Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology key terms

A treatment or additive that reduces how readily a material ignites or how quickly burning spreads.

A treatment that reduces how readily a material burns or slows the spread of fire; it does not make timber completely fireproof.

Able to perform its intended job and meet the requirements of its users.

A production cost that does not change with the number of products made within a given production range, such as a fixed machining charge.

A pivot whose position stays fixed relative to the product's frame while a connected part turns around it.

A component with a set resistance, used to restrict current or help establish voltages in a circuit.

A device that holds and locates a workpiece securely while it is being worked on.

A projecting part of a structural section, such as the top or bottom horizontal part of an I-beam.

Excess material squeezed out at the edges where the halves of a mould meet, which may need trimming.

A follower with a flat contact face that slides against the cam; it can carry heavy loads but cannot follow tight contours accurately.

The ability of a material to bend easily without breaking.

A length of yarn that passes over several crossing yarns before interlacing again.

A graphical representation of a sequence of instructions, with arrows showing the order of execution.

A wave-shaped paper layer within corrugated board that helps provide strength, cushioning and insulating air spaces.

A substance used during brazing or soldering to control surface oxides and help molten filler flow across the joint.

A decorative technique that transfers foil onto selected areas of paper or board using a heated die and pressure.

A composite sheet material made from paperboard bonded to a thin layer of aluminium foil, improving resistance to moisture, grease and light.

Bending paper or board over along a line to change its shape.

A carton board suitable for printing, creasing, folding and gluing into lightweight retail packaging.

A production aid that locates a paper or board blank and guides folding so that a fold can be repeated in the same position.

A mechanical component that contacts a cam and moves as the cam’s shaped outline passes beneath it.

A traditional paper format longer and narrower than A4. One supplied format measures 200 × 330 mm, but dimensions can vary.

A pushing or pulling action acting on an object.

Shaping solid metal by compressive forces, such as hammering or pressing.

The three-dimensional shape of a product or component, including its proportions and contours.

A shaped support used to give a material its required shape during manufacture.

Coal, oil or natural gas: a fuel formed from ancient organic material over millions of years.