Unit 1 Key Ideas in Design and Technology Flashcards

1
Q

Manufacturing

A

Creates a finished product from some raw materials. It is a system of three parts: Input, Process, Output

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2
Q

How can advances in technology improve manufacturing?

A
  • Automation of manufacturing processes
  • Smart technology in manufacturing
  • Tracking materials, tools, equipment and products
  • Communication systems
  • Specialised buildings
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3
Q

How does automation of the manufacturing process improve manufacturing?

A
  • Use of machines to do tasks automatically without much, or any human input
  • Can be used to carry out a particular process or manufacture a whole product
  • Continually being developed to be more intelligent and to allow them to work more closely with humans
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4
Q

Advantages of automation of manufacturing processes

A
  • Increase speed of production -> work faster and don’t need rest -> can be cheaper than human workers
  • High accuracy as they perform the same task consistently, removing human error
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5
Q

Disadvantages of automation of manufacturing processes

A
  • Can replace human workers so there are fewer jobs for people to do
  • Can be very expensive to buy
  • Can’t carry tasks that require human judgement
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6
Q

How does smart technology in manufacturing improve manufacturing?

A
  • Many computerised machines designed to carry out advanced tasks accurately (CAM/CAD etc.)
  • Connect them to other machines and sensors in the factory to share data
  • Use this data to help organise what tasks they need to do without human input. Also see when they’ll run out of materials and components
  • Can be part of the ‘Internet of things’ -> receiving and processing online customer orders
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7
Q

How does tracking of materials, tools, equipment and products improve manufacturing?

A
  • Tagging each box of material, tools, product etc.
  • Can be scanned or detected as the items move around the factory to keep the status of the item up to date
  • There are many uses like monitoring stock levels of raw materials and components, movement of products around the factory, and the number of finished products in stock
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8
Q

How do communication systems improve manufacturing?

A
  • Smart machines can pass information around so communication requires no human input
  • Humans can use devices to share information
  • Devices to receive information. E.g. a tablet to direct robots around the warehouse in the most efficient route to collect items
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9
Q

How do specialised buildings improve manufacturing?

A
  • Factories designed to incorporate smart technology and minimise environmental impact
  • Made of modular components -> taken apart, moved or added to
  • Reduced need for room -> move out of large factories to smaller, local spaces
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10
Q

Different ways of manufacturing to help maximise efficiency

A
  • Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS)
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Just in time (JIT)
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11
Q

How does Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) help maximise efficiency?

A
  • Different machines that carry out different tasks -> transport materials through different processes and eventually store the finished product
  • Called FMS because they are easy to adapt -> fairly quick and straightforward to change the system if design is altered
  • Systems are also easy to alter if the level or production changes -> extra machines etc.
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12
Q

How does Lean Manufacturing help maximise efficiency?

A
  • Aims to minimise amount of resources used and waste produced
  • Minimise costs and maximise efficiency
  • Just-in-Time (JIT) system of stock control is a form of lean manufacturing -> delivered as they’re needed and used as soon as they’re delivered
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13
Q

Advantages of Just-in-Time

A
  • Reduces the amount of space needed for the storage of materials and finished products
  • Less money tied up in materials that aren’t being used
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14
Q

Disadvantages of Just-in-Time

A
  • Relies on material being delivered on time and being fault-free (no time to return faulty goods).
  • If those two doesn’t happen, then money can be lost
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15
Q

CAD

A
  • Computer-aided design
  • Designing on computer instead of pencil and paper
  • Can make 2D or 3D designs
  • Help model and change their designs quickly -> easy to experiment with colours and forms
  • Spot problems before making anything
  • Can see 3D from all angles
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16
Q

CAM

A
  • Computer-aided manufacturing
  • Works out the coordinate of each point on the drawing -> x, y, z coordinates
  • Computer numerically controlled (CNC) -> follow x, y, z coordinates and move the tools to cut out or build-up your design
  • Subtraction or addition of material
17
Q

What is subtraction in a CAM?

A

Where material is removed from a solid block to form an object
E.g. Laser cutters

18
Q

What is addition in a CAM?

A

Where material is added to build up an object
E.g. 3D printers

19
Q

CNC routers

A
  • Able to cut out either 2D or 3D shapes from a block of material
  • Different-sized cutting tools
  • 2-axis or 3-axis machines
  • Engrave things
  • Plastics, wood, and metals
20
Q

Laser cutter

A
  • Only 2D shapes -> sheet materials
  • Can cut out or engrave things
  • Plastic, wood, cardboard, fabrics, and some metals
21
Q

3D printers

A
  • Rapid prototyping
  • 3D model from design on a screen
  • Plastic and wax
22
Q

CAD/CAM: Global companies

A
  • Saving shipping costs -> Designs can be sent electronically to be manufactured
  • Saving labour cost -> Design in one country, send to another country where labour is cheaper, then ship them back to wherever they’ll be sold
  • Could be affected by viruses, software problems and file corruption -> slow down production
23
Q

Sustainability

A

Not causing permanent damage to the environment and not using finite resources

24
Q

Sustainability of a product

A
  • Non-finite or finite resources
  • Recyclable/biodegradable or permanently take up space in the landfill
  • The process to make the product -> energy and pollution
  • Design -> long-lasting and efficient
25
Q

Carbon footprint

A
  • Amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by making, using, and eventually reusing, recycling or disposing of something at the end of its lifetime
26
Q

What counts as a carbon footprint

A
  • Transportation -> fuel is burnt
  • Manufacture -> emissions
  • Using a product. E.g. charging your phone
  • Reuse, recycle or disposal -> emissions
27
Q

Design for Disassembly

A

When a product is designed so it can be easily taken apart at the end of its lifetime -> allows parts and materials to be reused or recycled

28
Q

Design for maintenance

A

Designing it so that parts can be maintained and repaired or replaced

29
Q

Design to last

A

Making the product durable

30
Q

Planned obsolescence

A

Designed to become useless quickly

31
Q
A