How Materials Are Used In Products
Overview
A wooden train for a two year old is made of beech. A flat pack wardrobe is made of faced chipboard. Both are timber based, both are furniture in the widest sense, and the materials are not interchangeable in either direction: a beech wardrobe would cost more than the room it stands in, and a chipboard toy would splinter in a fortnight. The difference is not that one material is better. It is that each product asks a different question of its material.
This lesson takes the eight commercial products the specification names, flyers and leaflets, card-based food packaging, traditional timber children's toys, flat pack furniture, cooking utensils, hand tools, polymer seating and electrical fittings, and works out what each one demands and how the material supplies it. Then it covers the modification of properties for specific purposes: additives to prevent moisture transfer, seasoning to reduce the moisture content of timbers, annealing to soften material and improve malleability, and stabilisers to resist ultraviolet degradation. Finally it covers how to shape and form materials using cutting, abrasion and addition, from creasing and perforating card to brazing and welding metal. This is specialist technical principles content, examined in Section B of Paper 1.
Objectives
- Properties of materials
- Students must know and understand how different properties of materials and components are used in commercial products. How properties influence use and affect performance. Students must know and understand the physical and mechanical properties relevant to commercial products in their chosen area as follows:
- Papers and boards (flyers/leaflets and card-based food packaging).
- Timber based materials (traditional timber children’s toys and flat pack furniture).
- Metal based materials (cooking utensils and hand tools).
- Polymers (polymer seating and electrical fittings).
- The modification of properties for specific purposes
- Additives to prevent moisture transfer (paper and boards).
- Seasoning to reduce moisture content of timbers (timber based materials).
- Annealing to soften material to improve malleability (metal based materials).
- Stabilisers to resist UV degradation (polymers).
- How to shape and form using cutting, abrasion and addition
- Papers and boards (how to cut, crease, score, fold and perforate card).
- Timber based materials (how to cut, drill, chisel, sand and plane).
- Metal based materials (how to cut, drill, turn, mill, cast, braze and weld).
- Polymers (how to cut, drill, cast, deform, print and weld).
Mind map
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on How Materials Are Used In Products. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Electrical fittings are usually made from a thermosetting polymer because it A. can be recycled easily. B. is tough and flexible. C. will not soften if the fitting becomes hot. D. is the cheapest polymer available. Answer: C
- Annealing a metal is carried out in order to A. harden it. B. soften it and improve its malleability. C. prevent it from conducting electricity. D. increase its density. Answer: B
- Which process presses a groove into board so that it folds cleanly without cracking the printed face? A. Creasing B. Perforating C. Scoring D. Die cutting Answer: A
- Stabilisers are added to a polymer used outdoors mainly to A. make it stiffer. B. reduce its density. C. slow its degradation by ultraviolet light. D. improve its electrical conductivity. Answer: C
- In brazing, which of the following melts? A. Only the filler B. Only the parent metals C. Both the filler and the parent metals D. Neither Answer: A
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