1.11 Design for Manufacture

By the end of this unit you should have developed a knowledge and understanding of:

• how the choice of materials affects the use, care and disposal of products

• the application of the six R’s of sustainability

• the need to modify designs to make them more efficient to manufacture

• maintenance of products and the use of standardised parts allowing for service and repair

• different ways in which the product can be designed for more efficient manufacture

• how a product can be designed and manufactured with disassembly in mind

Summary

• Using appropriate materials has a significant impact on the use, care and disposal of products.

• The six R’s of sustainability provide guidelines for environmentally friendly design and manufacture.

• Designs can be modified in a variety of ways to make them more efficient to manufacture

• Designers and manufacturers need to carefully consider how their products will me maintained and repaired

• Some products have parts that can be upcycled for use in higher value items when they are no longer required.

• Designers need to consider how their products will be disassembled at the end of their useful life, so that materials and parts can be reused, repurposed or recycled.

Revision Notes

You should be familiar with the six R’s and how they can be applied to products and services.

For each of them, have an example you could refer to in the examination.

Find examples of designs that have considered maintenance or repair.

Ensure you know the difference between recycling and upcycling.

Can you name and describe a product where disassembly has been considered in its design?

These factors will be revisited in a later unit that looks at the environmental aspects of design and manufacture so ensure you are familiar with all of this unit before proceeding.

Consider how these could be incorporated into your NEA work. Does your prototype design consider waste, six R’s and what would happen at the end of its life?