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Product Design > 7 - Manufacturing Processes > Flashcards

7 - Manufacturing Processes Flashcards

(106 cards)

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1
Q

Outline the blow moulding process.

A

-Plastic powder is fed through a screw and heated.
-Molten plastic is shaped to the mould using compressed air.
-Plastic is left to cool.

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2
Q

What are the advantages of blow moulding?

A

-Low costs.
-Fast production.
-Can make complex parts.
-External threads can be made.
-Large open-ended parts.

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3
Q

What are the disadvantages of blow moulding?

A

-Limited to hollow parts.
-Low strength.
-Not always recyclable (may be laminated).
-Limited to thermoplastics.

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4
Q

Give an example of a blow-moulded product.

A

Single-use plastic water bottles.

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5
Q

Outline the rotation moulding process.

A

-A polymer ‘slug’ is placed in a mould.
-It is heated and rotated to cover the outside of the mould.
-Shape is left to cool.

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6
Q

What are the advantages of rotation moulding?

A

-Low costs.
-Versatile.
-Uniform wall thickness (improves strength).
-Minimal waste.
-Closed-off hollow parts.

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7
Q

What are the disadvantages of rotation moulding?

A

-Slow process time.
-Does not allow for specific tolerances.
-Difficult to maintain purity.
-Limited material options.

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8
Q

Give an example of a rotation-moulded product.

A

Fuel tanks.

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9
Q

Outline the extrusion process.

A

-Plastic powder is fed through a screw and heated.
-It is pushed through a steel die, making a long shape that can be cut into smaller bits.

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10
Q

What are the advantages of extrusion?

A

-Fast production.
-Low material cost.
-Thermoplastic reuse.
-Flexible.
-Stock forms are made quickly.

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11
Q

What are the disadvantages of extrusion?

A

-High setup costs.
-Simple shapes.
-Size variations.
-Die swell (expands after leaving the die).

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12
Q

Give an example of an extruded product.

A

Pipes.

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13
Q

Outline the injection moulding process.

A

-Plastic powder is fed through a screw and heated.
-Molten plastic is forced into a two part mould by a hydraulic system.

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14
Q

What are the advantages of injection moulding?

A

-Low cost per part.
-High precision.
-Fast production.
-Low waste.
-Design flexibility.
-Consistency.

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15
Q

What are the disadvantages of injection moulding?

A

-High initial cost.
-High lead time.
-Less suitable for low volume production.

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16
Q

Give an example of an injection moulded product.

A

Children’s toys, including LEGO.

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17
Q

What is the difference between compression & transfer moulding?

A

In compression moulding, a ‘charge’ is placed into an open mould and squished into shape. In transfer moulding, the charge is forced through a hole into a closed mould.

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18
Q

Why might a designer use models?

A

It is a cheap & effective method to communicate & test design ideas. Identifying problems with models means there will be less mistakes in later prototypes.

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19
Q

What is a block model?

A

A model with no moving parts, used only to demonstrate appearance. It has a high-quality finish.

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20
Q

What is a working model?

A

A model with moving parts, used to test & demonstrate mechanisms. These range from simple models to highly sophisticated ones.

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21
Q

What modelling materials might you cut with a craft knife, scalpel or junior hacksaw?

A

Foam board, cardboard, HIPS or balsa wood.

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22
Q

Name 4 different modelling materials.

A

Clay, Plasticine, wire, plywood.

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23
Q

What would be considered a method of rapid prototyping?

A

3D printing.

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24
Q

What are the benefits of rapid prototyping?

A

Complex designs can be produced quickly and cheaply.

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25
Why might digital simulation be favoured over physical models?
Saves time and money, and allows for rapid modifications to take place.
26
What is the difference between milling and turning?
In milling, a stationary workpiece is cut with a rotating tool. In turning, a rotating workpiece is cut with a stationary tool (used for cylindrical parts).
27
What is face milling?
Removing only the surface from a material.
28
What is peripheral milling?
Removing from the perimeter of a material.
29
What is a bandsaw? What is it used for?
A long, continuous blade stretched between two wheels. Mainly used for cutting curves and irregular shapes in wood & plastic.
30
What is a jig saw? What is it used for?
A handheld electric saw that jiggles a blade up and down. It is cheap and easy to use for cutting lines/curves in wood, metal & plastic.
31
What is a hack saw? What is it used for?
A hand saw with a removable band blade, used for hard materials like metal and plastic.
32
What is a tenon saw?
A very precise saw used for making small incisions in wood.
33
What is a coping saw? What is it used for?
A saw which holds its blade under tension. It is often used for shaping wood.
34
What is a Forstner drill bit used for?
Creating flat-bottomed cylindrical holes in wood.
35
What is a hammer drill, and what is it used for?
A drill that uses a hammering motion as well as a rotary motion, to cut through materials like brick and mortar.
36
Why might you choose a belt sander over a disc sander?
If you are sanding large flat surfaces, or sanding in bulk.
37
What materials can you use a belt/disc sander for?
Metal, timber and plastic.
38
What material can sandpaper be used for?
Timbers
39
What is an angle grinder used for?
Smoothing metal surfaces, similar to how sandpaper is used on wood.
40
What is the 'kerf'?
The extra thickness of material removed by the saw blade/laser cutter.
41
Name two adhesives that are commonly used for joining woods.
PVA and Cascamite glue.
42
What is a solvent cement? Give an example.
A substance that softens the surface of polymers, so they can then fuse together. E.g. dichloromethane is used on acrylic.
43
What is an allen key?
A hexagonal thingy used in place of a screwdriver in flat-pack furniture.
44
Why might cascamite be used rather than PVA glue?
To form a tougher, longer-lasting joint.
45
How does epoxy resin work? What is it used for?
It comes in two parts, resin and hardener, when they are mixed they form the adhesive, which takes time to fully set. Can be used to join different materials together.
46
What type of knock down fitting could be used to join two perpendicular parts?
A corner block allows screws to be joined at 90° next to each other.
47
What advantages do screws have over rivets?
They can easily be removed when needed.
48
What is the difference between a self-tapping screw and a machine screw?
A self-tapping screw cuts its own thread when it is drilled into a pre-existing pilot hole. A machine screw is drilled into a pre-threaded hole.
49
What is riveting used for?
Joining sheet metal.
50
What is the traditional method for riveting?
A rivet (often heated) is placed between the two sheets, then is hammered over to secure the sheets.
51
How does pop riveting work?
The rivet has a pin in it, when it is in place a pop rivet gun is used to pull on the pin, resulting in a squashed rivet that will now hold in place.
52
Why might pop riveting be used?
If one side of the material is inaccessible.
53
What is the difference between soldering and brazing?
Both can join different metals by melting a filler metal, but soldering is done at much lower temperatures.
54
What is welding? Where might it be used?
Welding is physically fusing two parts of the same/similar metals using heat. It is used in applications that require strong joints.
55
Describe torch brazing.
Fuel gas (often acetylene) is ignited to melt a filler metal, which is applied to the joint.
56
What's the flux?
A chemical used in brazing, soldering and welding to clean the joint & protect the material.
57
Outline friction welding.
No filler metal is used, a stationary component is pressed against a rapidly spinning component and the heat created from friction forces them to fuse.
58
Describe metal inert gas (MIG) welding.
Filler metal is fed through a tube automatically, an electric arc is sent through the metal, which causes it to melt. No flux is used, but a 'shield gas' is used to protect the joint.
59
What is the difference between MIG and TIG welding?
In MIG, the filler metal is the electrode, but in TIG, the metal is fed in separately. TIG is often more precise, and MIG is used for beginners.
60
What is a finger joint?
A wood joint using interlocking rectangular ridges.
61
What is a dovetail joint?
Like a finger joint, but using a more secure 'dovetail' shape.
62
What is a dowel joint?
Wood pins (or dowels) fit into slots on a wooden block.
63
What is a mortice and tenon joint?
A block (tenon) slots into a slot (mortice).
64
Describe lost wax casting.
A replica of a part is made in wax, it is then coated in clay and heated so the wax melts and only a clay shell remains. The shell is then filled with molten metal. This can be used to make complex shapes.
65
Describe sand casting.
Sand is packed around a mould, then the mould is removed, leaving a cavity which can be filled with molten metal. The surface finish is low quality.
66
What are moulds often made from in low temperature (e.g. pewter) casting?
MDF
67
What is resin casting?
A casting method used for polymers, in which a resin is mixed with a hardening agent and poured into a flexible (usually silicon) mould. Usually used for small figures/objects.
68
How can laminating be done?
Either using male & female formers, or using a vacuum press (plastic sheet, former & vacuum used to press layers together).
69
How does steam bending work?
Wood part is sealed into a tube that is then immersed in steam. After this, it can be bent over a former/pressed between formers until it holds its shape.
70
What is a line bender used for?
Heating acrylic sheets so they become flexible.
71
Outline the vacuum forming process.
-A plastic sheet is heated and held over a mould. -All the air underneath the sheet is sucked out, forcing the plastic to take the shape of the mould. -Plastic is left to cool.
72
What is thermoforming?
Shaping a material through the use of heat.
73
What is press forming?
-Shaping sheet metal into 3D forms. -Metal is placed between a punch and a die.
74
What is the difference between hot and cold pressure die casting?
Both use hydraulic systems to shoot molten metal into a two-part mould, but hot chamber has an in-built pool of metal, while in cold chamber metal must be ladled in.
75
What can pressure die casting be used for?
Mass production of low melting point metals e.g. aluminium and zinc based alloys.
76
Give some examples of automated material handling systems.
Fork lift trucks, conveyor belts, storage funnels.
77
Why do manufacturers use mechanical equipment to handle materials?
It is more efficient, saves time and reduces risk of injury.
78
Why might a manufacturer use robotic arms in place of human arms?
Robots can be easily programmed, perform repetitive tasks without break, can work in hazardous environments and do not get repetitive strain injuries.
79
What are some disadvantages of robot hands?
-High initial costs. -Specialists needed to program. -Human maintenance is still required.
80
What is a jig?
A tool that holds a workpiece in place and guides a tool to cut it.
81
What is a template?
A guide that fits over a workpiece to quickly show the desired shape/sizes.
82
What is a fixture?
Something that holds a workpiece in place while a process takes place.
83
What are the main considerations for cost-effective manufacture?
-Cost & transportation of materials. -Cost of providing a skilled workforce with good working conditions. -Time, cost and volume of production.
84
Why might manufacturers use a Gantt chart?
To track the production different parts and work out how manufacture can be made quicker/more efficient.
85
When would you use one-off production?
A luxury or personalised product.
86
When would you use batch production?
Quality furniture, jet engines or something.
87
When would you use mass production?
For a product in constant demand e.g. single use bottles.
88
What is the difference between continuous flow and in-line production?
Both are methods of mass production, but in continuous flow materials move through the process without interruption and in-line is in stages.
89
What is a cell production system?
A manufacturing system that combines CNC machines, carrying out their operations in sequence.
90
What are the pros & cons of cell production?
-Robots & vehicles can transport materials between machines, so few workers required. -Effective planning is needed.
91
What are the pros & cons of JIT manufacture?
-Can respond to changes in demand quickly. -No money has to be spent on storing materials. -Must maintain a good relationship with supplier. -Shortages can disrupt production massively.
92
What is lean manufacturing?
Manufacturing that aims to minimise both stock and waste, continuous improvement and maintaining a good relationship with customers.
93
What is the Toyota production system?
-Has features of both lean & JIT. -Empowerment of workers is emphasised. -Production is automatically stopped if problems arise.
94
What are the manufacturing benefits of using standardised components?
Components can be bought in bulk, saving cost and time which would otherwise be used to manufacture these parts with specialist equipment. Working to these standards also maintains product quality.
95
What is fully automated manufacture?
Robots and automated machines are responsible for almost all parts of manufacture.
96
What are the positives of using CNC machines for manufacture?
-They can work with minimum need for intervention. -Quality-monitoring equipment can be incorporated. -They are flexible and can be used to produce different parts.
97
What is computer aided manufacture (CIM)?
The term used to describe how computers oversee all stages of bringing a product to market, including manufacture.
98
What can CIM do for manufacture?
-Record sales of products and forecast demand. -Monitor ordering of materials. -Computerised warehouse organisation.
99
What are some disadvantages of CIM?
-Data security issues. -Set up, software and training costs. -Need for back-up systems.
100
What is the difference between quality control and quality assurance?
QC refers to the control & testing procedures during manufacture, but QA is the planning of procedures and policies that ensure quality products.
101
Give 3 examples of quality control measures for materials.
Visual checks, chemical analysis of samples, colour matching for pigments.
102
What QC checks can be used to ensure dimensional accuracy?
-Go/no go gauges. -Digital measuring tools (e.g. callipers, micrometre). -Laser measuring sensors linked to computers.
103
Give some examples of QA procedures/policies.
-Use of ISO approved materials/components. -Checking effective temperatures for moulding. -Machinery maintenance schedules to maintain tolerances. -Mould identification marks to trace faults.
104
What is mould flow analysis (MFA)?
A QA check to predict material flow within moulding machinery.
105
What is total quality management (TQM)?
A management system in which all stages of design are constantly evaluated and adjusted to make products right first time.
106
Why is following ISO 9001 beneficial to manufacturers?
-Helps satisfy needs of customers/stakeholders. -Gives an advantage/may be needed when securing contracts.

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