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Batch production
Making a set number of identical products in one run, then resetting the machines to make a different product or a different version.
Datum
A face or edge chosen as the starting reference for every measurement on a part, so that all marks are set out from the same place rather than from each other.
Former
A solid shape that material is bent, pressed or laminated around so every piece comes out the same curve without measuring each one.
Injection moulding
A process where thermoplastic granules are melted and forced under pressure into a closed steel mould, cooled, then ejected as a finished part.
Jig
A device that holds a workpiece and guides the tool to the same place every time, so repeated parts match without being measured again.
Permanent joint
A joint that cannot be taken apart again without damaging the parts, such as a glued dovetail, a rivet or a welded seam.
Risk assessment
A written check that lists each hazard in a job, who could be harmed by it, how likely and how serious the harm is, and the control put in place to reduce it.
Tolerance
The amount a finished part is allowed to differ from its stated size and still be accepted, written as an upper and lower limit such as 40 mm plus or minus 0.5 mm.