Unit 1: Investigating engineering business and the environment

Transcription

1 Unit 1: Investigating engineering business and the environment The unit is externally assessed by means of a written paper, which is sat under formal examination conditions. The format of the paper is still being reviewed by Edexcel and when a final decision has been made centres will be issued with a sample paper, specimen answers and a mark scheme a SAM (sample assessment material). Use this link for up-to-date information: The external assessment is 1.5 hours long and contains multiple-choice, short answer and longanswer questions. Learner guidance: The questions which follow relate to the unit assessment criteria and the range statements in the What you need to cover section of the unit specification. The assessment criteria have descriptors, e.g. identify and describe. The descriptor will give you an idea of what type of question to expect. Descriptor Type of question Identify Multiple-choice, short-answer Describe Short-answer, long answer Explain, review, apply Long-answer Learning outcome 1 Identify different types of engineering company in terms of their size, for example: micro; small; small to medium enterprise (SME); large. Identify different types of engineering company in terms of their status, for example: sole trader; partnership; public limited (plc); private limited (ltd). Identify the different sectors that companies operate in, for example: aerospace; automotive; electronics; Pearson Education Ltd 2008 Engineering page 1 of 7

2 mechanical; telecommunications. Explain the functions within an engineering company, for example: research and development; design; manufacture; production planning; technical sales; quality assurance. Review the structure and organisation of an engineering business, for example: owner-manager; hierarchical; flat; matrix. Identify ways of communicating information that is essential for the operation of a company, for example: operation sheets; drawings; specifications; records of work in progress; sales records; stock inventories. Explain the flow of information within an engineering company, for example: why design data about a new product is passed to the manufacturing division for production planning purposes; why quality assurance data is analysed by the design and sales divisions; why market research data is used by the research and development division when planning the development of new products. Pearson Education Ltd 2008 Engineering page 2 of 7

3 Learning outcome 2 Identify the internal factors that affect the way an engineering company operates, for example: production capacity; production methods e.g. small batch, continuous flow; design capability e.g. CAD/CAM facility; available machinery and tooling. Identify the external factors that affect the way an engineering company operates, for example: market trends e.g. upturn/downturn in consumer confidence; global factors e.g. energy prices, the supply of raw materials; competition from other businesses that produce similar products; customer/client relationship e.g. levels of after-sales support; developments in technology that make products obsolete or less attractive to the customer e.g. mobile phones and televisions; changes in legislation (UK and world) e.g. vehicle emissions, product safety. Identify aspects of the economic environment which affect the way an engineering company operates, for example: gross national and domestic products (GNP and GDP) balance of payments local, national and global economy interest and exchange rates Identify environmental factors that affect the way an engineering company operates, for example: the environmental impact of manufacturing processes; waste recycling and disposal; the carbon footprint of the business and its products; product end of life management. Identify social factors that affect the way an engineering company operates, for example: employment levels; workforce skills; training and job opportunities; outsourcing of manufacturing processes. Pearson Education Ltd 2008 Engineering page 3 of 7

4 Describe how internal and external factors affect the way that a company operates, for example: assessing the potential market for a new product, deciding how many units to produce over a given timescale and balancing this with resources of equipment and labour; sourcing and maintaining supplies of raw materials and sub-assemblies; operating a just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing system. Explain strategic decisions that a company has to make, for example: safeguarding company profitability if international monetary exchange rates alter after a contract price has been agreed with a customer; managing the effects of price increases for energy and raw materials; the percentage of company turnover spent on workforce training and up-skilling; the use of renewable resources; outsourcing manufacturing to companies which have lower wage costs e.g. China and India; complying with legislation relating to the environment e.g. chimney emissions and factory external noise levels; complying with new legislation relating to the environment e.g. reducing the amount of packaging used on products, using water-based paint systems; workforce motivation, productivity and reward. Learning outcome 3 Identify basic financial concepts, for example: income and expenditure; profit and loss; direct, indirect, fixed and variable costs; marginal costing; assets, investment and depreciation of fixed assets. Identify costing techniques, for example: job, process and absorption costing; make or buy; break-even point; investment appraisal and cost effectiveness. Explain and apply costing techniques to determine the cost effectiveness of a given manufacturing activity using data such as: direct labour and material cost; fixed and variable production overheads; the initial quantity of product to be manufactured; additional production quantities. Pearson Education Ltd 2008 Engineering page 4 of 7

5 Identify planning concepts/techniques, for example: short and long term plans; business and financial plans; charts and scheduling techniques e.g. flow and Gantt charts; critical path analysis (CPA); setting priorities, monitoring and controlling the use of resources. Explain and apply planning concepts/techniques relating to the manufacture of an engineered product using data such as: timescales to design, manufacture and test the product; physical resources e.g. machine tool availability in a workshop; resources of labour; lead times for the delivery of raw materials and components. Determine the critical path and time to perform a given engineering activity that has a number of interrelated tasks such as: producing a product design specification (PDS); design and production planning; machining and assembly; testing, commissioning and certification; despatch/delivery to the customer. Learning outcome 4 Identify key health and safety legislation, for example: HSAW (1974); Factories Act (1961); PUWER (1998); COSHH (2002); RIDDOR (1995); Construction Regulations (2007). Identify the roles and responsibilities of individuals and organisations in relation to health and safety, for example: employers and employees; the Health and Safety Executive (HSE); sub-contractors, customers and site visitors. Pearson Education Ltd 2008 Engineering page 5 of 7

6 Identify control measures in relation to health and safety, for example: using recognised procedures; substance control; guarding, correct lifting and manual handling procedures; safety inspections; the Factories Act (1961); using personal protective equipment (PPE); training personnel; risk assessment of activities. Explain the health and safety legislation and related control measures that apply to a given engineering activity and then carry out a risk assessment for it, for example: a maintenance procedure on an overhead gantry crane in an engineering workshop changing the tooling and fixtures of a large machining centre od4qzlww Pearson Education Ltd 2008 Engineering page 6 of 7

7 Teacher guidance for all tasks The unit is externally assessed by means of a written paper, which is sat under formal examination conditions. The format of the paper is still being reviewed by Edexcel and when a final decision has been made centres will be issued with a sample paper, specimen answers and a mark scheme a SAM (sample assessment material). Use this link for up-to-date information: The external assessment is 1.5 hours long and contains multiple-choice, short answer and longanswer questions. The unit has four learning outcomes and the assessment will have questions which address the assessment criteria as listed in this table (reproduced from the unit specification). Learning outcome number LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 Learning outcome The learner should: Know how an engineering business is structured and how it operates. Know about internal and external factors that affect the way in which an engineering business operates. Know about and apply financial and planning concepts, and costing and planning techniques. Know the importance of legislation concerning health and safety including a risk assessment for an engineering activity. Assessment criteria The learner can: Identify types of engineering companies, the sectors in which an engineering company operates, explain the functions within an engineering company and review its structure and organisation. Identify, describe and explain the types, form, content and flow of information that are essential for the operation of an engineering company. Identify and describe the internal and external factors that affect the way in which an engineering company operates. Explain strategic decisions made by an engineering business that arise from economic, environmental or social factors. Identify, explain and apply appropriate financial concepts and costing techniques to determine cost-effectiveness of an engineering activity. Identify, explain and apply planning concepts and techniques and determine the critical path and time required to perform an engineering activity. Explain health and safety legislation and other regulations and the related control measures that apply to engineering activities, including the use of risk assessments and how they are carried out. Pearson Education Ltd 2008 Engineering page 7 of 7