Unit 1

Unit Aim and Purpose

The purpose of this unit is for learners to analyse engineered products in order to propose design solutions to meet requirements.

Introduction

What makes an MP3 player work? How can you make a games controller for young children? Can you make a basketball post that fits into a backpack? How does a ‘wind-up’ radio work? Could you power a television the same way?

Manufacturers, sales teams, technical teams will often ask engineers to find answers to these types of questions. Design consultancies or research and development teams will aim to design products that work, but these products also have to meet different needs. This could be to make the product portable or smaller or cheaper. Whether making something new or adapting an existing product, engineers follow a design process.

In this unit, you will learn about that design process. You will learn how to analyse a product so you can see what features make it work and how it meets certain requirements. You will learn how to take ideas from different products in order to produce a design specification for a product.

Lesson focus

We will be investigating small products, eg. 13A plugs, battery chargers, electric drills. We're looking specifically at how parts are fixed together, how other parts interact (attached) together, what materials are used and why, what processes are used to make the pieces and why. We will be assessing you on Bike Lights.

Links to key points from the syllabus;

Learning Outcomes

Grading Criteria