AQA GCSE Design and Technology key terms

A device that locates a component or guides an operation so that a task can be repeated accurately.

The extra length or area where two pieces lie over one another to form a joint.

An approach that schedules materials and components to arrive when needed for production, keeping stored stock low.

A Japanese approach meaning ‘change for the better’, in which the whole workforce contributes to ongoing small improvements.

A knock-down fitting: a standard connector used to assemble parts, particularly in flat-pack furniture.

The width of material removed by a cutting tool, such as a saw blade.

A strong, lightweight synthetic fibre used in products such as body armour and protective clothing.

Energy that an object has because it is moving.

An energy-storage system that uses electricity to pump water to a higher reservoir, then releases it downhill through turbines to generate electricity when needed.

A fabric constructed from interlocking loops of yarn.

A material made by bonding layers together, often to combine useful properties of different materials.

Bonding layers of material together to form a material with improved properties.

An output device that converts electrical energy into light, for illumination or visual indication.

A machine that holds and rotates a workpiece while cutting tools shape it.

Thin, smooth, slightly translucent paper used for sketching and developing design ideas.

A light-dependent resistor: a component whose resistance decreases as light intensity increases.

An approach to production that reduces wasted materials, time, movement and other resources while maintaining product quality.

A light-emitting diode: an electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction.

A rigid bar that turns about a pivot to move a load when an effort is applied.

A method of evaluating environmental impacts throughout a material’s or product’s life, from raw material extraction to its end of life.

An assessment of environmental impacts across a product's life, from obtaining raw materials through manufacture and use to disposal or recycling.

Movement along a straight line.

Heating a narrow line across a thermoplastic sheet, bending it along that line and allowing it to cool in position.

An arrangement of connected rods or arms that transmits force and movement.

A thin display in which electrically controlled liquid crystals regulate the passage of light to form images or characters.

A thin, flexible section moulded into a product that allows two parts to fold relative to one another without a separate hinge.

The force or resistance that a mechanism must overcome.