AS Product Design: 2.1 Design principles

Donald Norman on function and aesthetic

usability is key in product design

Unit production systems (UPS)

Using an overhead transport system that conveys the components required for manufacture between workstations

Quick response manufacturing (QRM)

strategy designed to reduce the time between a product being a concept and being completed

Benefits of QRM

the quicker a company can complete orders the more successful they will be

QRM production method

computer based technology to facilitate efficient, competitive production of low volume, customised products

Lead time

amount of time taken to respond to an order

Vertical in-house production defintion

supply chain of a company being owned by the same company

benefits of vertical in-house production

reduces dependence on externally sourced parts

Modular/ cell production

groupings of CNC machines that can be programmed to carry out a sequence of operations.

Just in time (JiT) manufacturing

method of organisation that allows the manufacture of products in such a way they are made to order rather than stock piling and hoping for future sales.

Lean manufacturing

built around the principles of reducing waste and maintaining stock levels at the minimum possible

Flexible manufacturing systems

using cells of CNC machines and robots that can quickly change tool heads, dies and moulds to produce different products in response to demand.