Product design theory

Question 1

What are the stages of the product life cycle?

Answer 1

• Introduction
• Growth
• Maturity
• Decline

Question 2

What is a technology push?

Answer 2

• When a company produces a product using new technology

- Pushing new technology onto the consumer

Question 3

What is a market pull?

Answer 3

-When companies make products to meet the consumers demand

Question 4

What is an example of the processes of a life cycle assessment?

Answer 4

• Raw material extraction
• Manufacture
• Distribution
• Use
• Disposal

Question 5

What is green design?

Answer 5

-Conserving materials
[Using recycled materials]
-Conserving energy

Question 6

What is eco design?

Answer 6

-Reducing the effect of extracting raw materials, energy use and disposal through the whole cycle
-Selection of materials used so it doesn’t negatively
impact the environment
-Reducing the amount of materials going into the
product
-Reduce the negative impacts on the environment from using the product
-Improving the end of life system so it is easier to recycle the products

Question 7

What is sustainable design?

Answer 7

• Coming up with more sustainable solutions when designing to solve a problem
• Designing a product that doesn’t have an on-going negative impact on the environment

Question 8

What is sustainable innovation?

Answer 8

-Designing solutions to change the way we do things to make them more sustainable to positively impact the world

Question 9

What is design optimization?

Answer 9

• Design optimization is an engineering design methodology using a mathematical formulation of a design problem to support selection of the optimal design among many alternatives
• Design optimization involves the following stages:
  1) Variables: Describe the design alternatives
  2) Objective: Elected functional combination of variables (to be maximized or minimized)

Question 10

How has new technology allowed for the evolution of vacuums? (for example: newer vacuums are cordless)

Answer 10

• One technological development which has allowed the vacuum cleaner to evolve is the the development of CAD and CAM
• Without the use of CAD/CAM, such complex forms seen in the newer model would be very hard to visualize and almost impossible to manufacture
• Almost all the parts from the newer model are injection moulded thermoplastics which have required the moulds which would have been designed in CAD and manufacture using CAM
• The involvement of CAD in order to design the parts allows for integrated fixings which allow the product to be held together
• The newer vacuums are also made from polymers so they are more lightweight than the older ones containing more heavy metal
• The development of new high-capacity re-chargeable batteries has allowed for the newer vacuum to be cordless as it does not require mains power
• Cyclonic technology has allowed the bag to be removed from the older models, so the newer models are bag-less and easier to detach

Question 11

What responsibilities does a manufacturer have to ensure the safety of employees?

Answer 11

• Health and safety at work act = this act aims to encourage, regulate and enforce workplace health and safety in the UK
• Control of substances hazardous to health
• Signage (Fire exits etc…)
• Staff training, ensuring the staff are capable of using the equipment safety and they are trained in first aid for emergencies
• Guards on the machines to ensure workers don’t injure themselves
• PPE personal protective equipment (gloves, goggles, aprons, breathing apparatus, masks etc…)
• Risk assessment carried out to mitigate risk and put measures in place in case of emergency to eliminate or control the risks
• Extraction of fumes/dust
• Ensuring a safe overall environment

Question 12

What is batch production?

Answer 12

Where one group of identical products is made at one time, before moving onto producing the next group

Question 13

What is quality control?

Answer 13

A set of checks before a product is completely made that is intended to ensure that a product meets the specified customer requirements once it has been manufactured

Question 14

What is quality assurance?

Answer 14

Quality Assurance is the process which guarantees that the preferred level of quality is fulfilled in the product or service at each phase of the process

Question 15

What is ergonomic design?

Answer 15

The process of developing a product/service that is easy to use and provides a favourable, enjoyable experience for the end user

Question 16

What is anthropometric data and how is it used when designing a product?

Answer 16

• Anthropometric data helps designers to design their product
• For example, when designing a hairdryer, measurements like the average height of users and length of average arms become useful to decide the shape of handle and distance to be held from the head