Section A - New and emerging technologies Flashcards
Define technology push
Technology push is where new technology or materials are developed and designers take the opportunity presented by this to design new products
Why do designers create new products
Designers create new products because of customer need or because of developments in technology
Name 2 products developed through technology push
iPad (developed by apple)
Samsung galaxy (with touchscreen technology) - Smartphones
Dyson developed the cyclone technology inside his vacuum cleaners creating a bagless design.
Touch screen technology was integrated into mobile phones.
What is noticeable about products developed as a result of technology push
The noticeable thing about products developed as a result of technology push is that consumers didn’t know they wanted a product until after it was launched
How does technology push affect a consumers choice
Products developed through technology push are appealing to people as it produces innovative products and increases choice.
Define market pull
Market pull is where users want a product to be improved or redeveloped to meet their needs
Examples of products developed through market pull
Volkswagen Beetle
Fiat 500
What is the importance of market research
Market research is carried out and analysed in detail to identify what needs exist and how existing products can be improved or reinvented to meet those needs.
Give examples of changing job roles due to the emergence of new ways of working driven by technological change
In certain industries - the jobs remain the same, but new technologies are used to perform the tasks.
Designers now use CAD software to perform tasks that would have required pencil and paper before
Office workers use computers rather than typewriters
More bank clerks use telephones and computers with telephone and internet banking rather than sitting behind a counter in a bank
What technology is now common on production lines.
What is this technology replacing
Robots controlled by computers are now common on production lines replacing factory workers.
Explain how with these new emerging technologies, as some jobs are lost, new ones are created
Robots controlled by computers are now common on production lines replacing factory workers.
However, these robots need to be designed, manufactured, programmed, and maintained, which creates new jobs
Why do large warehouses only need a few staff
Large warehouses only need a handful of staff to control stock due to computers
Describe the role of up-skilling due to new technologies
Rather than facing unemployment, workers have had to be retrained or ‘up-skilled’ to manage the new technologies
What is culture
Culture is the values, beliefs, customs and behaviours used by groups and societies to interact with each other and the world
Define fashion
The latest trends in clothing or decoration
Give examples on how culture influences design/new technology
The airbag for cyclists is an example of new technology and fashion combining. It’s a neck-worn system that incorporates an air bag that fully inflates to absorb the shock of any impact
Designers are responsible for ensuring that their product doesn’t cause offence to people with a particular faith or belief, certain type of people in society
. For instance, clothes designers might incorporate designs into their collections that allow customers from other cultures to dress more modestly, or cosmetics manufacturers may choose not to use animal ingredients in their products because of people’s beliefs.
How products are designed and made to avoid having a negative impact on people with a physical disability
Motor neurone disease is a degenerative disease that leads to muscle weakness and wasting.
Eye movement is more resistant to degenerative disease, and technology has been developed that enables people with motor neurone disease to control computers with just their eyes.
Visual impairment - Braille keyboard
How products are designed and made to avoid having a negative impact on the elderly
An example of a product aimed at this group is a long shoehorn, which will allow an elderly person to put a shoe on without having to bend down.
it is important to understand the difficulties this user group may experience, such as mobility issues, visual impairment and hearing loss.
Vision and motor control make small screens difficult for them. Therefore they use tablets instead of a phone, due to screen size
How products are designed and made to avoid having a negative impact on different religious groups
Religious groups have a variety of preferences that can be addressed through design. The use of certain symbols, dietary restrictions and clothing requirements all need to be considered so that beliefs are upheld.
Islamic traditions do not approve of images of people: geometric patterns are favoured
Positive impacts new products have on the environment
Continuous improvement of a product by designers leads to the product becoming more efficient and having a better level of performance
If the product is electrically powered, this increased efficiency and performance level will lead to a reduced environmental impact caused by the product when it is in use, because of the reduced amount of energy required in operation
Improved efficiency and performance in the workplace are also beneficial to the environment and can be brought about by staff training, and creation and investment in new technology.
E.g. of how continuous improvement in the workplace can be encouraged : getting a production line workers to suggest improvements to the product and the way
it is made
Locating factories close to the source of the material or where it is sold to reduce travel.
Ordering the correct amounts of materials so waste is kept to a minimum.
Negative impacts new products have on the environment
As the Earth’s resources are consumed (e.g. oil, metal ores and timber), the process of converting these raw materials into products uses huge amount of energy , which creates pollution (e.g. and carbon dioxide) affecting the environment
A huge proportion of the energy used for manufacturing is produced by burning fossil fuels.
Burning fossil fuels is a major cause of pollution (smoke, CO2, SiO2, CO)
Smoke causes soot deposites and can cause breathing difficulties.
CO - poisonous gas
CO2- A greenhouse gas - that contributes to global warming
Global warming is the gradual rise in temperature of the Earth, atmosphere and oceans.
The rise in CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are linked to human activity and industrial manufacture.
Technology is being developed that uses alternative energy sources instead of fossil fuels.
Ways of generating energy from the sea, the wind, the sun, rivers, and the heat stored underneath the earth’s surface all continue to develop
State the types of manufacturing processes
Scales of production
One off production - a single bespoke product is made
Batch production - one group of identical products made at the same time.
Mass production - same product manufactured many times
Continuous flow - high volume 24hr production
What do the following set of abbreviations stand for:
CAD
CAM
CNC
FMS
JIT
CAD - Computer-aided design
CAM - Computer-aided manufacturing
CNC - Computer numerically controlled
FMS - Flexible manufacturing system
JIT - Just in time
Define CAD
Computer-aided design is using computer software to draw, design and model on screen
Define CAM
Computer-aided manufacturing is manufacturing products designed by CAD
Define FMS
Flexible manufacturing system is a system in which production is organised into cells of machines performing different tasks
Define CNC
Computer numerically controlled - machine tools that are controlled by a computer
Define JIT
Just in time is a production method that means materials and components are ordered to arrive at the product assembly point just in time for production
Define Lean manufacturing
Lean manufacturing - focussing on reduction of waste when manufacturing
Advantages of FMS
High flexibility
They can produce different products simultaneously
They can be set up to produce new products quickly and easily, saving time and effort.
Advantages of JIT production AND lean manufacturing
A reduced need to keep large stockpiles of components and materials
Less space needed to keep stocks of components and materials
Smaller numbers of finished products to be stored and put into stock
Less waste
Explain two ways how just in time (JIT) production can help manufacturers improve
efficiency
No need for large storage facilities so reducing
construction/maintenance costs
Materials/ components do not become old/ out of date so
reducing costs and wastage
Improved manufacturing competitiveness through reduced time
waste and resources i.e. no ordering resources and needed or
moving and storing of unused resources
Examples of machines used for CAM
Laser cutter
Computer nurmerical control (CNC) milling machine
CNC lathe
CNC Router
CNC sewing machines
Define planned obsolescence
Planned obsolescence - Planning or designing a product to have a short life span
Explain products designed with planned obsolescence in mind
Disposable razors
Modern mobile phones (need continual software upgrades / they are soon replaced by new better-performing models)
Apple is a business that uses planned obsolescence.
With each new model of their iPhone, they change the connections, meaning people have to buy new leads, chargers and headphones alongside their new phone.
Explain how planned obsolescence works
Products are manufactured to last a specific length of time before needing to be replaced.
Consumers will then need/want to buy a new version of the product.
Sales will be maintained.
How can planned obsolescence be achieved
Using materials that break/wear out easily.
The cost of repairing being more than replacing e.g. washing machine.
Upgrades in software e.g. mobile phones.
Aesthetic upgrades to match fashion trends e.g. mobile phones.
Explain why designers use planned obsolescence when designing
The companies produce new and improved products at short intervals
It could be because of technology improving or just to keep their sales at a steady level
Explain the impact of planned obsolescence on the environment
Planned obsolescence is bad for the environment as more waste is created in the manufacture of new products and the disposal of old ones. This as a result creates disposal issues
Give an example of how the awareness of planned obsolescence and the responsibility of the designer can influence the design decisions
For example a disposable coffee cup that is a single use product. The designer could use a compostable material made from plants.
Define maintainance
Maintenance means performing functions on a product that will help to keep it functioning correctly throughout its life
How can products be designed for maintainance
Products are being designed with easily accessible, replaceable parts.
(e.g. the facility to change batteries, allowing access into the product to repair or replace worn out components)
New software can be uploaded onto existing products to update them.
– Some products such as personal computers (PCs) are made up of different modules which allows a module to be repaired or replaced in the event of a fault rather than the entire product
This system of using modules also means that some modules can be replaced in order to upgrade as technology improves
Products that are designed for maintenance are becoming more popular with ____
These products are becoming more popular with people who are increasingly more aware of reducing waste and the shared responsibility for global warming.
How can designers reduce the impact of manufacturing products on the environment.
What do they need to consider?
The main considerations should centre on the life of the product and the materials used, and what will happen to the product at the end of its useful life
Explain the issue of ethics and design
People like the things they buy to be of good quality and low cost.
To keep prices low, manufacturing companies can cut costs in various ways - but in doing so there are other costs
E.g. automating factories can cut workforce costs by employing fewer people - but this means some people lose their jobs
Other methods of reducing costs including manufacturing in a country where labour costs are lower than the UK. In these cases, workers are paid less and work in poor conditions, and often the pollution created in manufacturing may be much higher
Just in time production helps to create _________________
Just in time production helps to create lean manufacturing
Give examples of companies that operate JIT systems
Nissan
Toyota
Dell
Define recycling
Recycling means reprocessing a material so that it can be used again
What is the impact of recycling
Recycling reduces the need for new materials and therefore causes less environmental impact
What are biodegradable materials
Materials that naturally break down quickly when in landfill due to naturally ocuring substances
Examples of biodegradable materials
Wood
Cotton
Examples of non biodegradable materials
Plastic
Glass
If a product does eventually reach landfill what types of materials should the product be made of
The product should be made of biodegradable materials
How are aluminium cans recycled
Aluminium drinks cans are recycled by going through a re-melt process; they are turned into ingots that are then used to make new cans
How are glass milk bottles reused
The bottles are returned to the dairy, sterilised and reused for further milk deliveries.
How are glass jars recycled
At the end of their useful life they are crushed, melted and moulded into new bottles and jars or other glass items
