IGCSE Design Technology - Manufacturing Processes

Ways to manufacture PLASTICS

-Injection moulding

-Blow moulding

-Vaccuum forming

-Compression moulding

Ways to manufacture METALS

-Sand casting

-Die casting

-Sheet metal bending

-Welding

Vacuum forming process

1) The mould is placed on the platen.

2) A thermoplastic sheet is placed over the airtight seal, and clamped above the platen.

3) The heater is pulled across.

4) The platen is raised so the mould is sitting underneath the plastic.

5) The vacuum is turned on, and the plastic is sucked over the mould.

Die cutting process

The commercial process of cutting material using a shaped metal die.

1) Draw the material onto a CAD software such as TechSoft to convert your drawing into a vector file which

Laser cutting process

1) Have your drawing in a CAD software and convert it into a vector file format which the laser cutting machine can read.

2) Adjust the settings of the machine such as speed, power, and resolution.

3) The machine will read the vector file and process the thin lines made in the drawing.

Blow moulding process

This is used for the production of hollow plastics.

1) The plastic is melted in a parison, therefore becoming molten.

2) The molten plastic from the parison will fall into the mould.

4) The air pressure will push the plastic out to match the mould.

5) The plastic mould is left to cool.

6) Once it's hardened, it is ejected out of the machine.

Injection moulding process

1) Plastic pellets are fed through the hopper of the injection unit. Inside the barrel, a screw will push the pellets forward.

2) There are heater bands around the barrel which melts the plastic pellets gradually which will be molten by the time it reaches the front of the barrel.

3) The screw will push the molten plastic out into an empty cavity of a moulder like a syringe.

4) The plastic in the cavity will solidify and then it's ejected.