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aesthetic
aspects of a product concerned with beauty and visual attractiveness
ABS
acrylonytrol butadine styrene, a very strong thermo plastic
anthropometrics
the scientific study of human measurements
artefact
a product which has been made
assembly line
a carefully thought out method of dividing the production of an article
into efficient and simple stages
batch production
the making of between 2–2000 similar articles at one time
biome
a major regional or global biotic community, such as a grassland or desert,
characterized chiefly by the dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing
climate.
brainstorming
gathering together a group of people's wide-ranging ideas on a topic
budget
a plan for spending a fixed amount of money on a project
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CAD
computer-aided design
CAM
computer-aided manufacturing
chips (silicon)
millions of electronic components forming complete circuits made on a
piece of silicon - also known as integrated circuits (ICs for short)
client
a person or company who uses the services of a professional person such
as a designer
CNC
computer numeric control – a code used to drive computer-controlled
machines, lathes etc
concurrent engineering
the process where many individual specialists work on a design at the
same time in a computer-generated virtual environment
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control system
a system which uses electrical, electronic or mechanical components to
respond to an input
creative
produce many original ideas
criteria
statements by which something can be judged or evaluated
design brief
a clear description of the task which the designer has to tackle
die-cast
shaping molten metal by pouring it into a mould
dyson
James Dyson has his own design and manufacturing company, probably
best
known for his innovative vacuum cleaner
end user
the person who will finally use a product when it has been designed and
made
environmental considerations
factors concerning the place or area in which a product is made or used,
often concerning different types of pollution
ergonomics
the analysis and evaluation of how people interact with products, environments
or procedures
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evaluation
the assessment (strengths and weaknesses) of ideas, proposals or products
form
the three dimensional shape of a product
function
the task a product has to satisfy – how it works or fulfils its purpose
injection moulding
the method of forming plastics by injecting molten plastic (usually thermoplastics)
into a mould
innovative
the production of new ideas
iterative development
the development of ideas with constant reference to earlier thoughts
integrated circuit
millions of electronic components forming complete circuits on a piece
of silicon (also known as chips)
infrared technology
a means by which electronic components can be controlled using infrared
rays
market research
finding out about people's needs and wants, usually in relation to a product
or service
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mass production
the producing of thousands/millions of the same product
metal sintering
the use of heat and pressure to form a metal powder in a mould
mock-up
put together components/materials in a temporary and unfinished manner
to test and evaluate an idea or process
modifications
changes to an idea as a result of new thinking
monocoque
a single skin structure
neoprene lamination
layers of rubber with different properties bonded together
objective information
factual information
optimum
something which cannot be bettered
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patent
registering ideas to protect them from copying
performance
how well something achieves its task
polymer
carbon based materials commonly called plastics
polymorph
a new type of plastic which softens at 62oC and then can be
easily moulded like Plasticene – it hardens at 30oC
precision turning
a metal billet is turned to the correct size on a lathe using a computer
to control accuracy
product analysis
evaluating all the strengths and weaknesses of a product
production engineer
the person responsible for a product being manufactured
prototype
a model which looks and works like the finished article
quality assurance
a series of planned and systematic actions and procedures to ensure a
product meets the required quality standards
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quality control
techniques for checking quality against a set standard
rapid prototyping
using CAD files sent direct to CNC machinery to produce a quick prototype
recycling
the reusing of materials and components to save waste
robotics
the study of machines, now often computer controlled, which can carry
out repetitive manoeuvres – some robots are 'intelligent' and can
make decisions
research
finding out from a variety of sources what needs to be known
smart materials
materials whose properties react to changing conditions
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specification
a list of criteria which a product should satisfy
stereolithography
a method of building three-dimensional models from resin where a computer-controlled
laser cures the resin in cross sectional layers
subjective information
information based on people's opinions
sumo
this is just a fun name for the toy to give the impression of being strong
like a sumo wrestler
system
a number of devices, operations or component parts linked together
thermoplastic
a plastic which can be softened by heat
thermosetting plastic
a plastic which once formed does not soften with heat
tolerance
how much variation from a precise standard can be allowed
value judgement
a person's opinion based on feelings and emotion
vexed parka
trade name for a new jacket that uses 'smart' materials
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