Forces, Stresses and Lamination
The forces a product must resist, tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion, and how a designer strengthens a material against them, including lamination.
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Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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Forces on a product
Every product has to cope with forces without breaking or bending out of shape. A shelf is pushed down by books, a rope is pulled tight, a handle is twisted. A good designer works out which forces will act, then strengthens the material to resist them. This module looks at those forces and at how lamination makes timber stronger.
Force words
Learn these four terms before you study how to resist forces.
Tension vs compression
These two forces act in opposite directions on a material.
Match force to failure
A top answer matches each force to how a part could fail, then picks the right fix. It also explains why lamination is strong: many thin layers are glued together, often with their grains crossed, so the piece resists bending and can even be held in a curved shape.
Match the force
- tension
- compression
- bending
- torsion
- a tow rope being pulled
- a table leg holding weight
- a shelf sagging under books
- a screwdriver being twisted
Match the method
- reinforcing
- stiffening
- folding
- triangulation
- adds extra material to carry the load
- makes a floppy part more rigid
- a fold makes a flat sheet stronger
- a triangle brace stops a frame twisting
Name the twisting force
Which force is a twisting force?
- Torsion.
- Tension.
- Compression.
- Shear.
Make it stronger
Select the TWO ways to make a material stiffer or stronger.
- Fold or corrugate a flat sheet.
- Add ribs across the surface.
- Make it as thin as possible.
- Polish it to a smooth finish.
Laminate a curve
Put the steps of laminating a curved part in order, earliest first.
- Cut thin layers of timber called veneers
- Spread glue between the layers
- Press the layers around a curved former
- Leave the glue to set into a strong shape
Complete the facts
A tow rope being pulled is under _____. A table leg holding weight is under _____. Turning a screwdriver puts it under _____. Gluing thin veneers around a curved former is called _____. Adding ribs to stop a shelf sagging is a way of _____ it.
Thickness of a laminate
A laminated beam is made from 5 layers of veneer, each 4 millimetres thick. Multiply the number of layers by the thickness to find the total. How thick is the beam in millimetres?
Find the forces
Tap the TWO of these that are forces acting on a material.
- bending
- torsion
- glue
- paint
Which force acts?
Read each situation and choose the force acting on the part.
- A crane cable holds a heavy load hanging below it
- A stool leg is pressed straight down by someone sitting on it
- A pair of scissors slices cleanly through a sheet of card
Explain the forces
Explain three forces that can act on a product and describe how a designer can strengthen a material against them. Include lamination in your answer.
- Name three forces and give an example of each
- Explain what lamination is and why it is strong
- Describe one other way to strengthen a material