AQA GCSE Design and Technology key terms

A rotating machine driven by a moving fluid, such as water, that can drive an electrical generator.

Shaping a rotating timber workpiece on a lathe by removing material with cutting tools.

The cost of producing one item.

The largest measurement or value permitted by a tolerance.

Training that develops a worker’s skills so they can carry out more advanced or different tasks.

A person who will use a product. The user and client are not necessarily the same.

An approach that places users’ needs at the centre of design decisions throughout the design process.

Something a user requires to carry out an activity successfully, safely or comfortably.

An additive used in a polymer to help it resist damage caused by ultraviolet radiation.

A coating for paper or board that is cured using ultraviolet light, often to create a glossy finish.

Shaping a heated thermoplastic sheet over a former by removing air beneath it so that atmospheric pressure presses it against the former.

A named storage location for a value that can change while a program runs, such as a count.

A clear or tinted coating that forms a protective film over timber while allowing its grain to remain visible.

A thin sheet of wood used as a surface covering or as a layer in plywood.

Promoting products or services through online channels such as websites, social media and email.

Selling products or services online through websites, apps or digital marketplaces.

The amount of three-dimensional space occupied by an object, measured in cubed units such as $\text{cm}^3$.

Soft padding placed between fabric layers, for example in a quilted textile.

A yarn held lengthways under tension on a loom during weaving.

A shaping process that removes material, for example sawing, drilling or milling.

A process that removes unwanted material from a workpiece to produce the required size or shape.

A fabric-making process that interlaces two sets of yarns, called warp and weft, at right angles.

In a moulded structure, reinforcement using supporting ribs or webs to stiffen thin sections and resist deformation.

A yarn inserted across the width of a loom, interlacing with the warp yarns.

Joining metal parts by melting and fusing their surfaces, with or without added filler metal.

The sequence and movement of work through the stages of a process.

A detailed technical drawing that provides the information needed to manufacture a product or component accurately.