Topic 3 Processes, Techniques and Specialist Tools

Question 1

Hardening

Answer 1

Heating steel to a high temperature then quenching to increase hardness.

Question 2

Tempering

Answer 2

Reheating hardened steel to reduce brittleness while retaining hardness.

Question 3

Case hardening

Answer 3

Adding carbon to the outer layer to create a hard surface with a tough core.

Question 4

Annealing

Answer 4

Heating then cooling slowly to soften metal and relieve internal stresses.

Question 5

Normalising

Answer 5

Heating then cooling in air to refine grain structure and improve toughness.

Question 6

Alloying

Answer 6

Adding elements to improve material properties such as strength or corrosion resistance.

Question 7

Offset lithography

Answer 7

Fast, inexpensive, high-quality printing for magazines, books, packaging.

Question 8

Flexography

Answer 8

High-speed rotary printing used for packaging, labels, plastics.

Question 9

Gravure

Answer 9

High-quality, high-volume printing using etched cylinders; expensive to set up.

Question 10

Screen printing

Answer 10

Versatile printing with bold colours; used on paper, textiles, plastics.

Question 11

Sand casting

Answer 11

Molten metal poured into a sand mould; cheap tooling but low accuracy.

Question 12

Die casting

Answer 12

Molten metal injected into a metal mould; high precision but expensive tooling.

Question 13

Investment casting

Answer 13

Wax pattern coated with ceramic shell for very detailed castings.

Question 14

Injection moulding

Answer 14

Molten plastic forced into a mould; used for complex high-volume products.

Question 15

Vacuum forming

Answer 15

Heated plastic sheet shaped over a mould by vacuum suction.

Question 16

Rotational moulding

Answer 16

Rotating mould forms hollow products such as tanks or kayaks.

Question 17

Blow moulding

Answer 17

Hot plastic tube expanded with air into a mould; used for bottles.

Question 18

Compression moulding

Answer 18

Thermoset heated and compressed in mould; used for electrical components.

Question 19

Turning

Answer 19

Shaping a rotating workpiece on a lathe.

Question 20

Milling

Answer 20

Cutting operations using rotating tools to produce slots, profiles or surfaces.

Question 21

Drilling

Answer 21

Creating cylindrical holes using a drill bit.

Question 22

Routing

Answer 22

Cutting and shaping timber or plastics using a high-speed rotary cutter.

Question 23

Stamping/Pressing

Answer 23

Shaping sheet metal using dies under pressure.

Question 24

Laser cutting

Answer 24

Precise computer-controlled cutting and engraving.

Question 25

PVA glue

Answer 25

Woodworking adhesive for porous materials.

Question 26

Epoxy resin

Answer 26

Very strong two-part adhesive for metals and composites.

Question 27

Acrylic cement

Answer 27

Solvent adhesive for acrylics that chemically welds surfaces together.

Question 28

Contact adhesive

Answer 28

Instant bonding adhesive for laminates, veneers, and flexible materials.

Question 29

Cyanoacrylate

Answer 29

Fast-setting 'super glue' for small bonding areas.

Question 30

Soft soldering

Answer 30

Low-temperature bonding for electronics and light metals.

Question 31

Hard soldering/Brazing

Answer 31

Higher temperature metal joining using a filler rod.

Question 32

MIG welding

Answer 32

Fast, strong welding with continuous wire feed.

Question 33

Oxy-acetylene welding

Answer 33

Flame-based welding method for steels; portable and versatile.

Question 34

Varnishing

Answer 34

Transparent protective wood finish.

Question 35

Painting

Answer 35

Colour and protective coating applied to many materials.

Question 36

Powder coating

Answer 36

Durable dry-powder electrostatic finish for metals.

Question 37

Electroplating

Answer 37

Depositing a metal coating using electric current.

Question 38

Anodising

Answer 38

Thickening aluminium oxide layer for corrosion resistance and colour.

Question 39

Galvanising

Answer 39

Coating steel with zinc for corrosion protection.

Question 40

Hot foil blocking

Answer 40

Decorative metallic foil applied to paper/card with heat and pressure.

Question 41

Embossing

Answer 41

Creating raised surface patterns on paper or card.

Question 42

Marking gauge

Answer 42

Marks parallel lines on wood.

Question 43

Mortise gauge

Answer 43

Marks parallel lines for mortise and tenon joints.

Question 44

Scriber

Answer 44

Marks metal by scratching the surface.

Question 45

Try square

Answer 45

Checks 90-degree angles in woodwork.

Question 46

Engineer’s square

Answer 46

Checks 90-degree angles in metalwork.

Question 47

Mitre square

Answer 47

Checks or marks 45-degree angles.

Question 48

Set square

Answer 48

Drawing tool for set angles (30°, 45°, 60°).

Question 49

Vernier callipers

Answer 49

Measures internal, external, and depth dimensions precisely.

Question 50

Micrometer

Answer 50

High-precision measurement of thickness or diameter.

Question 51

Go/no-go gauge

Answer 51

Checks whether a part's dimension is within a set tolerance.

Question 52

Densitometer

Answer 52

Measures ink density in print production.

Question 53

Dividers

Answer 53

Transfer distances and mark arcs or circles.

Question 54

Jigs

Answer 54

Guide tools to improve accuracy and repeatability.

Question 55

Fixtures

Answer 55

Hold work securely for machining or assembly.

Question 56

Isometric drawing

Answer 56

3D drawing with 30° angles; equal scale on all axes.

Question 57

2-point perspective

Answer 57

Realistic 3D drawing with two vanishing points.

Question 58

Third-angle orthographic

Answer 58

Technical drawing showing front, top, and side views.

Question 59

Nets/Developments

Answer 59

2D layouts that fold to form a 3D shape.

Question 60

Triangulation

Answer 60

Method for developing surfaces or plotting shapes.

Question 61

Working drawings

Answer 61

Detailed drawings used for accurate manufacture.

Question 62

Report writing

Answer 62

Formal communication of research, testing and evaluation.