DT

materials and their processes

Hardwood

slow growing deciduous trees eg, Oak, Teak and Beech

Softwood

Fast growing coniferous trees such as Pine, Spruce, and Cedar.

Manufactured Board

man - made wood sheets like plywood, MDF and chipwood

What is CNC routing?

Computer controls a spinning drill bit, moving it perfectly along a digital drawing to cut shapes out of wood sheets

most commonly used material: MDF and plywood

What it makes: Flat-pack furniture

Laminating?

Thin layers of wood are coated in glue, stacked up and bent over a curved block until the glue dries

Most commonly material: birch veneers and flexi-ply (flexible plywood)

What it makes: Curved chair legs and skateboards

3D Printing

A machine melts plastic filament and draws a shape, building an object up layer by layer from the bottom up.

most commonly material: PLA (Polylactic Acid) and ABS

What it makes: Prototypes and custom plastic parts. (also hard hats)