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Engineering - Processes Flashcards

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0
Q

What are the 5 materials used in injection moulding?

A

Polystyrene

Nylon

Polypropylene

Polythene

ABS

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1
Q

Describe injection moulding

A

Granules of plastic powder are poured or fed into a hopper

A motor turns a thread which pushes the granules along the heater section which melts then into a liquid. The liquid is forced into a mould where it cools into shape

The mould then opens and the shape is removed

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2
Q

What are the 6 advantages of injection moulding?

A

Very complex 3D shapes can be produced

High volumes can be produced with consistent quality

Vary fast compared to other moulding processes

Little labour costs

Little waste

Little to no finishing of the parts is needed

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3
Q

What are the 2 disadvantages of injection moulding?

A

High initial set up costs

Moulds are expensive to make

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4
Q

Describe blow moulding

A

The plastic is fed in granular form into a hopper that stores it

Heated plastic granules are injection moulded into a pre-form shape which is positioned into a mould

Air is forced into the mould which forces the plastic to the sides giving a hollow shape

The mould is cooled and then removed

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5
Q

What are the 5 materials used in blow moulding?

A

HDPE

LDPE

PP

PVC

PET

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6
Q

What are the 4 advantages of blow moulding?

A

Once set up, blow moulding is a rapid method of producing hollow objects

Well suited to low and high production

Many types of plastic can be used

Can be less expensive than injection moulding

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7
Q

What are the 4 disadvantages of blow moulding?

A

Limited to hollow parts

Moulds can be expensive

It is difficult to produce shapes that don’t allow easy extraction from the mould

Difficult to produce triangular shapes

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8
Q

Describe rotational moulding

A

Moulds are loaded with a precise amount of thermoplastic powder

The moulds are clamped together

The mould is then rotated in a heated chamber and the thermoplastic is melted. The continuous rotation ensures the thermoplastic covers all of the inside of the mould

The product is then extracted

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9
Q

What are the 5 materials used in rotational moulding?

A

Polyethylene

Polypropylene

PVC

Nylon

Polycarbonate

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10
Q

What are the 6 advantages of rotational moulding?

A

A hollow part can be made in one piece with no seen lines or joints

Ideal for rigid, tough and flexible shapes

No material waste

Different types of product can be moulded together on one machine

Surface textures can be applied by texturing the mould

Moulds are cheaper than for injection and blow moulding

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11
Q

What are the 2 disadvantages of rotational moulding?

A

Only hollow shapes can be produced and more complex shapes need injection and blow moulding

The plastic used must be ground down into a fine powder which takes money and time

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12
Q

Describe thermoforming

A

Sheet plastic is held securely between the 2 halves of the mould

The plastic is heated just above its softening point

The mould halves close and a vacuum is applied through the lower mould

The upper mould ensures the required amount of detail is achieved

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13
Q

What are the 4 materials used in thermoforming?

A

ABS

Polypropylene

Acrylic

Polycarbonate

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14
Q

What are the 2 advantages of thermoforming?

A

Low cost process

Works well when creating smooth shapes that need extra detail

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15
Q

What are the 3 disadvantages of thermoforming?

A

Deep moulds can result in thin and stretched parts of the product

Limited to simple designs

Trimming is often required creating some waste

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16
Q

Describe vacuum forming

A

A sheet of plastic is heated to a temperature ready for forming

A mould is pushed up into the plastic sheet

A vacuum is turned on and this pumps out all of the air beneath the sheet

The sheet has the shape of the former pressed into its surface

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17
Q

What are the 4 materials used in vacuum forming?

A

ABS

Polystyrene

Acrylic

Polycarbonate

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18
Q

What are the 4 advantages of vacuum forming?

A

Available to schools

Simple process

Can be made from a range of materials

Suitable for one-off and large scale production

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19
Q

What are the 3 disadvantages of vacuum forming?

A

Additional processing required to trim excess material

Moulds can’t have vertical sides

You can only have undercuts with special moulds

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20
Q

Describe plastic extrusion

A

Granules of plastic powder or granules are poured or fed into a hopper

A motor turns a thread which pushes the granules along a heater section

The heater softens the plastic which is then forced through a die

As the plastic leaves the die, it is cooked

The exercises product is then cut to the required length

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21
Q

What are the 4 materials used in plastic extrusion?

A

Plastics

Aluminium

Wood-plastic composites

Ceramics

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22
Q

What are the 2 advantages of plastic extrusion?

A

The best way to make long products with the same profile

Only requires simple dies

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23
Q

What are the 2 disadvantages of plastic extrusion?

A

Parts need to be cut to shape, assembled or drilled

Not suitable for one-off productions because it produces very long parts

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24
Describe calendaring
Pre-mixed thermoplastic is fed into rollers Rollers are heated to just just above thermoplastic softening temperature The plastic is forced through a gap roller to determine the thickness of the final product The final roller chills the material
25
What are the 2 materials used in this process?
Thermoplastics Cellulose acetate
26
What are the 4 advantages of calendaring?
Produces long continuous rolls without joins Excellent for producing large quantities of flat sheets Can be combined with printing or lamination Very good at handling heat sensitive polymers as it produces very little thermal degradation
27
What is the disadvantage of calendaring?
Suited to large scale production only
28
Describe compression moulding
Compressed plastic powder is placed between the 2 halves of the mould The mould is heated to a temperature that causes the long chain molecules of the plastic to link together The mould is held together for a period of time to allow all plastic to link
29
What are the 2 materials used in compression moulding?
Thermosetting plastics Ceramics
30
What are the 5 advantages of compression moulding?
Ideal for thermosetting plastics Long production runs Low set up and mould costs compared with injection moulding Little waste material Ideal for creating solid parts with thick walls
31
What is the disadvantage of compression moulding?
Limited complexity of shapes produced
32
Describe dip moulding
A mould is dipped into a bath of liquid / molten plastic The mould is removed from the plastic having been coated with a layer of the plastic The mould is cooled and the end product is removed from the mould
33
What are the 3 materials used in dip moulding?
PVC Polyurethanes Latex
34
What are the 4 advantages of dip moulding?
Highly cost effective for short production runs Prototypes and formers can be produced very quickly No split lines in the final product Suitable for large production runs
35
What is the disadvantage of dip moulding?
Limited to simple shapes
36
Describe blanking and piercing
When a sheet of metal has a hole punched through it, this is piercing When a part to be used is punched out of a sheet metal, it is a blank These processes require punches which use a shearing action
37
What is the material used in piercing and blanking?
Sheet metal (usually aluminium)
38
What are the 3 advantages of blanking and piercing?
Can produce many different shapes Can be used for any sheet metal High level of accuracy
39
What are the 3 disadvantages of blanking and piercing?
Limited to size of stock materials If the material is not fully utilised, there can be a lot of wastage Restricted to sheet material
40
Describe plasma cutting
Plasma cutting is a stream of ionised gas that becomes so hot it vapourises the metal being cut It can be done with hand-held, manual or CNC control
41
What is the material used in plasma cutting?
Any electrically conductive metallic metal (usually stainless steel or aluminium)
42
What are the 4 advantages of plasma cutting?
Economical process when creating small batches Provides smooth clean cuts Sheet material thinner than 8mm may distort Large range of materials
43
What are the 2 disadvantages of plasma cutting?
Uses a lot of energy High amount of waste
44
Describe laser cutting
A highly accurate form of cutting and decorating materials using a fine beam of light controlled by a CNC machine
45
What are the 4 materials used by laser cutters?
Card Soft woods Thermosetting plastics Some metals
46
What are the 5 advantages of laser cutters?
Can engrave or cut depending on the power output Highly complex shapes Suitable for batch production Very accurate More materials than plasma cutting
47
What are the 4 disadvantages of laser cutters?
Can leave burn marks Uses a lot of energy High amount of waste Not suitable for large scale production
48
Describe 3D printing
Additive layer manufacturing to make 3D objects from a digital model Material is heated, printed and then it cools quickly
49
What are the 2 materials used in 3D printing?
Thermoplastics Some metal alloys
50
What are the 2 advantages of 3D printing?
Any designed object no matter its complexity can be printed Great for prototyping until it is perfect
51
What are the 2 disadvantages of 3D printing?
Illegal objects can be printed Takes a very long time to print one batch
52
Describe press forming
Sheet metal materials are loaded into a hydraulic press and clamped into the blank holder The punch forces the material through the die to take the shape of the punch
53
What are the 4 materials used in press forming?
Steel Copper Brass Aluminium
54
What are the 3 advantages of press forming?
High stiffness of final products Can be carried out at room temperature Suitable for medium and high production
55
What are the 2 disadvantages of press forming?
High level of stresses needed to overcome resistance of metal being pressed High tooling costs
56
Describe sand casting
A pattern is made Each part of the pattern is placed on a base board A drag is placed over it Sand is packed around the pattern Mould halves are fitted together with locating pins Molten metal is poured into the running gate Once the metal solidifies, the mould is broken open
57
What type of materials are used in sand casting?
Low melting points Commonly aluminium, copper alloys, lead etc.
58
What are the 4 advantages of sand casting?
Low cost process Easy to operate Advanced sand casting can produce very detailed and intricate parts Flexible levels of production
59
What are the 3 disadvantages of sand casting?
Can be labour intensive Unit costs can be high when used for one-off production Parts may be require a lot of finishing
60
Describe high pressure die casting
Molten metal is poured into a chamber An injection piston or plunger forces the molten metal under high pressure into the casting cavity The pressure is maintained until the metal solidifies Injector pins are used to push the components out of the die
61
What are the 2 most common materials used in high pressure die casting?
Aluminium Zinc Usually low melting points
62
What are the 4 advantages of high pressure die casting?
Suitable for metals with low melting points Ideal for complex shapes High level of detail can be achieved Excellent surface finish
63
What are the 3 disadvantages of high pressure die casting?
Expensive so it is only suitable for high production Parts are not guaranteed to have high structural strength Excess material requires additional trimming
64
Describe sintering
Materials are crushed into a powder The powder is compacted into a die which will give the product being made its final shape The compacted shape is then heated so that the powder particles bond
65
What materials are used in sintering?
A variety of metals, plastics, glass and ceramics
66
What are the 4 advantages of sintering?
Good surface finish No wasted material Useful for processing materials that can't be processed in any other way Produce complex shapes
67
What are the 3 disadvantages of sintering?
There can be problems with shrinkage Allows use of otherwise waste materials Requires many different stages
68
Describe drop forging
Very large forces are exerted onto a pre-heated metal billet between the 2 die halves It is used as a refining process large numbers of similarly shapes objects are needed
69
What materials are used in drop forging?
Most ferrous materials Some non-ferrous materials like aluminium and titanium
70
What are the 2 advantages of drop forging?
Very strong products Can be forged cold to reduce energy usage
71
What are the 2 disadvantages of drop forging?
It can be very expensive Significant dangers working with hot metals
72
Describe wood laminating
Adhesive is applied to the face of each veneer Each veneer is stacked on top of each other Veneers are clamped into position in a die The adhesive dries and the shape is formed
73
What material is used in wood laminating?
Wood veneers (usually birch)
74
What are the 4 advantages of wood laminating?
Suitable for different production scales Range of thicknesses allowed Creates strong and lightweight products Can be combined with other materials to enhance properties
75
What are the 2 disadvantages of wood laminating?
Involves many steps Restricted to bends in a single direction
76
Describe steam bending
Wood is steamed and softened by hot steam to make it more moist to make it softer Once the wood is steamed it is more flexible
77
What materials are used in steam bending?
Hard woods
78
What are the 4 advantages of steam bending?
Has good aesthetic appeal The most effective technique for bending solid wood Can be done with simple equipment Parts with strong weight to strength ratio can be produced
79
What are the 3 disadvantages of steam bending?
Only high quality hard wood can be used Not suitable for applications that require precision The bend radius depends on the wood used
80
Describe die cutting
The sharp edges of the cutting die are brought down on to a thin sheet material The material can be cut, creased and perforated in one step
81
What 4 materials are used in die cutting?
Card PVC PET Polypropylene
82
What are the 4 advantages of die cutting?
Low set up cost Cost effective for batches Many shapes can be cut with single step Large batches produced very quickly
83
What is the disadvantage of die cutting?
3D products need to be assembled by hand
84
Describe brazing
The metal to be joined must be cleaned so that grease and dirt is removed Flux is brushed along the joint to prevent oxidation taking place on the metal surfaces Pressurised gas and air is fed through a nozzle and ignited The joint is heated with the flame until it eventually becomes so hot that it becomes red in colour A brazing rod (copper-zinc alloy) is pushed gently against the joint The rod will begin to melt and run along the joint This is done until the whole joint is brazed
85
What are the 2 materials that are processed with brazing?
Copper Steel
86
What are the 4 advantages of brazing?
Low cost Suitable for many production scales Complex and intricate joints can be achieved The bond is extremely strong
87
What are the 3 disadvantages of brazing?
Requires a high degree of cleanliness The joint colour is often different to colour of the material being joined Not as strong as a welded joint
88
Describe TIG welding
TIG generates heat via an arc of electricity jumping from a tungsten electrode to the metal surfaces to be welded The heat is sufficient to melt the joint edges The electrode is coated in flux which when melted prevents the joint from oxidising
89
What are the 4 materials that are processed by TIG welding?
Titanium Also: carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium
90
What are the 3 advantages of TIG welding?
Using electricity decreases sparks, smoke and fumes Less contamination in the weld than brazing providing better quality joints No tooling costs
91
What are the 3 disadvantages of TIG welding?
Requires a lot of set up and is hard for new users to learn More expensive and takes longer than some other types of welding Requires quite a lot of skill and practice

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