Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology key terms

The width of material removed by a saw cut.

Lightly roughening a surface to help an adhesive bond to it.

Drying timber in a heated chamber under controlled conditions.

A follower with a narrow, pointed contact edge that follows the cam’s profile accurately but wears readily.

A textile made by forming yarn into interlocking loops.

A connector designed to allow components to be assembled and dismantled using basic tools.

A feature in timber where a branch grew from the tree trunk; the surrounding grain changes direction around it.

A manufacturing method that requires a large amount of workers' time rather than relying mainly on automated machinery.

Applying a clear protective coating to a surface, preserving the visible appearance of the material beneath.

A line of released stitches that develops when knitted loops become undone, also called a run.

A composite material made by bonding two or more layers together to combine their properties.

Bonding thin layers of material together with adhesive, sometimes while holding them around a shaped former.

Making a component by bonding layers of timber together, often around a former to produce a curved shape.

A connection in which two pieces of timber overlap. In a half-lap, half the thickness is removed from each piece so their faces finish flush.

A machine that uses a focused laser beam to cut material or engrave its surface.

A process in which a focused laser beam uses heat to cut material along a controlled path.

Using a controlled laser beam to remove or alter material at a surface to create a lasting mark or pattern.

A plan showing how pattern pieces fit within the available fabric width and length.

An arrangement of pattern pieces on fabric before cutting, designed to reduce waste while meeting the pieces’ positioning requirements.

The movement of soluble substances out of waste or other material into surrounding soil or water.

The time between placing an order and receiving the material.

An approach to manufacturing that reduces waste in materials, time, energy, movement and other resources.

A light-emitting diode: a semiconductor component that emits light when current flows through it in the forward direction.

A paper format commonly used in the USA, approximately 215 × 279 mm: wider but shorter than A4.

A rigid bar that turns about a pivot to transmit force and movement.

The stages a product passes through, from obtaining its raw materials to manufacture, distribution, use and end of life.

An investigation of a product’s environmental impacts from raw material extraction through manufacture, transport and use to disposal or recycling.