How does a designer choose the right material and work out what it will cost?
Selecting and costing materials: the factors that influence material choice (function, properties, aesthetics, cost, availability and sustainability), stock forms and stock sizes, and calculating material cost from stock forms and quantities.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE Design and Technology J310 on selecting and costing materials: the factors that influence choice, stock forms and sizes, and calculating material cost from stock forms and quantities.
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What this dot point is asking
OCR J310 expects you to select a suitable material by weighing several factors, to know the stock forms materials are sold in, and to calculate material cost from those stock forms and the quantity used. The costing calculation is one of the set maths skills for J310/01. In the written exam this appears as questions on the selection factors and as a worked costing problem.
Factors in selecting a material
These factors often conflict (the best-performing material may be the dearest), so selection is a judgement, not a single right answer.
Stock forms and stock sizes
Designing parts to fit the stock size (for example sizing panels to cut economically from a standard sheet) reduces waste and cost.
Costing materials
In practice you also allow for waste and remember you must buy whole stock items (you cannot buy 0.6 of a sheet), so the cost often rounds up.
Try this
Q1. State two factors other than cost that influence material selection. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of function, aesthetics, availability, sustainability, ease of working.
Q2. A sheet costs 24 pounds and makes 8 identical parts. Calculate the material cost per part. [2 marks]
- Cue. pounds per part.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J310/01 20192 marksState two factors, other than cost, that a designer should consider when selecting a material for a product.Show worked answer →
A 2-mark recall question, one mark per valid factor.
Any two of: function (does the material do the job, with the right strength, weight or flexibility?), aesthetics (colour, finish and appearance to suit the market), availability (can it be sourced in the form and quantity needed?), sustainability (recyclable, renewable, low impact), and ease of working or manufacture.
Markers reward two clearly different factors. Repeating one idea, or naming cost when the question excludes it, loses the mark.
OCR J310/01 20225 marksA maker buys plywood in sheets of 2400 mm by 1200 mm costing 36 pounds each. A shelf unit needs a total area of 1.44 m² of plywood, and the maker allows 20 percent extra for waste. Calculate the material cost for one shelf unit.Show worked answer →
A 5-mark calculation: marks for the sheet area, the area needed with waste, the number of sheets, and the cost, with working shown.
Sheet area: 2.4 m times 1.2 m equals 2.88 m² per sheet. Area needed with 20 percent waste: 1.44 times 1.2 equals 1.728 m². Sheets required: 1.728 divided by 2.88 equals 0.6 of a sheet, but you must buy whole sheets, so 1 sheet. Cost: 1 sheet at 36 pounds equals 36 pounds.
Markers reward the sheet area, applying the 20 percent waste, recognising you buy whole sheets (rounding up to 1), and the final cost with working. A strong answer notes that since well under one sheet is used, offcuts could make more units, lowering the cost per unit in batch production. Dropping the units or not rounding up to a whole sheet loses marks.
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