Product Design 3/4

What is one-off manufacturing?

A custom-made product, usually high quality and hand-made, such as wedding dresses or jewellery.

What are some technologies used in one-off manufacturing?

Hand tools, CAD, and 3D printing.

Define low volume production.

The production of a small number or batch of identical products, usually for specialized markets such as boutique clothing or dinnerware.

What are the advantages of low volume production?

It can respond fast to changes in the market, being among the first to meet new demands.

What characterizes mass (high volume) production?

Thousands to millions of identical items produced, available for bulk purchase at lower costs with less flexibility.

What technologies are primarily used in mass production?

Automation and AI robotics, mostly automated processes.

What is continuous production?

24/7 production that is heat/time or chemical sensitive, used for high demand products with few variations.

Give examples of products suited for continuous production.

Water bottles and mining products.

Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative data.

Quantitative data is numerical; qualitative data is descriptive based on characteristics.

What are traditional technologies?

Older designs valued for their simplicity and reliability, such as hand tools.

What are new & emerging technologies?

More sophisticated and complex technologies that are usually safer and more efficient than traditional manufacturing methods.

What is automation in manufacturing?

Automated control of technologies and machines, usually controlled by computers, aimed at reducing human error and repetitive tasks.

Define Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the context of manufacturing.

Complex computer programming that employs machine learning for efficiency and economic analysis without human interaction.

What is 4IR technology?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution that interconnects technologies and data to respond to each other.

What is laser technology used for?

Rapid prototyping and cutting complex shapes accurately.

What is CAD (Computer-Aided Design)?

Virtual design software that allows 3D visualizations to reduce costs and development times.

Define Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM).

Utilizes CAD to create physical products, like fusion design through 3D printing.

What is Computer Numerical Control (CNC)?

A technology that controls tools and machinery using numeric coordinates to minimize errors.

What is Lean Manufacturing?

A practice aimed at reducing costs per unit while maintaining quality, designed to minimize waste.

What are the 8 waste areas in Lean Manufacturing?

Overproduction, unnecessary transport, excess inventory, motion, defects, over-processing, unutilized talent, and waiting times.

What is sustainability?

Meeting present needs without compromising future needs.

What does the Triple Bottom Line (3BL) include?

People (social), Planet (environmental), and Profit (economic).

What is a Circular Economy?

An economic model based on circulating products and materials, reducing waste and pollution, and preserving nature.

Define Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).

A standardized technique for measuring a product's environmental and health impact over its total life cycle.

What is Cradle to Cradle (C2C)?

A design principle encouraging a circular approach and upcycling instead of traditional linear production.

What is Upcycling?

Producing materials or products of equal or greater quality after each round of recycling.

Explain Planned Obsolescence.

A strategy where products are designed to fail within a specific time frame, compelling consumers to replace them.

What is the impact of Functional obsolescence?

Products are intentionally made with lower quality materials to limit lifespan.

What are bioplastics?

Types of plastics derived from living organisms or their by-products, like bioplastics from soybeans.

What are the positive attributes of Vegan Leather?

Lower environmental impact and often made from plant waste.

What challenges does Vegan Leather face?

Often contains plastics that make it non-biodegradable and takes a long time to decompose, ending in landfills.

What is the environmental impact of Composite Materials?

They enhance properties like strength and durability but are difficult to recycle, often ending up in landfills.