AQA GCSE Product Design: 1.1 - New & Emerging Technologies

1.1 - New & Emerging Technologies:

Industry:

  • Industrial Revolution -   * The late 1700s   * Due to the development of emerging technology (steam power)   * Before this, products were made in home workshops   * Now, new technologies allow for products to be made faster and more economically in factories
  • Modern factories usually have access to transportation methods, e.g. good roads, railways and seaports   * Easy to get raw materials   * Easy to transport products
  • Shops - splitting industries into areas in factories
  • Car manufacturing shops -   * Pressing shop   * Axle shop   * Body shop   * Paint shop   * Plastics shop   * Casting shop

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Enterprise:

  • Crowdfunding -   * Funding a project by raising money from large numbers of people   * Uses the internet, e.g. social media, websites   * People donate small amounts   * Donations - people give money for believing in the cause   * Equity - the money buys shares in the business   * Debt - the money is loaned and paid back with interest
  • Co-operatives -   * A business that is owned and self-managed by its workers   * Workers set production schedules and determine working conditions   * Usually have higher productivity than conventional companies   * Usually, all shares are held by the workforce with no outside or consumer owners

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Fairtrade:

  • A movement that aims to achieve fair and better trading conditions and opportunities that promote sustainability for developing countries
  • Prevents an unfair balance of power among corporations
  • Farmers have to fight against unfair larger farms which can sell for less money
  • Allows equality and income stability
  • Millions of dollars reinvested.
  • 70% of the world's food is grown on small farms.
  • Social media promotes it.

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Sustainability:

  • Meeting present-day needs without compromising the needs of future generations.
  • Finite Resources -   * A resource that does not renew itself quickly enough to meet the needs of future generations, e.g. coal, natural gas and oil.   * There is no natural way to bring them back when they are gone.
  • Non-Finite Resources -   * A resource that can replenish itself quickly enough to meet our needs, e.g. water, and plants. Also, we are using renewable energy sources e.g. solar, geothermal and wind.
  • Manufacturers need to think about the life cycle of a product and how this will affect the environment.

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Changing Job Roles:

  • CAD -   * Computer aided design   * Easier to design   * You can visualise the product before creation   * It is easy to share and collaborate with others.   * Designs won’t be lost as easily   * Ideas easily edited   * Much quicker than conventional drawings
  • CAM -   * Computer-aided manufacturing   * Reduces human error   * Minimises waste
  • Robots help efficiency and price but can make people lose their jobs.

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Culture

  • The values, beliefs, customs and behaviours used by groups and societies to interact with one another and the world
  • We can choose some (political) cultures but are born into some others (religion)

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Production Techniques & Systems:

  • FMS -   * Flexible manufacturing system   * Productive, efficient conveyor-like system
  • One-off production -   * Where only 1 of these products is made. It’s custom-made and you cannot find another one the same.
  • CNC -   * Computer numerically controlled   * Efficient automation, saving time, effort and money.
  • JIT -   * Just-in-time production   * Companies create products when requested because they aren’t commonly requested
  • Lean manufacturing -   * Focusing on the reduction of waste during manufacturing.   * Save on storage (less space needed)   * A smaller amount of unused stock   * Less waste

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How the Critical Evaluation of New and Emerging Technologies Informs Design Decisions:

  • Planned Obsolescence -   * Where a product has been planned so it cannot be fixed so you buy more, making money for companies.
  • Design Maintenance -   * Functions that help a product keep working correctly throughout its life   * e.g. changing batteries, changing components
  • Ethics -   * Low costs usually mean that they have come from abroad meaning local jobs are lost
  • Environment -   * Designers need to consider how to reduce their impact on the environment
  • End of Life Disposal -   * Disposal can impact the environment   * Recycling is good as it can be reused instead of being buried or burnt.   * Aluminium cans are recycled by a re-melt process into ingots to be made into more cans   * Glass bottles are reused by being sterilised and then reused.
  • Biodegradable -   * The materials naturally break down quickly when in landfill to naturally occurring substances   * Supermarkets make us pay for plastic bags to encourage us to reuse our bags, saving the environment.

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