Effects Of Technological Developments

Question 1

Manufacturing impact on society

Answer 1

• 1765 steam engine built, marked the start of the Industrial Revolution.
• many new types of workers needed, including professional designers.
• increased populations, more products needed quickly.
• time consuming one off products replaced with mass produced products.
• products previously only obtainable by the rich now available to working people.
• modern mass consumer society
• throwaway culture formed
• mass consumerism developed in 1930’s
• as living standards increased, so did demand.
• advertising , design and market research became important.
• teenagers after WW2

Question 2

Marketing strategies used on children

Answer 2

• kids are growing older younger
• gotta catch ‘em all’, releasing more to make people want to buy new/full sets.
• culture of cool

Question 3

Built-in obsolescence

Answer 3

• designed to fail or not update
• stimulates consumer demand
• sustainable companies update products for as long as possible

Question 4

Mass productions effect on employment

Answer 4

• high skill crafts people replaced by mechanised factories and lower skilled less paid workers.
• has lead to poverty and loss of jobs
• jobs split into high skilled technicians and low skilled manual roles
• low skilled jobs repetitive and poor job satisfaction

Question 5

Technical obsolescence

Answer 5

Companies made to release improvements to stay ahead of competition

Question 6

Postponed obsolescence

Answer 6

Launch new product even though they have the technology to release a better product

Question 7

Physical obsolescence

Answer 7

Design of product determines its life span

Question 8

Style obsolescence

Answer 8

Current styles age faster than needed

Question 9

Computer integrated manufacturing

Answer 9

• CIM or autofacturing
• a programable manufacturing method designed to link CAD, CAM, industrial robotics, and machine manufacturing using unattended processing workstations.
• offers uninterrupted operation from raw materials to finished product, with the added benefits of quality assurance and automated assembly.

Question 10

CIM effects

Answer 10

• reduces development and manufacturing times
• uses right amount of copies/products to satisfy clients needs.
• designs can be collaborated, digitally shown to clients, then printing plates made quickly.

Question 11

XML

Answer 11

Extensible markup language
- offers the ability to provide improved compatibility for files generated in different software packages.

Question 12

Integrated realisation

Answer 12

• design tools like Fine Element Analysis (FEA) or Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) used in the early stages of design.
• calculates the impact of decisions being made at the design stage.
• better than waiting until the end to carry out simulations.
• quicker, problems can be seen earlier

Question 13

VR

Answer 13

• provides an environment where more realism can be experienced.
• gloves with sensory feedback and 3D headsets
• designers can shape virtual material with there hands

Question 14

Technology has improved due to

Answer 14

• micro processors that allow more circuitry to be included in each chip
• increased functionality
• increased power
• better battery technology

Question 15

Advanced integrated circuits

Answer 15

Allows more circuitry to be included on each microchip, increasing functionality and power

Question 16

Advanced battery technology

Answer 16

Include lithium ion rechargeable batteries, providing a lightweight means of storing a lot of energy. Leads to smaller and thinner fuel cells.

Question 17

Advanced liquid crystal displays

Answer 17

Enables colour screens to be brighter, thinner and require a much smaller current. Greater energy efficiency in smaller housing.

Question 18

Miniaturisation

Answer 18

• wide spread use has lead to advances in manufacturing which has reduced unit costs
• advances have lead to products being multifunctional