Materials and Manufacturing

Choosing and making with materials

Every product is made from chosen materials, worked by chosen processes. A designer picks a material because its properties suit the job: strong enough, light enough, cheap enough, and right for how it will look and last. Then it is manufactured: cut, shaped, joined and finished, always safely and to a standard. This module covers the main groups of materials, how to match a material to a purpose, and the processes that turn raw material into a finished product.

Materials words to know

Learn these before you study any product. They name the main material groups and the idea of a property that decides a choice.

Match the material to its group

Thermoplastic against thermosetting

Plastics fall into two families that behave very differently when heated. Knowing which is which decides where each can be used.

Which material fits?

A designer needs a light metal that does not rust for an outdoor frame. Which material best fits?

• Aluminium
• Steel
• Oak
• Acrylic

Match the material to the job

Never choose a material by habit; choose it by matching its properties to the job. Ask what the product must do: bear a load, resist water, look attractive, stay cheap, or survive heat. Then pick the material whose properties meet those needs, and a process that suits that material. Name the property, name the need, and show they match: that is how a designer justifies a choice, and how you earn the marks.

Pick the ferrous facts

Select every statement that is true about ferrous metals.

• They contain iron
• They can rust
• A magnet is attracted to most of them
• They never contain iron
• They cannot rust at all

Order making a simple part

Put the stages of making a simple part from raw material in order.

• Select a material with the right properties
• Mark out the shape on the material
• Cut the material to size
• Shape and smooth it to the design
• Join it to the other parts
• Add a finish to protect and improve it

Complete the materials facts

A metal that contains iron and can rust is a _____ metal. A metal with no iron, such as aluminium, is a _____ metal. A plastic that softens when heated and can be reshaped is a _____. A quality of a material, such as strength, is a _____.

One chair, many choices

Think about the choices in a single wooden chair. The legs must bear weight, so a strong hardwood is chosen. The seat is shaped by cutting and sanding. The joints are made with strong glued joints, not just screws, so they do not work loose over time. A hard-wearing varnish is added as a finish, to protect the wood and improve how it looks. Even a screw is chosen for the job: a coated or non-ferrous screw where damp might otherwise cause rust. Every part shows the same pattern: choose the material for its properties, then a process to suit it. Reading a product this way is the heart of this unit.

Spot the good choices

Tap the TWO statements that describe a sensible materials choice.

• Using aluminium outdoors because it does not rust
• Using a thermosetting plastic where heat resistance matters
• Choosing a material only because it was nearest to hand
• Using a rusting metal for an outdoor part with no protection

Choose the material and process

For each job, choose the best material or process.

• You need a strong, attractive material for a set of table legs. What is a good choice?
• You must join two pieces of wood so the joint stays firm for years. What is best?
• You need a plastic part that must survive being heated. Which type of plastic?

Build a materials rule

Choose the word for each gap to complete one rule for choosing materials.

Quick-fire materials check

Answer each question. You have three lives, and losing them all restarts the run.

Explain choosing and making

A friend thinks any material will do for any product. Explain how a designer chooses materials and manufactures a product well.

• Explain the main groups of materials
• Explain the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals
• Explain the difference between thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics
• Explain how to match a material to a job
• Explain one stage of manufacturing a part