. For example, in the UK cosmetic products can no longer contain plastic microbeads as these were previously polluting the ocean. Harmful products, such as batteries, should be disposed of correctly, and companies are being encouraged by government incentives to recycle waste wherever possible.

Question 14

Global warming

Answer 14

Manufacturing processes in factories or the use of day-to-day products like cars can cause harmful chemicals, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, to be released. These chemicals pollute the air and natural land. Worldwide environmental awareness has led to limitations on the levels of pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases, as well as targets on renewable energy generation, to try to stop global warming. The development of more efficient electrical products, such as low-energy light bulbs, and better building insulation has cut down on energy costs. Some countries offer incentives to increase the use of emission controls, electric vehicles and energy-saving devices, such as better insulation and automatic shut-off devices.

Question 15

Technology push

Answer 15

Research and development in science and industry can lead to new discoveries, which can be used to improve existing products or develop new ones. This is known as technology push, and it happens before there is consumer demand for a product. Research and development is valuable for companies who are the first to introduce a new, innovative product. Smartphones are an example of a product developed due to technology push, where existing touchscreen technology was used to improve the mobile phone market.

Question 16

Market pull

Answer 16

Market pull is when product ideas are produced in response to market forces or customer needs. Examples of this include the development of cameras, which have become smaller, more lightweight and higher performing as a result of customer needs.

Question 17

Change in job roles

Answer 17

The rapid changes in technology and automation in recent years have meant a decline in the need for traditional skills. Rather than facing unemployment, workers have had to be retrained or ‘up-skilled’ to manage the new technologies. Examples of this include robotics, where an employee needs to understand how a robot is programmed and can be controlled to perform a task such as welding, rather than perform the manual skill of welding themselves.

Question 18

CAD

Answer 18

Computer aided design (CAD) now has the capability to design new products in 3D, visualise them in a variety of materials and send images around the world for collaboration and consultation. Once production is finalised, these designs are sent to computer aided manufacture (CAM) machines to be formed. Autodesk and Solidworks are common forms of CAD software use

Question 19

Advantages of CAD

Answer 19

• CAD is extremely accurate, often more accurate than drawing designs by hand.
• It is easier to modify or revise an existing design. • Storage space is reduced.
• Files can be shared around the world very quickly, or imported into presentations.
• 3D models can be rotated and viewed from different angles.
• Designs can be simulated to see how well they will function. This allows potential problems to be spotted early.
• Designs can be exported to CAM equipment for manufacture.

Question 20

Disadvantages of CAD

Answer 20

• Some CAD packages are expensive to buy, so there can be high initial setup costs.
• There needs to be access to appropriate ICT hardware to run the software. This usually needs to be a computer with a very good specification, which adds to the cost.
• Some designers may not be familiar with how to use CAD software, so time and money must be spent training them. They must also regularly update their skills.

Question 21

CAM

Answer 21

By using computer aided manufacture (CAM), designs can be sent to CAM machines such as laser cutters, 3D printers and milling machines.

Question 22

Advantages of CAM

Answer 22

• Complex shapes can be produced much more easily than when manufacturing by hand.
• There is consistency of manufacture as every product produced is exactly the same.
• It enables very high levels of manufacturing precision and accuracy.
• There is greater efficiency as machines can run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• It can increase the speed of manufacture, especially when producing products in large numbers.

Question 23

Disadvantages of CAM

Answer 23

• As with CAD initial setup costs can be high. CAM machines are usually very expensive, although their cost is reducing with time.
• Operators must be trained to use the equipment, which adds time and cost.
• For one-off products, CAM can actually be slower than if the product was produced by hand.

Question 24

Advantages of fossil fuels

Answer 24

They are in good supply
Easy to find
Produce a large amount of energy

Question 25

Disadvantages of fossil fuels

Answer 25

Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy resources. Their supply is limited and they will eventually run out whereas fuels such as wood can be renewed endlessly.
Coal and oil release sulfur dioxide gas when they burn, which causes breathing problems for living creatures and contributes to acid rain.
Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide when they burn, which adds to the greenhouse effect and increases global warming. Of the three fossil fuels, for a given amount of energy released, coal produces the most carbon dioxide and natural gas produces the least.

Question 26

Solar

Answer 26

Solar panels are made from photovoltaic cells, which harness the Sun’s light energy and convert it into electricity. Solar power provides clean energy from a plentiful supply, but there is still considerable development work to be done to try to make solar panels more efficient. The placement of the solar panels is also very important to ensure they track the path of the sun and harness the optimum amount of solar energy.

Question 27

Advantages of solar

Answer 27

Clean, renewable energy source

Reduces household energy bills

Question 28

Disadvantages of solar

Answer 28

Does not produce much electricity when there is considerable cloud cover, during the winter months or at night
Costs a lot to install
Some people do not like the look of solar panels or feel that they spoil the appearance of a building

Question 29

ACCESSFM

Answer 29

Aesthetics
Cost
Customer
Environment
Size
Safety
Function
Materials

Question 30

Target Market feedback

Answer 30

A group of potential users of the product can be given a prototype to test. These user trials aim to get honest and critical opinions from a range of people. When numerous people are asked for opinions, it is important to ask questions that can be quantified to provide information that can be analysed using spreadsheets and algorithms:
Quantitative data is information that can be measured and written down with numbers, eg length.
Qualitative data is information that cannot be measured and is often based on opinion, eg favourite colour.

Question 31

User centred design

Answer 31

User-centred design is a different style of designing from iterative design, as it bases the design of a product around the needs of the target market rather than the continual development of iterations. The user is questioned and consulted throughout development, and evidence is gathered through questionnaires, interviews, testing and observations, and the results are used to improve the product.

Question 32

Target market

Answer 32

The group of people a product is made for.

Question 33

Different design strategies

Answer 33

Design strategies are philosophies that guide how the design process takes place.
• Three of the most widely used design strategies are iterative design; user-centred design and systems thinking.
• Design strategies are important to avoid design fixation, which is when designers become overly attached to a particular idea. #
• It is also important for specialists in different material areas to collaborate and share their expertise.
• Each different approach has its own advantages and disadvantages; which should be considered before they are put into practice

Question 34

Iterative design

Answer 34

• Iterative design is a cyclic approach.
• Each iteration of a design is tested and evaluated. Changes and refinements are then made; leading to a new iteration.
• Dyson vacuum cleaners are a good example of a product range designed using an iterative process. The original DC01 was developed as a result of thousands of different prototypes.

Question 35

Advantages of Iterative design

Answer 35

• Because each iteration is fully tested and evaluated it is more likely that problems with the design will be discovered and dealt with earlier.
• It encourages focus on the most critical aspects of a products design.
• User feedback is constantly being gathered.
• Evidence of progress in product design can be easily provided to stakeholders.

Question 36

Disadvantages of Iterative design

Answer 36

• Designers can be so focused on the current iteration that they sometimes lose sight of the bigger design picture.
• It can be time consuming if a lot of prototypes or iterations need to be produced.

Question 37

User centred design

Answer 37

• The end user feels listened to and so has a greater sense of ownership of the final product.
• Listening to the end user at each design stage means it is more likely that the final product will meet users’ expectations.

Question 38

Systems thinking

Answer 38

• The systems-based approach is often used when designing electronic, mechanical and mechatronic systems.
• It is a top-down approach that starts with an overview of the overall system in terms of its input, process and output sub-systems. The details of the individual components of each sub-system are considered later.

Question 39

Advantages of system thinking

Answer 39

• It does not require highly specialist knowledge of electronic or mechanical components to design the overview of the system.
• The top-down approach makes it easy to communicate how the system will work to non-technical specialists, such as clients and stakeholders.
• The system is designed in blocks, so it is easier to find errors or faults in the design.

Question 40

Disadvantages of system thinking

Answer 40

• Because of the block-based design approach, it can lead to the use of components that are not necessary.
• If unnecessary components are used it can lead to larger systems and extra cost.