GCSE DT: Key Words

Absorbency

the ability of a material to draw in moisture, light or heat

Accuracy

the degree of closeness of a measurement to its true value

Adhesive

a chemical used to stick or glue objects together

Aesthetics

how an object appeals to the five senses

Alloy

a mixture of two or more metals

Annotation

adding labels identifying and explaining the key features on a drawing

Anthropometric data

measurements that are taken from millions of people of different shapes and sizes and placed in charts

Batch production

making a series of groups of identical products

Bill of materials

a list of the materials and/or components needed to manufacture an end product

Biodegradable material

a material that decomposes rapidly as a result of the action of microorganisms

Biodegrade

decompose or rot due to interaction with the environment

Bioplastics

plastics made using biological substances instead of oil

Biopolymer

a polymeric substance produced by living organisms

Bleaching

a finish for fabrics that removes all natural colour

Blow moulding

a process used to shape hollow polymer products

Bonding

a method of joining fabrics without stitching

Boning

using rigid strips of material to maintain the shape of a textile product

Brazing

a joining process for metals where a filler metal is melted to join parts together at high temperature

CAD

computer-aided design

Cam

a mechanism that converts rotary motion to reciprocating motion

Casting

pouring molten metal into a mould to form a product

Circular economy

a model that aims to increase the use of renewable energy and design products that are 'made to be made again'

CNC

computer numerical control, using a string of numbers to control the movements of a machine

Commercial impact

how well a product sells and generates revenue

Composite

a material made up of two or more other materials that are not chemically combined

Compression moulding

a process used to shape products from thermosetting polymer

Computer-aided design (CAD)

the use of computer software to produce designs for products

Computer-aided engineering (CAE)

the use of computer software to aid in engineering analysis tasks

Computer-aided manufacture (CAM)

the use of computer software to control machine tools to manufacture products

Concept model

a model produced to illustrate the overall concept of a proposed product

Corrosion resistance

the ability of a material not to be damaged by its environment

Crating

a drawing technique that uses boxes to act as a guideline for drawings

Darts

folds coming to a point that are sewn into fabric to provide shape

Density

mass of material per unit volume

Design brief

a short description of a design problem and how it is to be solved

Design classic

a product that has had a large influence on the world of design or the wider public

Die casting

a process where molten metal is shaped using pressure and a reusable mould

Die cutting

a process that uses metal blades and a press to cut a shape in paper or card

Disruptive technology

an innovation that creates a new market or a way of doing things

Driver circuit

a circuit that is used to boost current levels to those needed by an output advice

Durability

the ability of a material to last a long time without being damaged

Economies of scale

a saving in cost per product gained by making a higher number of products

Effort

the force applied to something (for example a lever)

Elasticity

the ability of a material to return to its original shape where a force on it is removed

Electrical conductivity

the ability of electricity to pass through a material

Electronic system

a collection of input, process, driver and output stages that respond to, change and produce different types of signal

End user

the person or people that will use a product when it is completed

Ergonomics

the study of how people interact with the products and systems around them

Etching

the use of chemical, heat or machine to remove selected parts or a material surface

Ethical design

designing with regard to people's principals, beliefs and morals

Exclusive design

design of products for a limited audience

Exploded drawing

a picture that shows how the parts of a product fit together

Exploring existing designs

analysing and critiquing designs that have already been produced

Extrusion

making a sectional shape by pushing material through a die

Fair trade

a movement that works to help people in developing countries get a fair deal for the products they produce

Ferrous metal

metal that contains a significant amount of iron

Finite resource

a resource of which there is only a limited quantity

Flammability

how easily a material burns

Flow chart

a diagram that shows the order in which a series of commands or events is carried out

Fossil fuel

fuel created from the remains of dead organisms over a long period of time; for example, coal, oil and gas

Fulcrum

the pivot point of a lever

Function

how a product or system works and/or what it does

Functionality

how well a product fulfils the purpose it needs to meet

Gathering

a sewing technique that allows a garment to increase fullness or widen out, or for shortening the length of a strip of fabric; allows a longer piece to be attached to a shorter piece

Gear

a mechanism used to transfer rotary motion, which can also change the direction or magnitude of the force transmitted

Grain

the growth rings visible on the surface of the wood

Graphene

a form of carbon consisting of sheets which are one atom thick

gsm

grams per square metre; the thickness of paper or card

Hardness

the resistance of a material to wear and abrasion

Hardwood

wood from deciduous trees that shed their leaves each autumn

Hydro energy

energy that is taken from flowing water, typically by releasing water from a dam to turn turbines

Inclusive design

design of products that can be used by everyone without special adaptions

Injection moulding

a process used to shape the polymer products

Input device

a device that turns real-world signal, such as light, sound or movement, into an electrical signal

Integrated circuit (IC)

a complete electronic circuit contained on a single small microchip

Isometric projection

a scaled 3D drawing with sides at an angle of 30° to the baseline

Iterative design

a cyclic design approach where each iteration is tested, evaluated and refined, resulting in a new iteration

Jig

a custom-made tool designed to achieve accuracy, repeatability and interchangeability during product manufacture

Just-in-time manufacturing

manufacturing where items from suppliers are delivered only when they are needed

Knitted

made from yarn using interlocking loops

Laminating (paper or card)

a finishing technique for paper and cardboard that is created by applying a plastic film to one or both sides of the material

Laminating (other material)

overlaying a flat object or sheet of material with a layer of protective material

Layering

adding multiple layers of material to a textile product to increase its strength

Lean manufacturing

a systematic approach to eliminate all forms of waste in manufacturing

Lever

a simple device that pivots about a fulcrum

Life cycle assessment

a tool for systematically evaluating the environmental aspects of a product or a system

Line bending

a process that involves bending thermoplastic along a heated line

Linear

moving in a straight line

Linkage

an assembly of parts used to transfer motion between two mechanisms, which can also change the direction or magnitude of the force transmitted

Malleable

pliable, able to be pressed or forced into shape without breaking

Marketing

the act of promoting or advertising a product or system

Mass production

making the same product on a large scale

Mathematical model

a representation of a product or system using mathematical formulae

Microcontroller

a small computer on a chip that is designed for use in control applications

Model

a 3D representation of a proposed product, often scaled down

Moulding

using a former to shape a material

Nanomaterial

a material made up of particles that are less than 100 nm (nanometres) in size

Nanotechnology

functional systems developed at the molecular or 'nano' sale

Natural fibres

fibres from sources such as animals and plants

New and emerging technologies

technologies that are new, currently being developed or that will be developed in the next 5-10 years