HSC Industrial Technology cheat sheet

Structural issues: assess the building/site layout, load-bearing capacity, floor space, access and egress routes, and services (power, water, compressed air, drainage) before selecting plant or changing a layout.

Technical issues: match the level of technology (manual, CNC, CAD/CAM, automation) to production volume, batch size, tolerance requirements and available operator skill; high technology is not automatically the lowest cost per unit.

Environmental issues: identify inputs (energy, water, raw material) and outputs (waste, emissions, noise, effluent) at each process step; environmental management systems follow a plan-do-check-act cycle of continual improvement.

Sociological issues: consider demographic and cultural change (ageing workforce, multicultural teams, changing consumer expectations), community concerns about noise, traffic and emissions, and equity of access to employment.

Personnel and industrial relations: the employment contract, award or enterprise agreement sets wages, hours and conditions; disputes move through negotiation, conciliation and arbitration; unfair dismissal and adverse action are regulated.

Workplace safety hierarchy of control, highest to lowest: eliminate the risk, substitute, isolate/engineer controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment; PPE is the last line of defence.

Risk assessment formula: risk = likelihood x consequence; apply the hierarchy of control to each hazard and record residual risk after controls.

A structured industry study reports on a real enterprise using a SWOT analysis and a process flow chart, linking observed practice to the six issue categories above.

Design process: identify the need or problem, research, write a design brief and specifications, generate and evaluate alternatives, develop and test a prototype, produce, then evaluate against the brief.

Design brief states the problem, intended user, purpose and constraints; specifications convert that into measurable criteria (dimensions, tolerances, budget, time, safety, sustainability) used later for evaluation.

Project management tools: Gantt charts show task duration and sequence; critical path analysis identifies the longest dependent chain and therefore the minimum project duration; float is spare time on non-critical tasks.

Communication model: sender, message, encoding, channel, receiver, decoding, feedback, and noise (physical, semantic, psychological) that distorts the message.

Communication techniques: written (briefs, reports, memos, technical drawings), graphical (sketches, orthogonal and pictorial drawings, CAD models, flow charts) and oral (presentations, meetings, negotiation); choose the channel to suit the audience and purpose.

Folio evidence: design folio documents the process chronologically with dated evidence, annotated sketches, test data, decision justifications and records of communication with the client.

Evaluation must reference the original specifications, not the final product's own features; state criteria, method of testing, results and recommended improvements.

Management functions: planning, organising, leading and controlling; quality management uses PDCA, and stakeholder communication plans define who, what, when and how.

Material properties to match to purpose: strength (tensile, compressive, shear, bending), hardness, toughness, elasticity, ductility, malleability, thermal and electrical conductivity, density and corrosion resistance.

Material classes and typical behaviour: metals (ferrous and non-ferrous, heat-treatable), polymers (thermoplastics reshape on heating, thermosets do not), timbers (hardwood/softwood, natural and manufactured boards), ceramics and composites.

Process selection decision rule: match process to material, required tolerance, surface finish, quantity and cost; joining options include fasteners, adhesives, welding, brazing and interlocking joints.

Measuring tools: steel rule (approx. 0.5 mm), vernier caliper (0.02 mm), micrometer (0.01 mm), dial indicator and go/no-go gauges; record tolerances and measurement uncertainty.

WHS for tools and equipment: guard checks, pre-start inspection, correct speed and feed, dust and fume extraction, lock-out/tag-out before maintenance, and safe material handling.

Quality control: inspection and testing against specifications; quality assurance builds quality into the process; statistical process control uses control charts with upper and lower control limits to detect variation.

Cost of production = fixed costs + variable costs; break-even quantity = fixed costs / (unit price - variable cost per unit).

Maintenance types: preventive (scheduled), predictive (condition monitoring) and corrective (after failure); record tool and machine maintenance in a register.

Manufacturing systems: jobbing (one-off, high skill), batch (grouped quantities), mass (high volume, dedicated lines) and continuous (uninterrupted flow); the system chosen drives layout, plant and labour.

Lean principles: identify value, map the value stream, create flow, establish pull and pursue perfection; the seven wastes are overproduction, waiting, transport, over-processing, inventory, motion and defects.

Automation and control: CAD produces design data, CAM converts it to machine instructions, CNC executes them; sensors, PLCs and closed-loop feedback maintain set points in automated processes.

Additive manufacturing builds parts layer by layer from a digital model; advantages include internal geometry and low-volume customisation, constraints include build size, speed and anisotropic strength.

Production layout types: process/functional layout suits jobbing and batch variety; product/line layout suits high volume with low variety; group/cellular layout balances both.

Capacity and scheduling: calculate capacity from available machine hours; scheduling methods include forward and backward scheduling, and bottleneck (theory of constraints) governs throughput.

Technology adoption criteria: capital cost, payback period, operator training, maintenance support, occupational health and safety implications, and compatibility with existing processes.

Documentation for manufacturing technology includes work instructions, standard operating procedures, machine setup sheets, and records of calibration and verification.

Document types and purposes: design brief (defines problem), specification (measurable requirements), quotation (price and terms), purchase order (authorisation to supply), delivery docket (receipt of goods), invoice (claim for payment).

Technical drawing conventions: third-angle projection is standard in Australia; views are front, top and side; include scale, units, title block, dimensions, tolerances and section views where needed.

Report structure: title, aim, introduction, method, results, discussion, conclusion, recommendations and references; keep objective data separate from interpretation.

Minutes record date, attendees, apologies, agenda items, decisions, action items with responsible person and due date; they are the formal record of decisions.

Written communication rules: plain language, active voice, one idea per paragraph, define abbreviations at first use, and state units and tolerances explicitly.

Digital communication and recordkeeping: version control, file naming conventions, backups, privacy obligations and retention requirements apply to client and project records.

Meeting and negotiation techniques: set an agenda, confirm understanding by paraphrasing, separate the people from the problem, and confirm outcomes in writing after the meeting.

Conflict resolution sequence: identify the issue, hear all parties, agree on facts, generate options, agree an action and document it; escalate only when unresolved.

WHS duties under harmonised Australian work health and safety law: the person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable; workers must take reasonable care and follow instructions; officers exercise due diligence.

Risk management cycle: identify hazards, assess risk (likelihood x consequence), control risks using the hierarchy of control, review and monitor controls, and record the process in a risk register.

Consultation and participation: work health and safety consultation with workers, election of health and safety representatives, and formation of a health and safety committee where required.

Hazard categories in workshops: mechanical (rotating parts, nip points), electrical, chemical (SDS requirements, storage, ventilation), dust and fumes, noise, manual handling, and ergonomic/human factors.

Incident response: provide first aid, secure the area, notify the regulator for notifiable incidents (death, serious injury or illness, dangerous incident), preserve the site, then investigate to find root cause.

Environmental sustainability: reduce, reuse, recycle hierarchy; resource efficiency (energy, water, material yield); waste segregation; and compliance with environmental protection legislation and trade waste rules.

Sustainability assessment tools: life cycle analysis from raw material to disposal, carbon footprint (energy x emission factor), and water and waste audits to identify improvement targets.

Emergency planning: evacuation diagrams, assembly points, tested alarm systems, firefighting equipment matched to fire class, and documented emergency drills.

Folio structure follows the design process in order: needs identification, design brief, specifications, research, idea generation, development, testing, production planning, production records, evaluation and appendix.

Specifications must be measurable and testable (for example, load capacity in kilograms, finish rating, maximum cost in dollars, deadline date) so that evaluation can be evidence-based.

Evidence requirements: dated entries, annotated sketches, photographs of progressive stages, test data in tables, client or expert feedback, and justification for each design decision.

Project management evidence: Gantt chart with tasks, durations and dependencies; budget table of estimated versus actual costs; risk register; and record of time and material use.

Testing and trialling: define the test, the criterion, the method, the sample or number of trials, and record results; compare results against specifications in the evaluation.

Evaluation has two parts: evaluation of the product against the specifications, and evaluation of the process (what worked, what did not, what would be changed), supported by evidence.

Practical work safety and quality: follow safe work method, use personal protective equipment, maintain tools, check joints and finishes, and document quality checks at each stage.

Final folio checks: consistent numbering and cross-referencing, table of contents, labelled photographs, appendices for raw data, and a clear statement of the final outcome.

Legal and ethical obligations in the workshop include duty of care, accurate recordkeeping, confidentiality of client information, and honest advertising of product capability.

Employment arrangements: full-time, part-time, casual and contract; entitlements such as leave and notice derive from the National Employment Standards and the applicable award or agreement.

Team structures: functional, project and matrix; a matrix structure shares authority between functional manager and project manager, which requires clear communication of priorities.

Performance and training: induction, competency-based training, supervision of apprentices, and records of licences and tickets (for example, forklift or welding certification).

Continuous improvement tools: brainstorming, Pareto analysis (80/20 prioritisation of causes), fishbone (Ishikawa) cause-and-effect diagrams, and 5 Whys root cause analysis.

Supply chain and logistics: supplier selection on quality, price, lead time and reliability; just-in-time reduces inventory but increases vulnerability to supply disruption.

Customer and quality standards: fitness for purpose, conformance to specification, and warranty obligations; defects should be traced to process causes and corrected at source.

Business recordkeeping: quotes, invoices, timesheets, material safety data sheets, maintenance logs and training records must be retained and retrievable.