New And Emerging Technologies
Overview
In 1961 a General Motors plant in New Jersey installed a machine called Unimate. It had one arm, it lifted hot die castings off a line, and it did the single job that had burned and deafened the people who did it before. Nobody at the time called it a change in the design of a workplace. Sixty years later a factory is laid out around its robots rather than around its people, the maintenance engineer earns more than the operator, and the building itself has different doors, different floors and different lighting because of what happened to that one arm.
This lesson is about that chain: a technology changes, so a process changes, so a workplace changes, so a job changes, so a product changes, and somewhere at the end of it a designer has to decide whether any of that is a good idea. You will learn what automation, computer aided design, computer aided manufacture, flexible manufacturing systems, just in time and lean manufacturing actually do; how enterprise raises money and sells without a shop; what finite and non-finite resources cost the planet; and how to judge planned obsolescence, design for maintenance, ethics and environmental impact without simply saying that new is good. This is core technical principles content, so it is examined in Section A of Paper 1, and it produced three of the ten multiple choice items on the specimen paper.
Objectives
- Industry
- The impact of new and emerging technologies on:
- the design and organisation of the workplace including automation and the use of robotics
- buildings and the place of work
- tools and equipment.
- Enterprise
- Enterprise based on the development of an effective business innovation:
- fund raising
- virtual marketing and retail
- co-operative working
- fair trade principles.
- Sustainability
- The impact of resource consumption on the planet:
- finite
- non-finite
- disposal of waste.
- People
- How technology push/market pull can affect consumer choice. Changing job roles due to the emergence of new ways of working driven by technological change.
- Culture and Society
- Trends in relation to new and emergent technologies. Respecting the views of different faiths and beliefs. How products are designed and made to avoid having a negative impact on others:
- design for disabled
- elderly people.
- Environment
- Positive and negative impacts new products could have on the environment:
- more efficient working
- pollution
- global warming.
- Production techniques and systems
- The current and possible future use of:
- automated processes
- computer aided design (CAD)
- computer aided manufacture (CAM)
- flexible manufacturing systems (FMS)
- just in time (JIT)
- lean manufacturing.
- How the critical evaluation of new and emerging technologies informs design decision making
- The importance of considering different perspectives in relationship to:
- planned obsolescence
- design for maintenance
- ethics
- environmental impact.
Mind map
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on New And Emerging Technologies. 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.
- Which one of the following best describes computer aided manufacture? A. Drawing a product to scale on a computer B. Using design data to control the machine that makes a part C. Storing a parts list in a spreadsheet D. Ordering materials from a supplier online Answer: B
- A company designs a product because a new adhesive has just become available. This is an example of A. market pull. B. lean manufacturing. C. planned obsolescence. D. technology push. Answer: D
- Which one of the following is a non-finite resource? A. Copper ore B. Crude oil C. Natural gas D. Timber from a managed forest Answer: D
- A machine used to produce 40 parts per hour and now produces 50 parts per hour. What is the percentage improvement? A. 10 per cent B. 20 per cent C. 25 per cent D. 80 per cent Answer: C
- Which one of the following is the main benefit of a flexible manufacturing system? A. It is the cheapest system to install B. It can change between different products quickly C. It removes the need for any electrical supply D. It guarantees that no stock is ever held Answer: B
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