← Design and Manufacture syllabus

ScotlandDesign and Manufacture

Materials and Manufacture

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are products made commercially, and how does the scale of production affect the methods used?

Commercial manufacture: the scales of production (one-off/job, batch and mass/continuous production), their effects on cost and quantity, and the use of jigs, templates, moulds, computer-aided manufacture (CAM) and automation to ensure consistency and speed in industry.
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Design and Manufacture content on commercial manufacture, covering one-off, batch and mass production, how scale affects cost and quantity, and the use of jigs, templates, moulds, CAM and automation for consistency in industry.
12 min answer →

What processes, tools and equipment are used to shape, form, join and finish materials when making a product?

Manufacturing processes and the tools and equipment used: marking out and measuring, wasting/cutting, shaping, forming (e.g. line bending, vacuum forming), fabrication and joining (adhesives, mechanical fixings, knock-down fittings, welding), and surface finishing and its purpose.
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Design and Manufacture content on manufacturing processes, covering marking out, cutting and wasting, shaping and forming such as vacuum forming and line bending, fabrication and joining methods, and surface finishing and why products are finished.
12 min answer →

What categories of material are used in products, and what physical and mechanical properties decide which is suitable?

The main categories of material (timbers, metals, polymers/plastics) and the physical and mechanical properties that decide suitability: strength, hardness, toughness, durability, elasticity, plasticity, malleability, ductility, density, conductivity and corrosion resistance.
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Design and Manufacture content on materials and properties, covering the categories of material (timbers, metals, plastics) and the physical and mechanical properties - strength, hardness, toughness, malleability, ductility and more - that decide which material suits a product.
12 min answer →

What is the National 5 Design and Manufacture practical assignment, and how is the prototype planned, made and assessed?

Overview of the assignment - practical: the coursework in which a candidate plans for manufacture and makes a prototype of their design, applying material and process knowledge and the design/make/test approach, worth 45 of the 180 course marks and teacher-assessed under SQA verification.
An overview of the SQA National 5 Design and Manufacture assignment - practical: planning for manufacture and making a prototype, the material and process skills it assesses, and how it is teacher-assessed under SQA verification within the 180-mark course.
10 min answer →

What is the life cycle of a product, and how can designers reduce its environmental impact using the 6 Rs?

Sustainability and the product life cycle: the stages of a product's life (raw materials, manufacture, distribution, use, disposal/re-use), the environmental impact at each stage, and reducing impact through the 6 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse, rethink, repair).
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Design and Manufacture content on sustainability, covering the stages of a product's life cycle from raw materials to disposal, the environmental impact at each stage, and reducing impact through the 6 Rs.
12 min answer →

What are the common timbers, metals and plastics used in products, and what are they used for?

Named materials and their uses: natural timbers (hardwoods and softwoods) and manufactured boards (MDF, plywood, chipboard), ferrous and non-ferrous metals (mild steel, aluminium, copper, brass), and thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics (acrylic, polypropylene, ABS, polythene, urea formaldehyde).
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Design and Manufacture content on named materials, covering natural timbers and manufactured boards, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics, with typical product uses for each.
12 min answer →