Teaching Modern

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Teaching Modern Smart Materials in Design
Technology

• A practical look at materials presented by TEP at
  the DATA Millennium conference

Chris Rice Director of Education
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The National Curriculum states
2e Pupils should be taught about the working
characteristics and applications of a range of
modern materials, including smart materials.
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Modern materials are those that are continually
being developed through the invention of new or
improved processes

• Teflon
• Optical fibres
• Neoprene
• Modified enzymes
• Antioxidants
• Genetically modified foods
• Synthetic flavours
• Synthetic micro fibres
• Lycra blends
• Polartec
• Composite materials
• cellular materials
• Carbon or Kevlar fibre

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Smart materials respond to differences in light
or temperature. They sense conditions in their
environment and respond to them.

• Shape memory alloys
• Liquid crystals in coated fabrics
• Thermochromic dyes, (used to produce clothing
  that changes colour with light or temperature)
• Modified starches

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Modern Materials

• POLYMORPH
• (Polycapralactone) This new polymer has a very
  low melting point of 62C. It can therefore be
  melted underwater. As a solid it has similar
  properties to an engineering nylon and can be
  used for a wide range of prototype work. It is an
  ideal vacuum mould material because of its ease
  of moulding and its ultimate mechanical strength.
  To reduce its mass you can build it up around
  other materials such as MDF, but it can be
  re-formed, making it cheaper in the long term
  than wasting large amounts of traditional
  materials

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Modern Materials

• LENTICULAR SHEET
• Improvements in production Technology have made
  it possible to produce sophisticated optical
  effects in a wide range of plastic films and
  sheets. Plastic fresnel lenses, for example, are
  now common and inexpensive. Lenticular embossing
  has made it possible to print and animate many
  images on a single substrate.

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Smart materials

• SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY (SMA)
• A number of alloys exhibit useful memory
  characteristics. A combination of Nickel and
  Titanium (NITAL) is one of the most common. It
  can be heat treated to remember that when its
  temperature is raised to 70C it should contract
  by 5. Cooling to room temperature it then
  relaxes to the original length. Applications
  range from coffee makers (replacing bi-metallic
  strip) to use in garments where body heat changes
  the characteristics of the fabric.

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Smart Product

• IQ CONTROLLER
• A self-contained unit capable of switching up to
  three outputs on and off in a controlled
  sequence. The programmable chip is capable of
  both storing information and responding to
  environmental changes. IQ can be built into
  pupils projects to give in-built intelligence
  or to simulate smart performance in
  sophisticated prototypes

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Smart materials

• THERMOCHROMIC FILM
• This material has a self-adhesive plastic film,
  which is then over printed with a thermochromic
  liquid crystal ink. As the temperature changes
  the crystals re-orientate and produce an overall
  colour change. This material is used to give
  temperature indications e.g. baby thermometer
  patches or battery condition testers.

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Applications of Modern Smart Materials in the
Design Technology scheme of work at key stage 3

• Units 9A (i) (ii) and (iii) Selecting materials
• Main aim is for pupils to apply their
  understanding of properties of materials.
• Food, Textiles and RM bias, with similar
  outcomes.
• Pupils have opportunity to learn about modern
  materials/ingredients, modified starches. Raise
  concerns re biodiversity, GM crops, growth
  hormones and antibiotics. Blending polyester with
  cotton to reduce creasing (Marks Spencer
  non-iron shirts). Micro fibres, thermochromic
  dyes, composites. Fabrics that change colour when
  exposed to extremes of heat or cold.

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This unit of work is intended to supplement or
replace the Design Make assignment contained
within unit 9A(ii) (Selecting Material,
FocusResistant Materials) of the National Scheme
of Work at Key Stage 3 for Design Technology
AIM The main aim of this unit is for pupils to
apply their understanding of a Smart material
(in this case, Thermochromicfilm) when designing.
They should be able to identify a need for a
product that could utilise this technology and go
on to make their design.
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PRODUCT EVALUATION
Organise a range of activities that give pupils
the opportunity to learn about the diversity of a
product. Explore the use of modern materials.
Carry out a Product Analysis.
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Focussed Practical Tasks

• Focussing on the knowledge, skills and
  understanding they will need during the DMA.
• Carry out test procedures on samples of materials
• Using the working characteristics of different
  materials
• Use their knowledge of the properties of materials

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Design and Make Assignment

• Set the pupils a DMA in which they
• Select materials according to their
  characteristics.
• Evaluate the materials chosen.
• Explore the uses of modern materials and use them
  sympathetically