Manufacturing Processes

Question 1

Define manufacturing process (simple).

Answer 1

Any method used to transform raw or semi‑finished materials into useful products—by changing shape, size, properties or appearance.

Question 2

Six core families of manufacturing processes (L1/L2).

Answer 2

Casting & moulding; Forming (bulk/sheet); Subtractive (wasting/machining); Joining; Finishing; Additive manufacturing (3D printing).

Question 3

Give four factors used to select a process for a part.

Answer 3

Material & thickness; required geometry & tolerances/finish; production volume & cost; available equipment/safety constraints.

Question 4

What is process capability (simple)?

Answer 4

The typical accuracy/finish and feature types a process can achieve economically (e.g., laser kerf, milling tolerances).

Question 5

Define casting (simple).

Answer 5

Pouring/molten material into a mould to solidify to shape (e.g., sand casting, die casting).

Question 6

Define polymer moulding (simple).

Answer 6

Shaping plastics by heating/pressing in a mould (e.g., injection moulding, compression moulding).

Question 7

Injection moulding—two advantages and a limitation.

Answer 7

Very high volumes with low unit cost and excellent detail; limitation: high tooling cost and long lead for moulds.

Question 8

Define forming (simple).

Answer 8

Changing shape by plastic deformation without removing material (e.g., rolling, extrusion, bending, deep drawing).

Question 9

Hot vs cold forming—one difference.

Answer 9

Hot forming lowers forces and allows large shape changes; cold forming improves finish/strength but needs higher force.

Question 10

Sheet processes used in school workshops (two).

Answer 10

Line bending of acrylic and press‑brake V‑bends of aluminium/steel sheet.

Question 11

What is subtractive manufacturing?

Answer 11

Removing material (chips/kerf) to produce shape—e.g., sawing, drilling, turning, milling, grinding, laser cutting.

Question 12

Centre lathe—three common operations.

Answer 12

Facing, turning (profiling), and parting‑off (plus drilling/boring and threading).

Question 13

Milling (intro)—two typical toolpaths.

Answer 13

Pocketing (remove inside) and contour/profile (shape outside).

Question 14

Define additive manufacturing (simple).

Answer 14

Layer‑by‑layer build from digital data (e.g., FDM/FFF, SLA/DLP, SLS, metal PBF).

Question 15

Two pros and one con of AM for prototypes.

Answer 15

Fast design‑to‑part and complex geometry without tooling; con: parts can be weaker along layer lines and slower per unit.

Question 16

List four joining methods used at L1/L2.

Answer 16

Mechanical fasteners (bolts/rivets), welding, brazing/soldering, and adhesive bonding/solvent welding for plastics.

Question 17

Fillet vs butt weld (simple).

Answer 17

Fillet joins parts at an angle (lap/T/corner); butt joins edges in the same plane.

Question 18

Give three finishing processes and their purpose.

Answer 18

Deburring (safety/fit), painting/powder coating (corrosion & appearance), anodising/polishing (surface properties/looks).

Question 19

What does ‘break edges E0.2–0.4’ mean?

Answer 19

Apply a small uniform edge‑break (≈0.2–0.4 mm) to remove sharpness without changing size much.

Question 20

Match process to volume: one‑off prototype, small batch (50–200), mass production.

Answer 20

One‑off: CNC/AM/manual forming; Small batch: CNC/laser + jigs/fixtures; Mass: dedicated tooling/presses/injection moulding/transfer lines.

Question 21

What is takt time on a line?

Answer 21

The customer‑paced time per unit used to balance workstations in flow/mass production.

Question 22

Which processes typically give the best dimensional accuracy at school level?

Answer 22

CNC turning/milling and reaming for holes; laser cutting for 2D profiles when kerf/offset is applied.

Question 23

Which processes give the smoothest finishes without post‑processing?

Answer 23

Grinding and polishing; SLA resin prints can also have smooth surfaces after post‑cure.

Question 24

Name a good process for each: aluminium profile, sheet steel bracket, acrylic panel.

Answer 24

Aluminium profile → extrusion; Sheet steel bracket → laser cut + press‑brake bend; Acrylic panel → laser cut + line bend.

Question 25

Typical school‑safe joining for aluminium sheet (two).

Answer 25

Blind rivets with backing washers and structural adhesive (after surface prep).

Question 26

Three cross‑process safety controls.

Answer 26

PPE (eyes/hands), guards/interlocks, and dust/fume extraction with good housekeeping.

Question 27

Hot‑work safety—two notes.

Answer 27

Clear combustibles and keep a suitable extinguisher/fire watch; follow hot‑work permit if required.

Question 28

Laser/router cutting (schools)—two controls.

Answer 28

Use extraction and never cut PVC; secure work and keep hands clear of toolpath/beam.

Question 29

First‑article check—what is it?

Answer 29

Make one part to verify dimensions/finish and adjust settings before running the full batch.

Question 30

Two simple inspection tools for class projects.

Answer 30

Vernier calipers/micrometers and go/no‑go gauges (e.g., for dowel holes).

Question 31

Two ways good process choice reduces TIMWOOD wastes.

Answer 31

Right‑sized equipment & jigs reduce Waiting and Motion; near‑net processes (forming/AM) cut Overprocessing and Inventory.

Question 32

Give one example of Poka‑yoke (error‑proofing) in a process.

Answer 32

A fixture that only allows a part to load in the correct orientation before drilling or bending.

Question 33

Laser cutting—one advantage and one limitation.

Answer 33

Advantage: fast, accurate 2D profiles with small kerf; Limitation: HAZ on metals and limited thickness compared to waterjet/plasma.

Question 34

Waterjet—one advantage and one limitation.

Answer 34

Advantage: cold cutting (no HAZ) for metals/composites; Limitation: slower and higher running cost than laser for thin sheet.

Question 35

CNC milling—one advantage and one limitation.

Answer 35

Advantage: tight tolerances & 3D geometry; Limitation: longer cycle times vs stamping/moulding at scale.

Question 36

What documents help run a process consistently?

Answer 36

Work instructions/SOPs, setup sheets, inspection plans, and torque/parameter charts near the machine.

Question 37

What should a simple route card/traveller include?

Answer 37

Part ID, operations sequence, machines/jigs, key settings, sign‑off boxes, and inspection points.

Question 38

Scenario: 30 identical acrylic key fobs for a class.

Answer 38

Laser cut with nested layout → deburr polish edges → solvent clean for clarity; label trays per class to avoid mix‑ups.

Question 39

Scenario: one‑off aluminium phone stand with logo.

Answer 39

CNC mill (or laser + fold) → deburr → bead‑blast → anodise or paint; use soft jaws or a vise stop for repeatability.

Question 40

Scenario: steel bracket requiring M6 bolts and accuracy on hole size.

Answer 40

Laser/punch Ø5.9 → ream to Ø6 H7; powder coat after masking threads/bores.

Question 41

Two ways to reduce waste across processes.

Answer 41

Nest parts on sheet/plate and reuse offcuts; choose near‑net processes (forming/AM/casting) to minimise machining.

Question 42

Two energy/eco considerations when choosing a process.

Answer 42

Lower‑temperature processes and shorter cycle times per unit; select recyclable materials and avoid hazardous fumes where possible.