VCE Product Design And Technologies flashcards
VCE Product Design And Technologies · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Design brief
- A written statement of the problem to be solved, naming the target user, constraints, budget, timeline, and criteria the finished product must satisfy.
- Product design specification
- A measurable list of requirements derived from the brief, each with a value and unit, so the final product can be objectively tested for compliance.
- SCAMPER
- An ideation checklist prompting designers to Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse aspects of an existing product to generate new concepts.
- Formative evaluation
- Testing and review carried out during development so findings can still change the design, as opposed to summative evaluation after the product is finished.
- Thermoplastic
- A polymer that softens when heated and hardens on cooling, and can be remelted and reshaped repeatedly, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and acrylic.
- Thermosetting polymer
- A polymer that cures chemically into a rigid cross-linked network and cannot be remelted, such as epoxy resin, melamine, and phenolic.
- Toughness
- A material property describing the energy a material absorbs before fracturing, combining strength with the ability to deform plastically under impact.
- Composite material
- A material made from a matrix binding a reinforcement, such as glass fibre in polyester resin, giving high strength-to-weight ratio with directional properties.
- Subtractive process
- A manufacturing method that removes material from a larger stock to create the shape, for example sawing, milling, turning, and drilling.
- Jig versus fixture
- A jig guides the cutting tool and holds the workpiece; a fixture only holds and locates the workpiece, so the tool must be guided separately.
- Tolerance
- The permitted variation from a nominal dimension, set so parts still assemble and function while remaining economical to manufacture.
- Just-in-time production
- A production system where materials arrive as needed rather than being stockpiled, reducing inventory cost but increasing vulnerability to supply delays.
- Interference fit
- An assembly where the shaft is slightly larger than the hole, requiring force or thermal contraction to assemble and creating a permanent friction joint.
- Anthropometric data
- Measurements of human body dimensions and reach, used to size products so they fit a chosen percentile range of the intended user population.
- Planned obsolescence
- A design strategy that deliberately limits product lifespan or repairability to encourage replacement purchases, and is ethically contested and increasingly regulated.
- Design trade-off
- A compromise where improving one design factor, such as cost, reduces performance in another, such as durability or aesthetics.
- Parametric CAD
- A modelling approach where geometry is driven by dimensions and constraints, so changing a parameter automatically updates the entire model and associated drawings.
- G-code
- The machine instruction language that tells CNC machines and 3D printers where to move, how fast, and how much material to deposit or remove.
- Laser kerf
- The width of material removed by the laser beam along a cut path, which must be offset in the drawing so finished parts meet intended dimensions.
- Fused deposition modelling
- A 3D printing process that extrudes molten thermoplastic filament layer by layer to build a part, producing anisotropic strength weaker across layers.
- Finite element analysis
- A digital simulation method that divides a model into small elements to predict stress, deflection, or thermal behaviour before physical prototyping.
- Life cycle assessment
- A structured method quantifying environmental impacts such as energy use, carbon emissions, and water across all stages of a product's life.
- Cradle-to-cradle design
- A circular design approach where materials are treated as nutrients that can be fully recovered and reused indefinitely, eliminating waste.
- Design for disassembly
- Designing products with reversible fasteners, accessible components, and material labels so parts can be separated for repair, reuse, or recycling.
- Embodied energy
- The total energy consumed in extracting, processing, and manufacturing a material, considered when comparing materials for environmental impact.
- Extended producer responsibility
- A policy approach making manufacturers responsible for taking back and managing their products at end of life, influencing material and fastener choices.
- Usability testing
- Observing representative users completing tasks with a prototype to measure effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and error rate against defined criteria.
- Market pull versus technology push
- Market pull is product development driven by identified user demand; technology push is driven by a new technology seeking an application.
- Market segmentation
- Dividing a broad market into groups sharing needs, age, income, or use context, so the product and its specification target a defined user group.
- Hierarchy of control
- The ranked order of risk controls: eliminate the hazard, substitute, engineer controls, apply administrative controls, and use personal protective equipment last.
- Critical path
- The longest chain of dependent tasks in a project schedule, determining the shortest possible completion time; any delay on it delays the project.
- Work breakdown structure
- A hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller deliverable tasks, used to assign responsibility, estimate duration, and build a Gantt chart.