DT Mock

The content for my DT mocks

Co-operative

A business owned, governed and self-managed by its workers.

Fair trade

A movement that aims to achieve fair and better trading conditions and opportunities that promote sustainability for developing countries.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Ecological Footprint (EF)

the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources.

Social footprint

The impact a company or organisation has on people and communities.

Technology push

Where a new technology or materials are developed and designers take the opportunity presented by this to design new products.

Market Pull

Where users want a product to be improved or redeveloped to meet their needs.

Computer-aided design (CAD)

Using computer software to draw, design and model on screen.

Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)

Manufacturing products designed by CAD.

Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS)

A system in which production is organised into cells of machines performing different tasks.

Just-in-time (JIT)

A production method that involves reducing or virtually eliminating the need to hold inventories of raw materials or unsold inventories of the finished product. Supplies arrive just at the time they are needed.

Lean manufacturing/production

Focusing on the reduction of waste when manufacturing.

Planned obsolescence

Planning or designing a product to have a short life span.

KEY POINT

Automation ….

…. is the use of computers to control machinery in factories with minimal human involvement.

KEY POINT

Enterprise ….

…. is a skill where people take risks to bring new products to the market.

KEY POINT

Sustainability ….

…. is about meeting our own present-day needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

KEY POINT

Culture ….

…. is the values, beliefs, customs and behaviours displayed by different groups of people.

KEY POINT

Just in time (JIT) production ….

…. is a method of organising a factory so that materials and components are ordered to arrive at the workplace just in time for production.

KEY POINT

Planned obsolescence ….

…. is when a product is deliberately designed to have a short life span or go out of fashion.

Fossil fuels

A natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Global warming

A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.

Fission

The process in which uranium atoms are split and produce heat.

Renewable energy

Energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.

Solar energy

Energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy.

Wind energy

The energy captured by transforming the motion of air into electrical energy using a turbine.

Tidal energy

Energy that comes from the movement of water driven by the gravitational pull of the Moon.

Wave enegy

Energy captured from the movement of waves in water bodies.

Hydroelectricity

The process of using water falling from a height to turn turbines and generate electricity

Biomass

Growing plants so that they can be burnt, or using decaying plant or animal materials to produce heat.

Kinetic pumped storage systems

A way of storing electricity by pumping water up to hydroelectric dams for later use at times of high demand.

Mechanical energy storage devices

Devices such as flywheels, springs and clockwork.

Electrical energy storage devices

Devices such as capacitors and batteries.

KEY POINT

All fuels and bio-fuels …

… cause pollution when burnt.

KEY POINT

Coal, gas and oil …

… are all fossil fuels and finite resources.

KEY POINT

Most renewable resources…

… reduce the risk of pollution.

KEY POINT

Many renewables …

… cannot provide a constant supply, unlike fossil fuels and nuclear supply.

KEY POINT

Storage systems …

… cannot generate power, but are useful when extra supply is needed quickly.

Modern materials

A material that has recently been developed for specific applications.

Graphene

A very thin two-dimensional material layer of carbon.

Metal foam

A porous, lightweight metal (aluminium, steel or titanium) with high compressive strength.

Titanium

A high strength to density, corrosion resistant metal. Often used for knee replacements.

Coated metals

These metals include anodised aluminium, nickel-plated steels and polymer coated aluminium.

Liquid crystal display (LCD)

A flat-panel monitor that creates an image when liquid crystals become electronically charged.

Nano materials

Materials that have tiny parts less than 100 nanometres in size.

Teflon

The tradename for flouroplastic which is transparent to opaque in character and is used primarily for electrical fixture and pipe sealing. Famous for its non-stick properties.

Corn starch polymers

Made from polylactic acid found in high starch plants. Developed to replace oil-based thermoplastics.

Smart materials

Materials that have been designed to have one or more properties that can be modified when subject to an external stimuli in a way that the output can be controlled.

Thermochromic pigments

Allow materials to change colour a specific temperatures.

Shape memory alloys (SMA's)

Return to their original shape after heating and deformation. They are quite expensive and are lightweight.

Photochromic pigments

Change colour depending on the level of light.

Composites

A material that combines the properties of the materials that were used to make it.

Technical textiles

Textile materials and products that are manufactured for their technical performance properties.

Conductive fabrics

Fabrics that have conductive fibres woven unto them or conductive powders impregnated into them. Often called e-textiles.

Fire-resistant fabrics

Used in situations where exposure to flames is likely and by law on certain flammable products.

Kevlar

A strong and lightweight synthetic material used in the construction of protective clothing and equipment.

Gore-Tex

A common trade name for a waterproof fabric that is able to breath by letting water vapor pass through it. The fabric has a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon).

Microfibres

Really thin synthetic fibres, up to 100 times thinner than a human hair

Microencapsulation

Very thin fibres hold chemicals in tiny capsules, which break open releasing the chemicals.

Systems diagram

A diagram that breaks down an operation into its three main component parts: input, process and output. More complex systems may have more than one input, process and output

Input device

Electrical and mechanical sensors that use signals from the environment and convert them into signals that can be passed into processing devices and components.

Process devices

Handle information received and turn outputs on and/or off.

Microcontroller

A small computer within a single integrated circuit.

Output

Sends out information, heat, light, sound or mechanical movement to the environment the system is operating in.

System block diagrams

A diagram that describes what happens in a system, using standard symbols.

LED

Light Emitting Diode

BASIC

A computer programming language used to programme microcontrollers.

PIC chip (or Peripheral Interface Controller)

A common form of microcontroller used in schools.

Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)

A component in which the resistance to the flow of electrical current through it changes as the light intensity that falls upon it alters.

Hardwood

The wood from broad-leaved, mostly deciduous trees.

Softwood

The wood from conifers or evergreen trees.

Ferrous

Metals that contain iron.

Non-ferrous

Metals that do not contain iron. They do not rust and are not magnetic.

Alloy

A mixture of elements that has metallic properties.

Thermoforming polymer

A polymer that can be softened by heating, shaped and set over and over again.

Thermosetting polymer

A polymer that can only be shaped and formed by heat once.

Natural fibres

Fibres made from animal and plant or sources.

Synthetic fibres

Fibres made from oil-based chemicals.

Blended / mixed fabrics

Fabrics that contain two or more fibres.