A feasibility study is used to decide whether a proposed design is practical for production before significant time and money are committed to manufacture.
What should be considered?
Useful factors include:
Function: will the design work and be fit for purpose?
User: does it meet the needs of the intended consumer?
Manufacture: can it be made using suitable materials, processes, equipment and skills?
Time and scale: can the required quantity be produced within the available time?
Cost: are material, labour, tooling and production costs realistic?
Demand: is there sufficient demand to justify production?
The important exam skill is being able to explain why a factor could make a particular design feasible or unfeasible.
How feasibility can be assessed
Computer modelling can test ideas before physical manufacture. It can be used to assess dimensions, ergonomics, assembly, performance, production planning and costs, depending on the product.
Prototype testing provides physical evidence. A prototype can be tested for function and ergonomics and, importantly, can be tested with potential consumers to determine whether the design is practical and meets their needs.
Why test before production?
Problems can be identified before expensive tooling or full production begins.
Designs can be modified using evidence from modelling, testing and consumer feedback.
Material, production and financial risks can be reduced.
Designers can make a better-informed decision about whether to proceed with manufacture.
Production planning — useful supporting knowledge
Computer modelling may also be used to investigate whether a production system can meet demand. Two useful terms from the lesson material are:
Cycle time: the time required to complete a manufacturing task or produce one unit.
Takt time: the rate at which products need to be completed to meet customer demand. Takt time = available production time ÷ customer demand.
These ideas can support an answer about production feasibility, but the main AQA requirement is understanding how feasibility studies assess the practicality of producing a proposed design.
Exam technique
If asked how a feasibility study could be carried out, give an appropriate method and explain what it would reveal.
Example: A designer could produce a prototype of a new cup carrier and test it with potential consumers. They could assess whether it securely holds the cups, is comfortable to carry and is an appropriate size. Feedback could then be used to modify the design before committing to production.
Feasibility and prototype testing provide evidence before committing a design to full production.Vacuum forming: a heated thermoplastic sheet is drawn over a former and held while it cools.Injection moulding: granules are melted and driven by a screw through a nozzle into a closed mould.Extrusion forces softened material through a shaped die to produce a continuous cross-section.Blow moulding: air expands a hot polymer parison against the inside of a mould.Rotational moulding coats the inside of a heated rotating mould before the hollow product cools.Compression moulding uses heat and pressure to form a measured charge inside a mould.A pattern forms a cavity in sand before molten metal is poured, cooled and removed.Die casting injects molten metal into a reusable metal die under pressure.Investment casting forms a ceramic mould around a sacrificial pattern for detailed components.MIG welding feeds a consumable wire electrode into a gas-shielded weld pool.TIG welding uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode and separate filler where required.Spot welding clamps sheet between electrodes and creates localised heat through electrical resistance.Steam softens lignin so timber can be bent around a former and held until dry.Thin veneers are glued and clamped around a former to create strong curved components.Flexography uses a relief plate and rollers to transfer ink to the substrate.Offset lithography transfers the image from plate to blanket cylinder and then to the substrate.Screen printing pushes ink through open areas of a mesh stencil onto the substrate.A focused laser follows a programmed path while assist gas helps clear the cut.Milling removes material with a rotating multi-point cutter while the work is accurately positioned.In turning, the workpiece rotates while a cutting tool removes material to create cylindrical forms.FEA divides a model into elements so stresses and deformation can be calculated.CFD predicts how fluids move around or through a product.A go/no-go gauge quickly checks whether a feature lies within its permitted tolerance.Vernier callipers measure external, internal and depth dimensions accurately.A micrometer uses a precision screw to measure small dimensions accurately.A tensile test records how a standard specimen responds as an increasing axial load is applied.Hardness tests compare resistance to permanent indentation under controlled conditions.Anthropometric data provides measured human dimensions for designing appropriate product sizes and clearances.Ergonomics applies knowledge of people to improve comfort, safety, usability and performance.Bauhaus design favoured functional forms, modern materials and design suited to industrial production.Art Deco is recognisable through geometric decoration, symmetry, luxury materials and machine-age influence.Memphis challenged restrained modernism with bold colour, pattern, geometry and playful forms.Arts and Crafts valued skilled making, natural inspiration, material honesty and resistance to poor-quality mass production.The life-cycle model helps explain how sales, competition and redesign priorities change over time.Sustainable design decisions should reduce resource use and keep products and materials useful for longer.
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