Production Processes

Question 1

Brazing

Answer 1

Forms permenant joins by melting a rod at 880°C between 2 parts.
Uses steel and copper.
Used to make bicycles.

Question 2

Blanking

Answer 2

Punching a part of a material where the punched part will be used.
Used with sheet metals.

Question 3

Piercing

Answer 3

Cutting a hole in a material to be used.
Used with sheet metals.

Question 4

Blow Moulding

Answer 4

Thermoplastic granules are melted and forced into a mould. Air is then blown into the mould, forcing the liquid to the sides, giving a container shape.
Used to make bottles, cones, etc.
Uses thermoplastics e.g. HDPE, PVC, PET.

Question 5

Calendering

Answer 5

Material fed into heated rollers and forced through a gap of the specified thickness. Material cooled and collected on windup roll.
Used to make thermoplastic sheets for flooring, shower curtains.

Question 6

Dip Moudling

Answer 6

Shape dipped into molten plastic to coat it. Cooled and stripped from mould.
Uses soft materials to make simple shaped products e.g. balloons.

Question 7

Die Cutting

Answer 7

Cutting, perforating and creasing thin sheets of metals/boards all at once by using sharp/blunt edges of die.
Used to make nets or stickers.

Question 8

Drop Forging

Answer 8

Large forces dropped onto metal billet between 2 die halves to force ferrous metals into the desired shape.
Used to make vices, clamps, etc.

Question 9

Injection Moulding

Answer 9

Melts granules and forces them into a mould (expensive).
Used with thermoplastics to create complex 3D shapes.

Question 10

Laser Cutting

Answer 10

Highly accurate form of cutting and decorating material using a highly concentrated laser beam controlled by CNC.
Used with a large variety of materials to make a large variety of products e.g. signs and toys.

Question 11

Plasma Cutting

Answer 11

Extremely hot, ionised gas used to cut metals by vaporising where the gas touches.
Can be done by hand or by CNC.
Used in heavy construction (e.g. aircraft) with conductive metals.

Question 12

Steam Bending

Answer 12

Adding moisture to certain woods to give them more flexibility to be manipulated to the desired shape.
Used with hardwoods to make furniture.

Question 13

Sintering

Answer 13

Crushing materials into a powder, compacting into a die and heating it so the particles bond,
Used with materials that are difficult to process (e.g. glass).

Question 14

Vacuum Forming

Answer 14

Thermoplastic sheet stretched onto a bed and heated and mould placed underneath. Vac pump removes all air and sheet takes shape of mould.
Used for all scales of production.