Materials and Finishing Flashcards
6 cards from real 3D Product practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Materials and Finishing flashcards as text
What is 'glass-filled nylon' and why is it used in engineering product components?
Answer: Nylon reinforced with short glass fibers, significantly increasing stiffness, strength, and heat resistance
Adding 10–50% glass fibers to nylon dramatically increases its tensile modulus and heat deflection temperature, enabling it to replace metal in structural brackets and housings.
What is 'PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition)' coating used for on product surfaces?
Answer: Vacuum-depositing extremely thin, hard metal films for wear resistance and decorative metallic finishes
PVD sputters or evaporates metal in a vacuum chamber, depositing a nanometer-thin hard film — used for watch cases, tool coatings, and premium hardware finishes.
What is the significance of 'IP ratings' (like IP67) for consumer product design?
Answer: They certify the product's level of protection against solid particle ingress and water ingress per IEC 60529
IP (Ingress Protection) ratings use two digits — the first for dust/solid protection (0-6), the second for water resistance (0-9K) — defining what environments a product can survive.
What is 'pad printing' and when is it used in consumer product manufacturing?
Answer: A transfer printing method using a silicone pad to apply ink to irregular 3D surfaces
Pad printing picks up a 2D ink image from an etched plate and transfers it via a flexible silicone pad that conforms to curved, recessed, or textured product surfaces.
What is 'in-mold labeling' (IML) in plastic part manufacturing?
Answer: Inserting a pre-printed film into the mold so it fuses permanently with the part during injection molding
IML places a decorated film in the open mold; injected plastic bonds to it, embedding the label permanently in the part surface during the molding cycle.
What is 'CNC machining' and in which stage of product development is it most commonly used?
Answer: Computer-controlled subtractive manufacturing that removes material to create parts; commonly used for prototyping and low-volume production
CNC machining uses computer-controlled mills, lathes, and routers to remove material from solid stock, producing accurate, functional metal or plastic prototypes and production parts.