Manufacturing processes — AS & A Level Design And Technology (9705) questions by topic
Manufacturing processes questions move between describing how a real process such as comb-jointing or calendering shaped a manufactured item, designing a new product like a six-diner sauce holder or a ride-on toy vehicle, and explaining the benefits and drawbacks of systems such as just-in-time production. Develop and design set the extended design tasks, while describe, explain and produce cover shorter, process-focused answers.
49 questions from 2023 to 2025 sit on this page, with marks running from 8 up to 80 for the longest design papers. Because design tasks are marked on developed, feasible ideas rather than a single sketch, submitting drafts for instant marking shows early whether a proposal has enough detail and practicality to satisfy the higher mark bands before committee time is spent refining a weak concept.
What examiners look for
- Examiners repeatedly found that candidates missed extra functional requirements, such as a container needing to generate a noise or light effect when waste was placed in it.
- Reports praise responses that used sketches and notes clearly to describe processes like cutting a comb joint and calendering in real detail.
- Strong answers gave valid, full explanations of why a chosen process suited the product, for instance linking comb-jointing to a storage box and calendering to a floor tile.
- A recurring strength was including a good range of ideas beyond the core function, such as signage, usage instructions and educational messaging.
May–June 2025, Paper 11
A design team is working collaboratively. Fig. 2.1 shows a planning drawing used by the team. Fig. 2.1 is a Gantt chart table with rows labelled: Identification, Research, Ideas,…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 12
A design team is working collaboratively. Fig. 2.1 shows a planning drawing used by the team. Fig. 2.1 is a Gantt chart table with rows labelled: Identification, Research, Ideas,…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 13
A design team is working collaboratively. Fig. 2.1 shows a planning drawing used by the team. Fig. 2.1 is a Gantt chart table with rows labelled: Identification, Research, Ideas,…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 31
A company is considering implementing a new manufacturing system. (a) Explain one benefit of a just in time (JIT) manufacturing system. [2 marks] (b) Discuss the disadvantages of…
Answer this question and get it marked →A games company wants to develop a storage unit for gaming equipment. The design specification states that the storage unit must: - hold a pair of headphones, a controller and up…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 32
A company is considering implementing a new manufacturing system. (a) Explain one benefit of a just in time (JIT) manufacturing system. [2 marks] (b) Discuss the disadvantages of…
Answer this question and get it marked →A games company wants to develop a storage unit for gaming equipment. The design specification states that the storage unit must: - hold a pair of headphones, a controller and up…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 33
A company is considering implementing a new manufacturing system. (a) Explain one benefit of a just in time (JIT) manufacturing system. [2 marks] (b) Discuss the disadvantages of…
Answer this question and get it marked →A games company wants to develop a storage unit for gaming equipment. The design specification states that the storage unit must: - hold a pair of headphones, a controller and up…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 11
Fig. 7.1 shows details for toy storage. A selection of toys is shown including soft toys, building blocks, and balls. The maximum dimensions of the space available for toy storage…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 8.1 shows details of a bottle of olive oil and an information card that require packaging. The bottle is 40 × 40 × 200 mm tall. The information card is 85 × 55 mm with…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 9.1 shows details of a blister pack with tablets and a container for tablets. The blister pack has a vacuum formed front with foil backing, size 50 × 90 mm, containing…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 12
Fig. 7.1 shows details for toy storage. A selection of toys is shown including soft toys, building blocks, and balls. The maximum dimensions of the space available for toy storage…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 8.1 shows details of a bottle of olive oil and an information card that require packaging. The bottle is 40 × 40 × 200 mm tall. The information card is 85 × 55 mm with…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 9.1 shows details of a blister pack with tablets and a container for tablets. The blister pack has a vacuum formed front with foil backing, size 50 × 90 mm, containing…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 31
Discuss how manufacturers meet the needs and demands of consumers in a rapidly changing product market.
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 3.1 shows three items and their manufacturing processes. Choose two of the items shown in Fig. 3.1. For each chosen item, use sketches and notes to describe how the process…
Answer this question and get it marked →A company wants to extend its product range by introducing a dual-purpose furniture unit for students living in university accommodation. A unit that would incorporate a bed and…
Answer this question and get it marked →A school for children aged 11 to 14 years is to run a cycling safety club. The school will create an obstacle course in the playground with similar size and shape obstacles, where…
Answer this question and get it marked →A music festival has food stalls selling snacks. The stalls will sell a sandwich wrap, a can of drink and a cookie as a packaged meal. You are to design the packaging for the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 32
Discuss how manufacturers meet the needs and demands of consumers in a rapidly changing product market.
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 3.1 shows three items and their manufacturing processes. Choose two of the items shown in Fig. 3.1. For each chosen item, use sketches and notes to describe how the process…
Answer this question and get it marked →A company wants to extend its product range by introducing a dual-purpose furniture unit for students living in university accommodation. A unit that would incorporate a bed and…
Answer this question and get it marked →A school for children aged 11 to 14 years is to run a cycling safety club. The school will create an obstacle course in the playground with similar size and shape obstacles, where…
Answer this question and get it marked →A music festival has food stalls selling snacks. The stalls will sell a sandwich wrap, a can of drink and a cookie as a packaged meal. You are to design the packaging for the…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 11
Fig. 8.1 shows details of a freestanding sign that is to be made from Corriflute. The sign will be used outside a shop to advertise special offers. Corriflute sign: 1200 × 900 mm.…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 12
Fig. 3.1 gives details of a toolmaker's clamp which is to be made in a school workshop. The clamp is 100 mm tall, with two mild steel jaws (12 mm square cross-section). Part A is…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 6.1 shows an incomplete design for a bench mounted bandsaw. The bandsaw has a C-frame body with an upper wheel housing and lower wheel housing connected by a vertical column.…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 7.1 shows details of the design requirements for a display unit that is to be used in a sportswear shop to sell items of clothing that are on special offer. Items to be…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 8.1 shows details of the design requirements for a collection box for a charity for the homeless called 'Haven'. Examples of types of housing are shown (multi-storey block,…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 13
Fig. 7.1 shows details of the design requirements for a bathroom storage unit. The unit incorporates a mirror (500 × 400 × 6 mm) and glass shelves (each 400 × 120 × 6 mm). The…
Answer this question and get it marked →Fig. 8.1 shows details of the design requirements for a package for a fruit drink called 'Fruitee'. The package holds six small cartons of fruit drink (each carton approximately…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 32
Fig. 3.1 shows three items with their manufacturing processes: - Parasol base (150 mm tall): process = rotational moulding - Board game piece (35 mm tall, Ø20 mm base): process =…
Answer this question and get it marked →Discuss the importance of product testing to the manufacturer and the consumer.
Answer this question and get it marked →Many schools for children aged 5 to 11 years teach some lessons outdoors. The children require a unit to enable them to write and draw during outdoor lessons. You are to design a…
Answer this question and get it marked →A school for children aged 5 to 7 years requires new toys for use in the playground. Toy vehicles are very popular. You are to design a ride-on toy vehicle. The ride-on toy…
Answer this question and get it marked →A company is to introduce solar-powered garden light kits. There are three components in the kit: a solar charger, a 5 m string of lights which plug into the back of the solar…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 33
Choose TWO of the following manufacturing processes. For each chosen process: (a) Describe the process in detail. [14 marks — 7 marks each] (b) Explain why the process chosen is…
Answer this question and get it marked →A school hall/stage requires a lectern for use by speakers. You are to design a lectern for use in a school hall or on a stage. The lectern must be: - adjustable in height -…
Answer this question and get it marked →A TV production company is planning a new music quiz show. You are to design: - a name and logo for the music quiz show - a model of a music-themed TV stage set for the show. The…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 32
A restaurant wishes to provide diners with a range of sauces or dips when they eat. The restaurant tables are circular and can seat up to 8 diners. You are to design a product to…
Answer this question and get it marked →A school for children aged 5 to 11 years wants to encourage them to use recyclable waste collection facilities around the school. A container that will encourage children to place…
Answer this question and get it marked →A garden centre is to take part in an initiative to encourage customers to plant a tree. You are to design: packaging to enable a customer to take home a tree sapling; a logo for…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 13
Fig. 1.1 shows a teaching aid for young children to help them learn to tell the time. The teaching aid consists of a clock face made from two 12 mm thick Ø300 mm plywood pieces.…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 32
Fig. 3.1 shows three items with their materials and manufacturing processes. Choose two of the items shown in Fig. 3.1. For each chosen item, use sketches and notes to describe…
Answer this question and get it marked →Many adults and children enjoy reading in bed. It is sometimes difficult to read larger books or magazines. You are to design a product that could support a book or magazine to…
Answer this question and get it marked →A community golf course requires the cutting of new holes into its grass putting greens. You are to design a product that will enable the ground staff to accurately cut a hole on…
Answer this question and get it marked →A company wishes to introduce a new lightweight battery-powered drill targeted at the DIY market. Instead of selling the battery-powered drill in a plastic carry case, the company…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 33
Fig. 3.1 shows three items, each with its material and process given: - a threaded fixing (mild steel, internal and external threading): a cylindrical fixing 20 mm long, outside…
Answer this question and get it marked →Other AS & A Level Design And Technology topics
- Product analysis and design (38)
- Materials (28)
- Working drawings and graphics (23)
- Structures (22)
- Mechanisms (12)
- Sustainability (9)
- CAD/CAM (7)
- Electronics and systems (5)