DT Topic 8

Question Paper

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 Question 1
Elon Musk, see Figure 1, is an entrepreneur, engineer, innovator and the founder
and ChiefExecutive Officer (CEO) of Tesla. This company is attempting to design
and manufactureproducts that promote sustainable consumption.

The Tesla Powerwall 2 is a lithium-ion battery pack that can be attached to the wall
andprovides electricity for household use. Electricity is generated by solar panels,
see Figure 2,that are connected to the Powerwall 2. When there is no sunlight the
electricity stored in thePowerwall 2 can be used to provide the electricity to run
lighting or appliances.

The Powerwall 2 is a product that is entering the market and has the potential to
ease theworld’s transition into the use of sustainable energy.

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 1. List two methods of government intervention that could encourage the [2]
adoption ofsustainable innovation such as the Powerwall 2.

2. Outline how the Powerwall 2 can support the concept of ethical [2]
consumerism.

3. Compare the consumer attitudes and behaviours towards the Powerwall 2 [4]
from theperspective of an eco-champion and that of an eco-phobe.

Question 2

A company is developing a new line of eco-friendly furniture. The furniture needs

to be both functional and sustainable. The design team must consider various
properties of materials and their impact on performance and the environment.

1. Identify two sustainable materials commonly used in eco-friendly furniture [4]

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 1. Identify two sustainable materials commonly used in eco-friendly furniture [4]
and discuss their suitability.

2. Explain the importance of using non-toxic finishes in eco-friendly furniture. [3]

3. 3. Compare the environmental impact of using virgin materials versus [4]

recycled materials in furniture production.

Question 3
Tony’s Chocolonely

Tony’s Chocolonely is a chocolate company dedicated to making all chocolate

100% free from slavery, founded by Teun Van De Keuken in 2003. Through their 5
Sourcing Principles, they work to ensure farmers earn a living income while raising
awareness about inequalities in the chocolate industry, as shown by the logo in
Figure 4.

The company offers a wide range of products, featuring chocolate bars in various
flavors and two sizes (47g and 180g). The bars are notable for their unevenly
divided chocolate pieces, see below.

From October to December each year, Tony’s Chocolonely releases three limited-
edition chocolate bar flavors. The most popular flavor from these limited editions is
then added to their permanent product lineup.

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 1. Describe one advantage for the company in developing a product family [2]
for their chocolate bars.

2. Describe how Tony’s Chocolonely has built a brand identity for their [5]
chocolate bar that aligns with their mission.

3. Explain the corporate strategy used by Tony’s Chocolonely for producing [2]
chocolate bars during the months of October to December.

4. Propose one additional strategy that the company could implement to [9]
enhance each of the three components of triple bottom line sustainability.

Question 4

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 A company is developing a new line of eco-friendly sportswear. The sportswear
needs to be both functional and sustainable.

The design team must consider various properties of textiles and their impact on
performance and the environment. The following questions will explore different
aspects of textile selection and application in sportswear design.

1. Identify two natural fibres commonly used in eco-friendly sportswear and [4]
discuss their suitability.

2. Explain the importance of moisture-wicking properties in sportswear [3]

textiles.

3. Compare the environmental impact of natural fibres versus synthetic fibres [4]
used in sportswear.

4. The diagram below shows the internal structure of a high-performance [3]

sportswear textile designed for moisture management. Label the parts A,
B, and C and explain their functions.

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 Question 5

A company is planning to develop a new line of sustainable home appliances.

These appliances must be energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and designed
for long-term use.

The design team must consider various aspects such as material selection, energy
consumption, and lifecycle impacts. The following questions will explore different
aspects of sustainable design in the context of home appliances.

1. Define sustainable design and explain its importance in the development of [3]
home appliances.

2. Describe two sustainable materials that could be used in the design of [4]
home appliances.

3. Explain the concept of lifecycle assessment (LCA) and its role in the [4]
sustainable design of home appliances.

4. The diagram below shows the stages of a home appliance lifecycle in [4]
sustainable design. Label the parts A, B, and C and explain their
significance.

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 5. Propose three strategies a company can implement to enhance the [6]
sustainability of its home appliance designs.

Question 6

A company is developing a new line of eco-friendly sportswear. The sportswear

needs to be both functional and sustainable.

The design team must consider various properties of textiles and their impact on
performance and the environment. The following questions will explore different
aspects of textile selection and application in sportswear design.

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 1. Identify two natural fibres commonly used in eco-friendly sportswear and [4]
discuss their suitability.

2. Explain the importance of moisture-wicking properties in eco-friendly [3]

sportswear textiles.

3. Compare the environmental impact of natural fibres versus synthetic fibres [4]
used in eco-friendly sportswear.

4. Analyze the role of elasticity in eco-friendly sportswear textiles and how it [3]
enhances athletic performance.

Question 7

The Natural Brush, see Figure 2, is a toothbrush based on sustainable design. The
handleis made from 100 % biodegradable bamboo and the bristles are made of
Nylon 6 which themanufacturers claim is the most biodegradable nylon in the
world.

Figure 2: The Natural Brush

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 P hotobySaraGroblechneronU nsplash

1. List two ways in which theNatural Brush is an example of sustainable [2]

design.

2. Outline how theNatural Brush can be seen as an example of ethical [2]

consumerism.

3. Outline one pricing consideration and how it would stimulate sales of [2]
theNatural Brush.

4. Explain how theNautral Brush balances material, health and usability [4]
considerations.

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 Question 8
Soar Electric Scooter Rental

“Scooter sharing” has become popular in cities all over the world. E-scooters are
beingpromoted as a sustainable mode of transport by providing an alternative to
cars. Onee-scooter company, Soar, offers e-scooters in several cities that can be
easily rented via asmartphone app. A rider uses the Soar app to locate the nearest
e-scooter, see Figure 1.

Figure 1: A representation of the Soar smartphone app

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 Soar purchased their first-generation e-scooters from manufacturer Xiomani for
US$550each. To break even an e-scooter needs to be used five times a day for
five months. As theSoar smartphone app tracks battery charge, location and
usage, it was found that many ofthese Xiomani scooters were lasting less than two
months. Many were simply discarded, seeFigure 2.

Figure 2: Discarded e-scooters

1. Outline one reason why Soar use just-in-case (JIC) production for their [2]
Soar e-scooter.

2. Outline one way how the use of statistical process control can lead to [2]
improvementsin the design of the Soar e-scooter.

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 improvementsin the design of the Soar e-scooter.

3. Outline one way how partnerships between city authorities and e-scooter [2]
companiescould encourage sustainable innovation.

4. Explain why the first-generation Soar e-scooters cannot be considered to [4]

be asustainable design.

Question 9

A company is developing a new line of high-performance sportswear. The

sportswear needs to be both functional and comfortable. The design team must
consider various properties of textiles and their impact on performance.

1. Identify two synthetic fibres commonly used in high-performance [4]

sportswear and discuss their suitability.

2. Explain the importance of moisture-wicking properties in sportswear [3]

textiles.

3. Compare the environmental impact of synthetic fibres versus natural fibres [4]
used in sportswear.

4. Analyze the role of elasticity in sportswear textiles and how it enhances [3]
athletic performance.

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 Question 10
EcoHome

A company, EcoHome, specializes in producing eco-friendly home appliances.

They are planning to launch a new product line aimed at energy-efficient kitchen
appliances.

The company wants to understand the market sectors and segments to target their
new products effectively. The following diagram shows the different market sectors
and segments for kitchen appliances based on factors such as income level, age
group, and lifestyle preferences.

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 Using this context, answer the following questions:

1. Identify and describe the three main market sectors shown in the diagram [6]
for kitchen appliances.

2. Explain how EcoHome can use market segmentation to target their new [6]
energy-efficient kitchen appliances to different age groups within the
middle-income sector.

3. Discuss the potential benefits for EcoHome in targeting the eco-conscious [4]
lifestyle segment across all income levels.

4. Describe how lifestyle preferences influence the design and features of [6]
kitchen appliances in the high-income sector.

5. Evaluate the challenges EcoHome might face when targeting multiple [4]
market segments simultaneously for their new product line.

Question 11

The versatility of plastics makes it extremely popular across industries. It is

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 The versatility of plastics makes it extremely popular across industries. It is
durable, yet cost-effective. Yet, its environmental impacts are becoming a growing
concern.

1. Explain how recycling thermoplastics can help mitigate environmental [3]

issues related to plastic waste.

2. Explain the difference between thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics [3]

in terms of their molecular structure and behavior when heated.

3. Describe the injection moulding process used in the production of plastic [3]
components.

4. List two environmental concerns associated with the disposal of plastic [2]
waste.

5. Describe the lifecycle of a plastic product, including its environmental [4]

impacts at each stage.

Question 12

Smart’s Shoes is a company that designs and manufactures comfortable and

functionalshoes, see Figure 1.

Smart’s Shoes aims to develop sustainable processes and practices in the design
andmanufacture of their products.

Each year Smart’s Shoes publishes a sustainability report. The infographic in

Figure 2shows an overview of that report.

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 1. List two ways that Quality Assurance (QA) contributes to quality [2]
management.

2. Outline how decoupling contributes to Smart’s Shoes sustainable policies [2]

and practices.

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 3. Outline one reason why Smart’s Shoes would use lean production to help [2]
meet theirsustainability goals.

4. Explain the benefits of sustainability reporting for manufacturers such as [4]

Smart’s Shoes.

Question 13

Figure 1 shows design for environment software that can be used to analyse
theenvironmental impact of a component using life cycle analysis (LCA).

The software generates a sustainability report, see Figure 2. This can be used
bydesigners and manufacturers to make informed choices regarding the
environmentalimpact of the component.

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 Design for environment software can be used to calculate the energy consumed if
thecomponent was made from different materials. The pie charts in Figure 3 show
the energyconsumed by ABS and aluminium at the pre-production, production,
distribution and disposalstages of the product life cycle for the component. The
unit of measurement of energy ismegajoules (MJ).

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 1. State one reason why the product was designed to only last two years. [1]

2. Outline one reason why using injection moulding has resulted in a low [2]
estimatedmaterial unit cost.

3. Outline how finite element analysis (FEA) could be used to further develop [2]
theprocess during the component’s manufacture by injection moulding.

4. Outline why solid modelling rather than surface modelling would have been [2]
usedin the computer-aided design (CAD) development of the component

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 usedin the computer-aided design (CAD) development of the component

designed inFigure 1.

5. Outline one possible impact on the sustainability report in Figure 2 if the [2]
materialof the component is changed from a thermoplastic to a
thermosetting plastic.

6. Explain one waste mitigation strategy the designer could use to reduce [3]
thepercentage of ABS sent to landfill at the end of the product’s life.

7. List one reason why the design for environment software does not [1]
generate aresult for energy consumed at the utilization stage of the
product lifecycle.

8. Calculate the embodied energy of the component if it is made from ABS. [2]
Giveyour answer to one decimal point and show your workings.

9. Outline why the energy consumed at the pre-production stage is greater [2]
foraluminium than for ABS.

10. Explain how end-of-pipe technologies can reduce the environmental [3]
impact ofmanufacturing.

Question 14

Globally, various government and corporate efforts have emerged to reduce waste
by focusing on single-use plastics. For instance, in Australia, Woolworths became

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 by focusing on single-use plastics. For instance, in Australia, Woolworths became
one of the first supermarket chains to prohibit single-use plastic bags, while
Starbucks pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic straws from its stores by

2020.

Environmental groups like Greenpeace have raised public awareness about the
issues associated with single-use plastics. Greenpeace reports that 12.7 million
tonnes of plastic enter the oceans annually. As companies like Woolworths and
Starbucks bring attention to this problem, more consumers are opting for
environmentally-friendly products and striving to make sustainable choices. This
shift has increased demand for innovative products designed to reduce
dependence on single-use plastics.

Street food and takeout are vital aspects of many cultures. Futuretensils, a
company aiming to revolutionize the single-use plastic industry, offers a line of
edible cutlery. Founded by Indian entrepreneurs as a response to the 120 billion
pieces of disposable plastic cutlery used annually in India, Futuretensils produces
single-use edible utensils, including forks, spoons, and chopsticks in flavors like
sweet, savory, and plain.

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 1. Explain how the need for ideo-pleasure is met by edible cutlery. [2]

2. List two ways pressure groups like Greenpeace can influence consumer [2]
preferences.

3. Outline why developing edible cutlery required usability testing sessions. [2]

4. Discuss three ways Futuretensils meets Datschefski’s principles of [9]

sustainable design.

5. Explain how market research strategies could have led to the development [5]
of edible cutlery.

Question 15
AquaPure

A new company, AquaPure, aims to introduce a line of advanced water filtration

systems for home use. These systems are designed to be eco-friendly, easy to
install, and cost-effective. AquaPure wants to ensure that their product meets
consumer needs and stands out in a competitive market.

They are focusing on sustainable materials, innovative filtration technology, and

user-friendly design. AquaPure needs to conduct thorough market research to
ensure the product meets consumer needs and preferences.

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 1. Identify two market research strategies that AquaPure could use to gather [2]
information about consumer preferences for water filtration systems.

2. Explain how AquaPure could use perceptual mapping to position their [3]
water filtration system in the market.

3. Describe two advantages of conducting a competitor analysis for [2]

AquaPure before launching their water filtration system.

4. AquaPure decides to conduct a usability testing session for their new water [4]
filtration system design. Outline the key steps they should follow in this
process.

5. Based on the principles discussed, sketch a design of the AquaPure water [6]
filtration system, labeling key user-centred features.

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