← Design and Manufacture syllabus

ScotlandDesign and Manufacture

Manufacture

7 dot points across 7 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are the parts of a commercial product joined, and how is assembly made faster and cheaper?

Assembly methods used in the commercial manufacture of products: methods used to join materials, the issues that influence assembly, and simplifying assembly by limiting handling and operations, standardising parts and operations, limiting the number of parts, and using jigs.
An SQA Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture answer on assembly methods in commercial manufacture, covering the methods used to join materials, the issues that influence assembly, and how assembly is simplified by limiting handling and operations, standardising and limiting parts, and using jigs.
13 min answer →

How are commercial products actually shaped in quantity, and which process suits which product?

Processes used in the commercial manufacture of products: the appropriate uses and features of moulding, casting, forging, forming and digital processes, and the issues that influence the selection of a process.
An SQA Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture answer on the processes used in commercial manufacture, covering the uses and features of injection, blow, compression, rotational and gas-assisted moulding, die casting, drop forging, press forming, thermoforming, 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC machining, and how a process is selected.
14 min answer →

How is a moulded part shaped so it can actually be made well, cheaply and without defects?

Designing for manufacture: mould and pattern design, wall thicknesses, split lines, injection and ejector points, draft angles, location pins, fillets and radius corners, undercuts, shrinkage and thinning, integrated assembly features, and the purpose of bosses, ribs and webs.
An SQA Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture answer on designing for manufacture, covering mould and pattern design, wall thickness, split lines, draft angles, fillets and radii, undercuts, shrinkage and thinning, integrated assembly features, and the purpose of bosses, ribs and webs in moulded parts.
14 min answer →

What impact does designing and making products have on society and the environment, and how can it be reduced?

The impact of design and manufacturing technologies on society, the environment and the workforce: methods to limit a product's environmental impact, the effects of traditional and new technologies, and the economic and environmental sustainability of products.
An SQA Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture answer on the impact of design and manufacturing technologies, covering the methods designers and manufacturers use to limit a product's environmental impact, the effects of traditional and new technologies on society and the workforce, and the economic and environmental sustainability of products.
14 min answer →

What materials are used to make commercial products, and how do their properties decide the choice?

Materials used in the commercial manufacture of products: the properties and uses of thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics, elastomers, bio-based plastics, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, timbers, boards and composites, and the issues that influence material selection.
An SQA Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture answer on the materials used in commercial manufacture, covering the properties and uses of thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics, elastomers, bio-based plastics, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, timbers, boards and composites, and the issues that influence selection.
14 min answer →

Who is involved in designing and making a commercial product, and how is its design protected?

The people who influence design and intellectual property rights: the roles and responsibilities of the design team, communication between members, in-house and sub-contracted teams, and the four intellectual property rights and their features.
An SQA Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture answer on the people who influence design and intellectual property, covering the roles and responsibilities of the design team, in-house and sub-contracted teams, communication, and the four intellectual property rights (copyright, design rights, patents, trademarks) and their features.
13 min answer →

How is the manufacture of a commercial product organised, scaled and kept consistent?

Production and planning systems: one-off, batch and mass production, commercial production methods (automation, CAD/CAM, CNC, standard components, standardisation, just-in-time, flexible manufacturing, sub-contracting, Gantt and flow charts) and quality assurance.
An SQA Advanced Higher Design and Manufacture answer on production and planning systems, covering one-off, batch and mass production, commercial methods such as automation, CAD/CAM, CNC, just-in-time and flexible manufacturing, planning with Gantt and flow charts, and quality assurance.
14 min answer →