OCR · Design and Technology · J310
GCSE Design and Technology: How do new and emerging technologies have an impact on production techniques and systems?
Manufacturing processes and techniques · OCR GCSE Design and Technology (J310), specification point 7.6. Cards are generated from the exam board's own specification for "How do new and emerging technologies have an impact on production techniques and systems?", and every card links back to the page it came from. Specification © OCR — used with attribution.
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Define economies of scale in manufacturing.
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The fall in cost per unit as output volume increases, because fixed costs (tooling, machinery, set-up) are spread over more products.
When unit cost falls as production volume rises, a manufacturer is benefiting from ?.
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economies of scale
What is a disruptive technology?
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An innovation that fundamentally changes how an industry operates, displacing established methods and products.
Name two disruptive technologies changing modern manufacturing.
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3D printing and robotics.
3D printing and robotics are examples of ? technologies in manufacturing.
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disruptive
3D printing is an example of which category of manufacturing process?
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Additive manufacturing — the object is built up layer by layer from a digital model.
Why does 3D printing make one-off or customised products economical?
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No moulds or dedicated tooling are needed; the design is changed digitally, so set-up cost per variant is very low.
Why do robots improve consistency in manufacturing?
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They repeat the same programmed movements precisely every time, removing human variability and fatigue.
What is a key social implication of introducing robotics into production?
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Loss or displacement of manual jobs, with workers needing to retrain for higher-skilled roles.
How does 3D printing weaken the traditional advantage of economies of scale?
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It makes small-batch production cost-effective, so high volumes are no longer needed to bring unit cost down.
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