An explanation of the impact of 'new' materials on product design in the 20th and 21st century

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A.M.D.G                                                                       An explanation of the impact of ‘new’ materials on product design in the 20th and 21st century As new materials are developed and processed, design technologists and people working with industrial materials must think how these new materials will affect the way in which they design and manufacture products. Design technologists also have to be conscious of how these materials effect the environment and the way in which they are recycled. In Today’s industry products are increasingly being made from composite materials. Composite materials are formed by combining two or more materials that have different properties. The different materials work together to give the composite unique properties, but within the composite you can easily tell the different materials apart – they do not dissolve or blend into each other.
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A good example of a composite material is steel. Steel contains alloys of both iron and carbon enabling it to be both tough and ductile. Materials used in products must suit the finished product down to the last detail. Requirements such as hardness, rigidity, weight, flexibility, colour or texture maybe needed for an item to perform and function properly. Composites enable industry to create a material that can be used for a wider range of products. Some wood materials (such as M.D.F and chipboard) are also composites and technologists must decide whether a wood-based manufactured board would be a better ...

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