Further Links Contact Us Search Help

Syllabus | Exams | Assessment | Glossary | Resources | Careers

Industrial Technology

Home > Industrial Technology > Glossary > Glossary

TERM	EXPLANATION
Assembly Line	Production is organised along a moving line where each worker performs one process
Automation	The computer control of machine processes
CNC Lathe	Computer Numerically Controlled Lathe
Compensation	Money or benefits given to an employee to replace lost wages or expenses when he or she is injured at work
Computerisation	Replacing manual processes with computers and software packages, e.g. Accounting, drawing and designing
Conservation	Maintaining the levels and quality of natural resources for the future
Craftsmanship	The demonstration of well executed high order practical skills
Delegate	To pass duties to others, e.g. managers ask people in their department to perform a task for them
Design	The concept which links human ingenuity to selected activities in order to meet needs and find solutions. Design is a process that seeks to solve a problem in the best possible way.
Designer	A person engaged in using the design process in a particular context. As in industrial designer, fashion designer, engineer, process engineer, architect.
Deplete	Reduce the amount of non-renewable resources
Despatch	To send out goods for delivery to customers
Diversification	To produce more than one type of product or service
Downsize	Reduce the amount of staff but try to maintain the same level of production and business output
Economies of scale	Savings made by buying or producing goods in large quantities (bulk)
EEO	Equal Employment Opportunities
Efficiency	Increasing production levels with lower costs and faster times
Effluent	Liquid waste from production processes
EIS	Environmental Impact Statement
Emissions	Waste fumes or gases from production processes that are released into the atmosphere
EPA	Environmental Protection Authority
Equity	Equal treatment of all personnel with no discrimination
Evaluation	Evaluation is the process of assessment or appraisal to determine whether a design meets the criteria, or meets the design brief.
Inspection	Examination of raw material or finished product to make sure it meets the specification. Inspection is normally a commercial activity. Depending on the industry, some form of official inspection of the product may be required by law, for example in the automotive industry where particular components are required to be inspected due to their critical nature. The Building and Construction industry is another example of where inspections are required as an integral part of the QC process.
Legislation	Laws passed by governments
Management	Those in charge of making decisions and running an organisation. Management is the professional administration of a project.
Marketing	Making a product or service known in the marketplace
Market research	To gather information about the needs and wants of customers
Mechanisation	To replace manual processes with machines
Multiskilling	Being trained to perform a variety of tasks rather than specialise in one trade
Obsolete	No longer in 'fashion' or useful
Outsource	To employ another company to produce a part or carry out a process
Process control	Is part of QC; it means checking the process, as distinct from the raw material or finished product, to ensure that all operations during the manufacture of the product are done correctly and consistently to a set standard that is usually described in the process specification.
Process specification	A written description, mainly for the benefit of the producer, of how the product is to be made.
Product specification	A written description of what the customer wants. Some aspects of quality are controlled by legislation, for example certain chemical additives or colouring materials may be prohibited in products offered for sale.
Productivity	The amount of goods produced by each person in a given time
Profits	Total income less business costs
Quality	Is difficult to define, since it means different things to different people. One general definition is "degree of excellence". Another definition may be "fitness for purpose." In commerce, quality limits are set by what the customer is prepared to pay for; generally the customer will pay more for a product that is considered to be of higher quality, and will continue to buy as long as quality remains constant.
Quality assurance	ISO9000 Standard for quality procedures in business and production
Quality control	Testing and/or inspection of products for defects
Quality control	"Maintenance of quality at a level that satisfies the customer and that is economical to the producer or seller." This definition could apply to almost any procedure involving the quality control of any product in any industry. The buyer in the retail market selecting a product that meets the unwritten requirements of his customers is operating a simple form of QC, and this informal kind of activity is widespread in all industries; often this is all that is required. However, QC usually means something more formal, based on written agreed procedures or specifications which are designed to reduce mistakes, and the term "QC" is used in this sense in the following. Quality is normally controlled by designated trained staff that have a clear knowledge of what the customer wants.
Random	Not in any specific order
Recycling	Collective term for the reprocessing and reuse of waste materials
Redundancy package	The amount of money and benefits received by dismissed employees based on their years of service
Redundant	Employment position no longer needed
Reliability	Continuous expectation by consumers of quality and service from a product or organisation
Renewable	Resources that can be regrown or replaced, e.g. timber
Reprocess	To break down waste materials and reform into new products
Reputation	An organisation's public image and/or integrity
Research	Research is the systematic investigation into the materials, processes and existing concepts, in order to establish facts and reach conclusions.
Restructure	To change an organisations methods or management structure to gain savings and improve profitability
Retrench	To dismiss staff to achieve cost savings.
Reuse	To use items over again in their original state, e.g. plastic bags
Sociological	Effects on people and their quality of life
Specialisation	To produce only one type of product or service
Sponsor	To provide money or support to, e.g. a sporting team to gain exposure for your product/company name
Subcontract	To hire a skilled worker(s) for certain processes
Sustainable	Able to be maintained at constant levels e.g. forests
Waste minimisation	To limit the amount of waste by efficient use of resources