AQA A-Level Design & Technology (Product Design) - 1.6: Efficient use of Materials and Resources
When selecting materials, it is important to consider:
Material properties
Manufacturing processes
Form and standard sizes
Cost
Availability
Sustainability
Some raw materials may fluctuate in price according to worldwide demand.
Finite element analysis: creating a product on software to reduce the wastage of prototypes.
Uses mathematical calculations to plan and organise complex processes such as a car plant
Overviews can be given at any time via spreadsheets, charts and graphs
Barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags facilitate the transfer of information (e.g. component types and stock)
Text (1 direction) < Barcodes (2 directions) < RFID (all directions)
CNC machines are used in a group
Used on lathes, milling machines, drills and grinders
Robotic arms - used for assembly and transportation, can have up to 6 axis of movement
Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV’s) used for larger movement
Products are made to order
Helped Toyota in the 70’s
Lean production - reducing waste and maintaining stock levels as low as possible
Good for products with configurations (e.g. cars, devices)
When selecting materials, it is important to consider:
Material properties
Manufacturing processes
Form and standard sizes
Cost
Availability
Sustainability
Some raw materials may fluctuate in price according to worldwide demand.
Finite element analysis: creating a product on software to reduce the wastage of prototypes.
Uses mathematical calculations to plan and organise complex processes such as a car plant
Overviews can be given at any time via spreadsheets, charts and graphs
Barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags facilitate the transfer of information (e.g. component types and stock)
Text (1 direction) < Barcodes (2 directions) < RFID (all directions)
CNC machines are used in a group
Used on lathes, milling machines, drills and grinders
Robotic arms - used for assembly and transportation, can have up to 6 axis of movement
Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV’s) used for larger movement
Products are made to order
Helped Toyota in the 70’s
Lean production - reducing waste and maintaining stock levels as low as possible
Good for products with configurations (e.g. cars, devices)
