25. Materials Research

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E-Portfolio: Materials
We only carry carry out this research when the REQUIRED
properties of the materials are known.

This will most likely be at the development of ideas
Stage and one the final design has been completed. The
only time when this research is carried out at the
beginning of the project is when the task has stated
that the product be made from a SPECIFIC material i.e.
If the task states the product MUST be made from
cardboard then it would be worth while finding out the properties and limitations of cardboard before you start designing.
This is best if it involves own testing procedures rather than copied material.

TASK ONE

PART

REQUIRED PROPERTIES

PROCESS REQUIREMENTS

POSSIBLE MATERIAL

IMAGE

RESULTS

CONCLUSION

Water Resistant
Colourful
Able to be shaped around a mould

Vacuum Forming
Laser Cutting

Acrylic
HIPS

Acrylic

Is water proof and is available in many colours, however it can not be vacuum formed very easily and is not flexible

HIPS

Is very good for vacuum forming however it is illegal to laser cut as it gives of toxic fumes. It is available in a verity of colours, its water resistant.

I will use HIPS to make this part as it.....

Although it cant be laser cut I can cut out the shape by hand using the scroll saw

This page is entirely up to you how you present it.

●	It is a good idea to show your research in a table

●	Use an image of the idea you intend to make and label it with the different parts that it will be made up from.

●	It is a good idea to compare the properties of at least two possible materials and conclude which is more suitable.

●	To find out the properties of the possible materials you can find out information on the Internet or set up your own tests to test them to see which one performs better.

This page is entirely up to you how you how you present it and can just be the table above or it can be a mixture of some of the details above in the table that you are going to explore and your own columns. You could present the following:

Quality control checks

Quality Assurance checks
Manufacturing methods
Joining techniques
Safety
Tools
Finish etc.

TASK 2

PART

Add an image and label all the parts A, B, C, D etc. Or alternatively

Break your project down into its individual parts and place in the column here.

REQUIRED PROPERTIES

The required properties is a list of properties that this part must have in order to make your product successful. This can be sunmarised in bullet point form if you wish…..

PROCESSES

How can you manufacture the component?

Laser cut
3D printed
Cut by hand

Try and explore two options for example if the laser cutter has a breakdown how can you manufacture it by hand?

Tenon saw
Coping saw
Scroll saw
Disk sander
Drill
Router etc…….

MATERIALS

Materials research is one of the easier pieces of research to conduct. When looking at materials certain trade offs will need to be made for example c

Plastics can be produced in many different colours which removes the need for painting. This in turn, reduces the cost of the product. However plastics are generated from a non-renewable source, that therefore does not make them environmentally friendly .

Manmade plywood can be lightweight yet as strong as traditional materials. For example composite materials can be much lighter, yet stronger than some hardwoods. Weight can be an important factor for designers as the heavier the product, the more energy required to move it. This is a big consideration as it will be more economical in terms of fuel consumption when distributing your product to shops.

Their are lots of factors to consider when deciding upon a suitable material such as :

Cost
Weight
Environment
Ability to cut and shape
Finish
Size it comes in..
Aesthetics
Mechanical properties etc

IMAGE

Look at the stock forms that your product comes in. This is the shapes you can buy straight off the shelf such as:

Sheet
Square tube
Round tube
Rod
Angle
Triangle length

Add images to this section……..

RESULTS

Analyse the key points of your materials research

What did you learn from your research?
What aesthetical properties should your material have?
What mechanical properties should you material have?
What processes does you material potentially need to under go? For example, laser cutting, 3D printing etc.

Identify two suitable materials for each component and a quick description of it…

CONCLUSION

Conclude your final material choice for each component and why?

Aesthetics
Properties
Cost
Manufacturing
Environment