C4.1 Design for manufacture strategies (HL only) Questionbank

This image shows components of a standard electric toothbrush including casing, motor, battery, PCB, brush head, and screws.

(Fig 1)

i.) Identify one feature in the toothbrush design that supports Design for Assembly (DfA).

ii.) Outline two reasons why modular design is useful in consumer electronics like the toothbrush.

This image shows an automated robotic assembly line working on compact devices such as smartphones.

i.) Explain two advantages of using automated assembly systems in mass production.

ii.) Analyse how designing smartphone casings with snap-fit joints affects both manufacturing and product longevity.

This image shows a person assembling flat-pack cardboard furniture using slot-in joints and no tools.

Evaluate the benefits and limitations of using interlocking components instead of fasteners in flat-pack furniture.

Discuss how incorporating Design for Disassembly (DfD) can support circular economy goals in consumer product design.

This image shows a phone with detachable screen, battery, camera module, and logic board.

(Fig 1)

i.) Identify one design strategy used in the smartphone that supports ease of repair.

ii.) Outline two ways this modular design contributes to sustainability. $2$

• Reduces e-waste by allowing part replacement instead of full disposal 1 mark

• Extends product lifespan by enabling easy repairs 1 mark

Award [2 max] for correct points clearly linked to sustainability.

This image shows manual assembly of internal washing machine components.

(Fig 2)

i.) Explain two ways that applying Design for Assembly (DfA) can help reduce production time in washing machine manufacturing.

ii.) Analyse the impact of part standardisation on manufacturing efficiency and cost in appliance production.

This image shows a plastic chair being made via injection molding in a factory.

(Fig 3)

Describe three reasons why injection molding is suitable for manufacturing plastic chairs at scale.

Discuss how Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) contributes to lean manufacturing principles in high-volume plastic furniture production.

This figure shows a labeled exploded view of the main parts of an electric kitchen blender.

(Fig 1)

i.) Identify the most likely manufacturing process used for the blender casing.

ii.) Explain one reason why the blade unit is designed as a separate removable component.

This figure compares common joining methods in consumer product design.

i.) Outline two advantages of using snap-fit joints instead of screws in the blender’s design.

ii.) Explain how using permanent adhesive joints in the assembly of the blender might conflict with DfD principles.

This figure shows workers manually disassembling small electrical appliances for recycling.

i.) Compare two challenges manufacturers face when designing products for both automated assembly and manual disassembly.

ii.) Discuss how adopting a cradle-to-cradle approach in product design influences the application of DfM strategies.