Key term
CCEA AS-Level Technology and Design 8900
Material Selection and Wood
Metals
Plastics
Composite and Emerging Materials
Processing Materials
Product Analysis and Design Communication
Design for Manufacture, Quality and Safety
Electronic Control SystemsOption A
Topic overviewControl systems, feedback and electronics safetyResistors, Ohm's law and power ratingsCapacitors and RC timingPotential dividers, sensors and comparatorsSwitches, pull-up and pull-down resistorsOutput devices and LEDsTransistors, Darlington pairs and thyristorsLogic gates, truth tables and flip-flops555 monostable and astable timers
Mechanical and Pneumatic ComponentsOption B
Topic overviewOpen and closed loop mechanical and pneumatic controlSafe working with compressed air and mechanismsLevers, linkages and momentsGear types and gear trainsPulleys, belts, chains and shaft fixingsCams, cranks and converting motionCompressed air supply and pneumatic valvesCylinders, shuttle valves, restrictors and reservoirsPneumatic circuits for logic, timing and speed control
Designing and Manufacturing ProductsOption C
Topic overviewResearch, questionnaires and specificationsIdea generation, critiques and computer simulationManufacturing planning and product evaluationCFRP, GRP, Kevlar and tungsten carbideSmart materials, nanotechnology and biophotovoltaicsIsometric, perspective and assembly drawingLaminating, steam bending, cutting and printing processesRisk assessment and product safety lawScales of production, JIT and cell productionQuality assurance, ISO 9001 and continuous improvementDesign influences and intellectual property rights
Product Development
Metals
- 5 subtopics
- 15 things to know
- AS 1 Paper 1
What Metals covers
Metals is examined in Unit AS 1, Paper 1: Design and Materials, the compulsory core. It covers ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, metal stock forms and sizes, aluminium, copper, brass and zinc, carbon steels and stainless steel and finishes for metals.
Where it is assessed
AS 1 Paper 1
Design and Materials, the compulsory core — a written examination.
Check the CCEA specification ↗The 5 subtopics
Each one has its own page. CCEA AS Technology and Design students sit this topic in the first year.
- Ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloysFerrous and non-ferrous metals, alloys and why they are stronger, magnetic sorting, outdoor use, copper wiring, steel in structures, recycling and the environmental cost of metals.Open →
- Metal stock forms and sizesSheet, plate, bar, rod, tube and structural sections, bright drawn and black mild steel, specifying stock, gauges, extrusions, and stock cost and mass calculations.Open →
- Aluminium, copper, brass and zincThe properties and uses of aluminium and duralumin, copper and work hardening, brass for fittings and instruments, and zinc coatings and die-cast zinc alloys.Open →
- Carbon steels and stainless steelMild, medium and high carbon steels, their carbon content, properties and uses, the effect of carbon, and stainless steel, 18/8 and its uses in surgery and outdoors.Open →
- Finishes for metalsSurface preparation, painting, powder coating, plastic dip coating, electroplating, anodising, enamelling and lacquering, with finishes justified for gates, torches and cookware.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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Describe plastic dip coating.
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What is a ferrous metal?
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Describe the properties of pure aluminium.
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How are plain carbon steels classified?
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What is a non-ferrous metal?
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What are the common forms in which metals are supplied?
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Why does aluminium resist corrosion?
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State the approximate carbon content of mild steel and describe its properties.
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Why are finishes applied to metals?
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Why do non-ferrous metals not rust?
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What is the difference between sheet and plate?
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Give two uses of aluminium and link each to a property.
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Why is mild steel the most widely used steel?
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Why is surface preparation essential before finishing a metal?
Take Metals further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Ferrous metal vs Non-ferrous metal
Ferrous metal: a material containing iron that is usually magnetic and prone to rust. Non-ferrous metal: a material containing no iron that resists rusting.
Pure metal vs Alloy
Pure metal: a single chemical element with no deliberate additions. Alloy: a mixture of a base element with other elements added to improve properties.
Mild steel vs High carbon steel
Mild steel: a tough, ductile iron-based material that cannot be through-hardened. High carbon steel: a hard, wear-resistant iron-based material used for chisels and springs.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is a ferrous metal?
Model answer
A ferrous metal is one that contains iron. Most ferrous metals are magnetic and rust unless protected.
- 2
What is a non-ferrous metal?
Model answer
A non-ferrous metal is one that contains no iron. Aluminium, copper and zinc are non-ferrous metals.
- 3
Why do non-ferrous metals not rust?
Model answer
Rust is an oxide of iron, so only metals containing iron can rust. Many non-ferrous metals also form a thin oxide film that resists further corrosion.
- 4
How can a magnet be used to sort scrap metal, and what is its limitation?
Model answer
A magnet attracts most ferrous metals and separates them from non-ferrous ones. Some stainless steels are not magnetic, so a magnet alone can misclassify them.
- 5
What is an alloy?
Model answer
An alloy is a mixture of a metal with one or more other elements. The added elements change properties such as strength, hardness or corrosion resistance.
- 6
Explain why an alloy is usually stronger and harder than the pure metal it is based on.
Model answer
A pure metal has regular layers of atoms that slide over one another easily. Atoms of a different size disrupt the layers, so the alloy resists deformation.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Metals revision questions
- Is Metals examined at AS in CCEA Technology and Design?
- Yes. It sits in AS 1 Paper 1, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.
- What does Metals cover in CCEA AS-Level Technology and Design?
- 5 subtopics: ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, metal stock forms and sizes, aluminium, copper, brass and zinc, carbon steels and stainless steel and finishes for metals. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Metals organised?
- By the CCEA 8900 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Metals, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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