product design revision research

product design revision research

1. Die cutting

   • Die-cutting is like using a pastry cutter.
   • die-cutting machine uses steel rule die shapes to cut through a wide range of materials quickly and easily.

2. Lithography

   • Lithography is mainly used by commercial printers, printing companies that will print thousands of copies of the same item, in one production run.
   • Lithography machines can print on both sides of paper/card and they rely on four basic colours; yellow, cyan (type of blue), magenta (type of red) and black. This is also known as the CYMK process.
   • With some modern lithography printing machines the image is put onto the printing plate by shining ultra violet light through a negative (similar to a photograph negative). The plate is coated with a chemical which allows the ink (made from oil) to attach to the image area.

3. blow moulding

   • Blow moulding a shape is a common industrial process. The example shown below is of the production of a plastic bottle. The plastics normally used in this process are; polythene, PVC and polypropylene.
   • 1. The plastic is fed in granular form into a 'hopper' that stores it. 2. A large thread is turned by a motor which feeds the granules through a heated section. 3. In this heated section the granules melt and become a liquid and the liquid is fed into a mould. 4. Air is forced into the mould which forces the plastic to the sides, giving the shape of the bottle. 5. The mould is then cooled and is removed.

4. injection moulding

   • Materials such as polystyrene, nylon, polypropylene and polythene can be used in a process called injection moulding. These are thermoplastics - this means when they are heated and then pressured in a mould they can be formed into different shapes.
   • 1. Granules of plastic powder (note the plastics listed above) are poured or fed into a hopper which stores it until it is needed. 2. A heater heats up the tube and when it reaches a high temperature a screw thread starts turning. 3. A motor turns a thread which pushes the granules along the heater section which melts then into a liquid. The liquid is forced into a mould where it cools into the shape (in this case a DVD storage unit). 4. The mould then opens and the unit is removed.

5. types of plastic

   • acrylic
   • polypropylene
   • HIPS
   • polycarbonate

6. Barcode

   • 1. A checkout operator in a supermarket scans a product barcode as the customer passes through the checkouts. The price will be automatically displayed and as more products are checked out the total cost will be calculated. This means the checkout operator does not need to manually type in the price of each product. This makes the checkout procedure less time consuming and it is less likely that mistakes will happen.
   • 2. As products are scanned at the checkout, the supermarket computer system will automatically determine whether more products need ordering so that replacements are placed back on the shelves. This saves time and manpower as it does not require an employee to constantly check the shelves or to manually order replacement products. Stock control is much more efficient as a result of the introduction of barcodes.
   • 3. In the airline industry barcodes allow airlines and their customers to keep track of luggage. As a customer checks in at the airline desk each piece of luggage is given a barcode label. The automated system ensures that each piece of luggage is scanned and then placed on the correct plane. If bags are lost anywhere in the world, they can be located through the barcoding software. For instance, if your luggage is left in Kathmandu, Nepal - when you arrive in London and find your bags are missing the information desk should be able to locate the bags almost immediately - by accessing the airline barcoding system. This is also useful if your luggage is placed on the wrong plane and ends up thousands of miles away.
   • Barcodes are usually overlooked by the customer. They appear boring and are rarely part of the design work for the package. The two examples below where taken from the packaging for tea. Diagram ‘A’ shows the normal way of displaying a barcode, black and white strips and numbers. Diagram ‘B’ shows a more imaginative way of displaying the same barcode as it incorporates graphics/images relating the product, in this case tea leafs.

7. QR code

   • QR codes (Quick Response Codes) are seen on packaging. They are a type of 2D barcode and they can be used as a form of advertising. QR codes are accessed by smart phones with the right ‘app’ installed. The QR scanner reads the QR in a similar way that bar codes are read, converting it to a URL (website address), text, email, or phone number. If the OR code directs the customer to a website, it appears on the screen of the smart phone. Specific information can be read by the customer / potential customer.
   • QR codes are often used as part of an advertising strategy. Research shows that access by potential customers to websites through the use of QR codes, often converts to sales of the product. For instance, the QR code on a package or product, could lead directly to a Youtube video demonstrating the product.
   • QR codes allows the customer/potential customer to have an almost interactive relationship with the manufacturer.