CAD and Making by Machine · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Draw it so a machine can make it

Design & Technology · Designing & Making · ages 14-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which machine suits slicing flat sheet fast?

    • A 3D printer
    • A laser cutter
    • A hand saw only

  2. What does a CAD model hold that a paper drawing does not?

    • Exact numbers a machine can read in
    • A nicer choice of colours
    • The signature of the designer

  3. A 3D printer can float plastic in mid-air with no support.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Your print design has a wide flat overhang. What must change?

    • Nothing, since printers float plastic
    • The colour of the plastic spool
    • The shape, adding support or a new angle

  5. You need a precise steel bracket. Which machine is good at that?

    • A paper sketch alone
    • A mill carving hard blocks
    • A laser show projector

  6. Why redesign a part once the making method is chosen?

    • A print-shaped part differs from a sheet-cut one
    • Redesigning fills the afternoon nicely
    • Machines prefer surprise drawings

  7. A tiny complex plastic knob is needed once. Which route fits?

    • 3D print it from the file
    • Mill a steel mould for it
    • Carve it by contract from marble

  8. Lee drew a full part, then learned it must be milled from steel, not printed. What is his cheapest move?

    • Print it anyway and hope steel appears
    • Redesign for milling before cutting anything
    • Mill the print file with zero changes
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Draw it so a machine can make it W1-mt_jNf8g85YbY-s1

  1. A laser cutter · The laser cutter slices flat sheet fast.
  2. Exact numbers a machine can read in · The model carries machine-readable sizes and depths.
  3. False · Plastic cannot float, so overhangs need support.
  4. The shape, adding support or a new angle · Machine limits reach back into the drawing.
  5. A mill carving hard blocks · The mill carves hard blocks with precision.
  6. A print-shaped part differs from a sheet-cut one · Each method wants its own shape logic.
  7. 3D print it from the file · Printers build small complex shapes with no tooling.
  8. Redesign for milling before cutting anything · Late method news still beats cutting the wrong shape.
Worksheet · LightMySky