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WalesDesign and Technology

Unit 1 Technical Principles

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

How are materials classified, and how do you justify the right one for a product?

Classification of papers and boards, timbers, metals, polymers and textiles into families, and the criteria used to select a material for a given product and context.
A focused answer to WJEC A-Level Design and Technology Unit 1 classification and selection of materials, covering the main material families (papers and boards, timbers, metals, polymers and textiles), how each splits into sub-groups, and the criteria used to justify a material choice for a product.
12 min answer →

How is a material shaped into a product, and which process suits which job?

The main categories of manufacturing process - wasting, shaping by casting and moulding, deforming and reforming, fabrication and joining - and how the chosen process depends on material, form and scale.
A focused answer to WJEC A-Level Design and Technology Unit 1 manufacturing processes, covering wasting, casting and moulding, deforming and reforming, fabrication and joining, with named processes such as injection moulding, vacuum forming, casting, turning and laminating, and how process choice depends on material and scale of production.
13 min answer →

Where do materials come from, and in what standard forms are they supplied?

The sources, origins and primary processing of materials (timber seasoning and conversion, metal extraction, polymerisation of crude oil, fibre sources) and the standard stock forms in which they are bought.
A focused answer to WJEC A-Level Design and Technology Unit 1 sources and origins of materials, covering where timbers, metals, polymers and fibres come from, the primary processing each undergoes (seasoning, smelting, polymerisation), and the standard stock forms in which materials are supplied.
11 min answer →

Why and how are surfaces treated and finished after a product is made?

The reasons for applying surface treatments and finishes (protection, durability, aesthetics, hygiene) and named finishes for timber, metal and polymer such as varnish, paint, galvanising, anodising, powder coating and self-finishing.
A focused answer to WJEC A-Level Design and Technology Unit 1 surface treatments and finishes, covering why finishes are applied (protection, durability, aesthetics, hygiene) and named finishes for timber (varnish, stain, oil), metal (galvanising, anodising, powder coating, electroplating) and polymers (self-finishing).
11 min answer →

How can products be designed and made to reduce their environmental impact?

The 6 Rs (rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle) and the ecological and social footprint of products, including finite and non-finite resources and responsible material sourcing.
A focused answer to WJEC A-Level Design and Technology Unit 1 sustainability, covering the 6 Rs (rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle), finite and non-finite resources, the ecological and social footprint of products, and responsible sourcing such as FSC timber.
12 min answer →

What physical and mechanical properties decide how a material performs and is worked?

Physical and mechanical working properties of materials - strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability, elasticity, plasticity, density, durability, electrical and thermal conductivity - and how they govern selection and processing.
A focused answer to WJEC A-Level Design and Technology Unit 1 working properties of materials, covering the physical properties (density, conductivity, durability) and mechanical properties (strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability, elasticity, plasticity) and how each affects material selection and processing.
12 min answer →