Large scale production processes
Batch production involves manufacturing a set number of products. Mass production involves a very large number of items, all of which need to be identical. At both of these scales, A person or company that makes something from raw materials or from an assembly of component parts. will invest in specialist machinery, A hollow container used to give shape to molten materials., A form used to ensure other parts are made to match the form. and A tool used to aid the repetition of a process and/or to hold a work in place. or A collection of shapes that are attached to the surface of the material to aid shaping it repeatedly and accurately. to ensure the parts are made efficiently with as much repeated accuracy as possible.
- A commercial printing method that uses four colours, cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). - a mass production printing method where images are imprinted on large metal rollers by metal plates, then transferred onto papers and boards, used for newspapers and magazines
- digital printing - adding digital images to media normally using laser or inkjet printers
- vinyl cutting - using a plotter to cut pieces of adhesive-backed vinyl that can be adhered to surfaces, used for signage for windows and vehicles
- die cutting - using cutting blades, or a ‘die’, to punch through sheet material, the A net of a solid shape is a flat shape which can be cut out and folded to make the solid shape. of a cardboard box could be made this way, then folded into a 3D shape
Image caption, Offset lithography
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- The use of computers to control cutting and shaping machines and a key computer aided manufacture (CAM) technique.A process of using a rotary cutter to shape and cut material. - an Turning a set of manual steps into an electronic operation that requires no human input. process using a cutting head, the tool path of which is controlled by computer code, to cut material that is fixed in place (the tool head moves)
- steam bending - applying steam to timber to makes it Flexible and easy to bend. so it can be bent around a A solid shape that is often used to make a mould. to create Curved and non-geometric shapes or forms found in nature. shapes
- A method of spinning a material so that a cylindrical shape or bowl can be produced. - rotating a piece of material on a A machine used to turn material so that it can be shaped to a cylindrical shape or bowl. at high speed while a cutting head is applied to remove the material to the required shape, can also be used for metals
- laser cutting - uses concentrated light energy, in the form of a laser beam, controlled by a computer and directed by mirrors and optics onto a material to melt, burn or The removal of material by exposure to intense heat. it, also used on metals and polymers
- computer numerical controlled (CNC) The process of using a machine with a rotary cutter to cut and shape material. - material is moved against a fixed computer controlled rotary cutter to shape it
- folding - using a ‘brake’ or A simple mechanism used to fold metal sheet by applying a bending force. to apply a bending force to a metal sheet and deform it along a straight line.
- pressing and stamping - forming a sheet material by applying large compressive forces to create bends, hollows and holes
- sandcasting - molten metal is forced into a mould under high pressure to create a part
- A process where thermosetting polymers are set or cured under heat and pressure. They may be placed in the mould as a powder or injected as a liquid. - moulding a A polymer is a large molecule formed from many identical smaller molecules (monomers). Polymers can be natural or synthetic. Plastics are long chains of polymers. by heating it then placing it in a mould and applying heat and pressure while it Toughen or harden.
- Molten material forced into a mould. - a common manufacturing method for producing plastic parts by injecting a liquid polymer into a mould where it cools and solidifies
- Warmed sheet plastic is sucked against a mould to give it shape. - a sheet of polymer is heated, sealed over a mould and the air is removed to force the material to take the form of the mould
- rotational moulding - a hollow mould is made, which is filled with a polymer A synthetic material used to make polymer plastics. and simultaneously heated and rotated so the heated polymer adheres to the mould and creates a hollow form
- A material is pushed through a die so that the cross section remains the same for the length of the material. - creating objects of a fixed An end view or area of a 3D form. by forcing a molten material through a die or hole
- blow moulding - using high-pressure air to inflate a pre-heated polymer tube held inside a mould of the required shape
- 3D printing - a Quickly making models, usually by additive manufacturing (building up a 3D model in layers). technique that uses computer controlled machinery to create three-dimensional models by adding materials together a layer at a time, the polymer polyactic acid (PLA) is commonly used
Image caption, Extrusion
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- band saw cutting - using a powerful saw with a long continuous blade to cut through large stacks of fabrics
- screen printing - transferring ink to a material by squeezing ink through a stencilled screen, with some areas blocked, used for items such as T-shirts
- industrial sewing machines and overlockers - electric, high-speed, semi-automated machines used to stich fabrics together
- automated pressing - using A device to detect changes in the environment. and timers to accurately apply heat to shape, flatten or remove creases from fabrics
- A machine used in industrial textile production to shape fabrics. - blasting steam through a fabric held over a form to shape, flatten or remove creases from fabrics
- lay planning - the use of The process of creating a 2D or 3D design using computer software. to organise the arrangement of patterns for cutting, considering the layout of patterns in order to reduce material wastage and working out how best to cut them
Screen printing
