HSC Industrial Technology key terms

A structured investigation of how an industry operates, covering structural, technical, environmental, sociological, personnel and industrial relations, and workplace safety issues relevant to that industry sector.

Aspects of an industry's organisation, such as its size, ownership, market segmentation, location, and how firms are grouped or networked within the sector.

The machinery, processes, systems and engineering knowledge an industry uses to convert materials into products, including automation and emerging technologies that change production methods.

The effects an industry's activities have on air, water, land and energy use, and the practices adopted to reduce harm such as waste minimisation, recycling and emissions control.

The social pressures and expectations affecting an industry, including consumer trends, demographic change, ethical expectations, and community attitudes towards products and working conditions.

The management of people at work, covering recruitment, training, workplace agreements, negotiation, dispute resolution and the legal framework governing employer and employee relationships.

Hazards and risks arising in a work environment, and the systems, legislation and practices used to protect workers from injury and illness.

Negotiation between an employer and employees or their representatives to set wages and conditions for a workplace, producing an agreement registered under industrial law.

A legally binding industrial instrument that sets minimum wages and conditions for workers in a particular occupation or industry, determined by a tribunal rather than direct negotiation.

A concise written statement of the problem to be solved, identifying the client, need, constraints, criteria for success and intended outcomes that guide a design project.

The specific measurable standards a design solution must meet to be judged successful, stated in the brief and used later for evaluation.

Limitations placed on a design solution, such as budget, time, available equipment, materials, safety rules, legislation or client requirements, which restrict possible options.

An organised sequence of stages used to develop a product, typically including identifying needs, researching, generating ideas, testing, producing and evaluating the outcome.

An early working model of a design built to test function, materials, ergonomics or production methods before committing to full-scale manufacture.

The systematic judgement of a finished design or process against its stated criteria, recording strengths, weaknesses and recommended improvements.

Planning and controlling the resources, tasks, time and budget of a project, often using tools such as schedules, timelines, action plans and progress reviews.

A horizontal bar chart that displays project tasks against a calendar, showing start and finish dates, duration and overlap so progress can be monitored visually.

The longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project plan, which determines the shortest possible completion time and identifies tasks that cannot be delayed.

The inspection and testing activities used to check that products meet specified standards, with faults identified and corrected before goods reach the customer.

A planned system of procedures and standards built into every stage of production so that quality is designed in rather than inspected in at the end.

The permissible variation in a dimension or specification, expressed as an upper and lower limit within which a manufactured part is still acceptable.

A device that holds work and guides a cutting tool to a set position, allowing repeated operations to be performed accurately and consistently on multiple workpieces.

A work-holding device that locates and secures a workpiece during machining or assembly without guiding the tool itself, improving accuracy and efficiency.

The measurable characteristics of a material, such as strength, hardness, ductility, conductivity, density and corrosion resistance, that determine its suitability for a use.

Controlled heating and cooling of a metal to alter its internal structure and therefore its hardness, toughness or machinability, for example annealing, hardening or tempering.

The process of choosing a material for a product by matching its properties, cost, availability, workability and environmental impact against the design requirements.

The equipment, machines and production methods used to transform raw materials into finished goods, including manual, mechanised, automated and computer-controlled systems.

The linked use of computer-aided design to create digital models and computer-aided manufacturing to generate machine instructions from those models for accurate automated production.

Computer numerical control machining in which a coded program directs machine tools along precise paths, giving repeatable accuracy and complex shapes with minimal operator handling.

Manufacture of large quantities of identical products using specialised equipment, standardised parts and division of labour to reduce unit cost.

A manufacturing approach where a set quantity of a product is made before the line is changed over to another product, balancing flexibility with some economies of scale.

The legal and practical framework requiring employers and workers to identify hazards, control risks and maintain a safe, healthy workplace.

A structured process of identifying hazards, judging the likelihood and severity of harm, and deciding on controls and priorities for action.

A ranked order of risk-reduction measures, from eliminating the hazard and substituting it, through engineering and administrative controls, down to personal protective equipment as the last resort.

Clothing and equipment worn by a worker, such as goggles, gloves, hearing protection or respirators, to reduce exposure to hazards that cannot otherwise be controlled.

A written document setting out the steps of a high-risk task, the hazards involved and the controls to be applied, prepared before work begins.

Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, applied in industry through resource efficiency, reduced waste and responsible sourcing.

A method of measuring the environmental impact of a product across all stages, from raw material extraction and manufacture through use to disposal or recycling.

The documented record of a major design project, showing evidence of research, planning, decision-making, production records, testing and evaluation throughout its development.

A substantial practical task in which a student designs, produces and evaluates a product, supported by a folio documenting the process and justifying design decisions.