Product StudyAlex Dawson

ProductAn electric water pump, used for a fish tank was chosen due to its many different materials (the power cord was ignored for the purpose of this assignment)

Parts Diagram

Parts List

Parts 1-4 – ScrewsMaterial: Zinc coated mild steel

How Identification was made: These are common materials for screws of this size, and the colour of the screws helped to determine they are zinc coated.

Alternative Materials: Other steels such as medium carbon steel or an alloy steel could be used, as well as some non-ferrous materials such as brass. Alternative coating materials could include tin or copper.

Processing: Blanks would have been cut from a wire, then cold headed (head pressed in a forming cartridge), before being threaded via thread rolling (rolling the blank against a die) and finally coated in zinc using electroplating.

Part 5 – BaseMaterial: Santoprene rubber

How Identification was made: The component shows properties of both a plastic and a rubber like santoprene rubber and is a likely suitable choice due to its weatherability.

Alternative Materials: Vinyl rubber would have been a suitable material due to its resistance to water and weathering.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (material forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 6 – BoltMaterial: Zinc coated mild steel

How Identification was made: Very similar to the screws (parts 1 to 4), these are common materials for this size bolt and the zinc coating could be determined by the colour.

Alternative Materials: Other steels such as medium carbon steel or an alloy steel could be used, as well as some non-ferrous materials such as brass. Alternative coating materials could include tin or copper.

Processing: Blanks would have been cut from a wire, then cold headed (head pressed in a forming cartridge), before being threaded via thread rolling (rolling the blank against a die) and finally coated in zinc using electroplating.

Parts 7 & 8– NutsMaterial: Mild steel

How Identification was made: The price and malleability of mild steel makes it the most likely choice, and the colour of the nuts further helps to identify the material.

Alternative Materials: Stainless steel, aluminum or medium carbon steel are all likely alternatives.

Processing: The nuts would most likely be cold pressed into shape and then have the centers threaded using a screw die.

Part 9 – Star WasherMaterial: Zinc coated mild steel

How Identification was made: The price and malleability of mild steel makes it the most likely choice, and the colour of the nuts further helps to identify the zinc coating used for corrosion resistance.

Alternative Materials: Stainless steel, aluminum or medium carbon steel could be used, and alternative coatings are tin and copper.

Processing: A press cutting process would be used the create the washer and then it would be galvanized.

Part 10 – Rubber HolderMaterial: Natural rubber

How Identification was made: The resilience and high elasticity are properties of natural rubber, and the component also has a distinctive natural rubber smell.

Alternative Materials: Other highly elastic rubbers such as natural latex rubber would have been suitable.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (rubber forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 11 – Magnet HolderMaterial: Mild steel

How Identification was made: The colour of the metal and corrosion, as well as it malleable point to mild steel.

Alternative Materials: Medium carbon steel or steel alloys could have been used.

Processing: A punch press would be used to cut the sheet metal and then a brake would be used to bend the metal into shape.

Part 12 – FastenerMaterial: Brass

How Identification was made: The colour of the fastener and the tarnishing made brass the most likely material.

Alternative Materials: Low carbon steel or aluminum could be used as alternatives.

Processing: A simple extrusion method was most likely used.

Part 13 – MagnetMaterial: Ferrite (Ceramic)

How Identification was made: The colour and magnetic properties of the component show that it is a ferrite.

Alternative Materials: Other iron compounds are the most likely alternatives due to their ability to them being the best materials for being magnetized.

Processing: After the ferrite is produced, it is milled into small particles and the pressed and sintered to form the shape of the magnet.

Part 14 – AdhesiveMaterial: Thermosetting epoxy

How Identification was made: The material is soft and flexible, making a thermosetting epoxy the most likely form of adhesive.

Alternative Materials: Many other adhesives could have been used such as a thermoplastic adhesive.

Processing: The adhesive would simply have been applied and then allowed to cure.

Part 15 – Metal PlatesMaterial: Mild steel

How Identification was made: The colour and malleability of the plates.

Alternative Materials: Other steels such as low or medium carbon steel are most likely.

Processing: A punch press would be used to cut the plates from a sheet before they were put together.

Part 16 –ConnectorMaterial: Brass

How Identification was made: The yellow colour, tarnishing, and need for this component to be conductive all indicate that it is brass.

Alternative Materials: Another conductive material, most likely copper could also have been suitable.

Processing: A punch press would be used to cut the sheet metal and then a brake would be used to bend the metal into shape.

Part 17 – Blue CoveringMaterial: Vinyl

How Identification was made: This appears to be an electrical tape and the most common material for these is vinyl.

Alternative Materials: Many other plastics can be used to make electrical tape.

Processing: The tape would be produced using a method of film casting, (extruding the material through a precise slit) and then cut to shape.

Part 18 – TapeMaterial: Vinyl

How Identification was made: This also appears to be an electrical tape and the most common material for these is vinyl.

Alternative Materials: Many other plastics can be used to make electrical tape.

Processing: The tape would be produced using a method of film casting, (extruding the material through a precise slit) and then cut to shape.

Part 19 – CoilMaterial: Copper coated in an insulating film (polyvinyl formal (Formvar), polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, polyester-polyimide, polyamide-polyimide (or amide-imide), or polyimide.)1

How Identification was made: The distinctive copper colour and need and need for this component to be highly conductive.

Alternative Materials: Another highly conductive material such as silver.

Processing: The wire would be produced via drawing and then spun into the coil.

1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet_wire

Part 20 – InsulationMaterial: Paper impregnated with resin

How Identification was made: The appearance, brittleness and need for this part to be insulating.

Alternative Materials: Other insulation such as more electrical tape, usually made from vinyl could have been used.

Processing: The paper is impregnated with the liquid resin and allowed to cure.

Part 21– Coil End CapsMaterial: Phenol-formaldehyde

How Identification was made: The insulating properties and colour of component

Alternative Materials: Other plastics suitable in electronics such as PVC or polycarbonate.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (phenol-formaldehyde forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 22 – BodyMaterial: ABS

How Identification was made: The strength and use as a body in an electrical appliance.

Alternative Materials: Some other plastics such as polycarbonate would have been suitable.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (ABS forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 23 – Pump SealMaterial: Phenol-formaldehyde

How Identification was made: The insulating properties and colour of component

Alternative Materials: Other plastics suitable in electronics such as PVC or polycarbonate.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (phenol-formaldehyde forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 24 – Threaded RodMaterial: Zinc coated mild steel

How Identification was made: The rod shares most of the properties of the screws, and most likely shares the same materials.

Alternative Materials: Other steels such as medium carbon steel or an alloy steel could be used, as well as some non-ferrous materials such as brass. Alternative coating materials could include tin or copper.

Processing: Blanks would have been cut from a wire and then threaded using the process called thread rolling (rolling the blank against a die).

Part 25 – WasherMaterial: Mild steel

How Identification was made: The price and malleability of mild steel makes it the most likely choice, and the colour of the nuts further helps to identify the material.

Alternative Materials: Stainless steel, aluminum or medium carbon steel are all likely alternatives.

Processing: A simple punch press cutting process would be used.

Part 26 – Rubber CapMaterial: Natural rubber

How Identification was made: The resilience and high elasticity are properties of natural rubber, and the component also has a distinctive natural rubber smell.

Alternative Materials: Other highly elastic rubbers such as natural latex rubber would have been suitable.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (rubber forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 27 – Diode Material: The case is molded epoxy and the terminal is bright tin

How Identification was made: The diode is labeled as IN4007, and these are detailed as using these materials.

Alternative Materials: A plastic such as polycarbonate could have been used to the casing and another conductive metal such as brass could have been used for the terminal.

Processing: This would be a complex production process due to the multiple smaller components where the diode is encased in the epoxy in an injection molding process.

Part 28 – SolderMaterial: Tin and lead

How Identification was made: The most likely solder used for this component is a soft solder, and these are made from these two metals.

Alternative Materials: Only soft solder is likely not to damage the other components, and the other materials which may be contained in this are bismuth, zinc aluminum and cadmium.

Processing: The solder wire would simply be melted onto the components.

Part 29 – Circuit BoardMaterial: Phenolic

How Identification was made: This is a material was often used to make circuit boards and the boards produced are of the same brown colour.

Alternative Materials: Other circuit board materials which could be used include Teflon or FR-4 which is a woven glass and epoxy.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (material forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 30 – ClaspMaterial: Mild steel

How Identification was made: The malleability and of this material without need for it to be very strong for its application, and the colour of the material.

Alternative Materials: Many other metals such as low carbon steel or aluminum could have been used.

Processing: A punch press would be used to cut the sheet metal and then a brake used to bend it into shape.

Part 31 – SwitchMaterial: Phenol-formaldehyde

How Identification was made: The insulating properties and colour of component

Alternative Materials: Other plastics suitable in electronics such as PVC or polycarbonate.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (phenol-formaldehyde forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 32 – FoamMaterial: Polyethylene

How Identification was made: Polyethylene can be used to make foam with the same highly porous properties of this part and so is the most likely material.

Alternative Materials: Another polyethylene or polyurethane foam could be used instead.

Processing: After adding gases to molten polyethylene it can be put into a mould, alternatively a sheet may have been made and then cut to produce the part.

Parts 33 & 34 – Small ScrewsMaterial: Zinc coated mild steel

How Identification was made: Just as with the larger screws (parts 1 to 4), these are common materials, and the colour of the screws helped to determine they are zinc coated.

Alternative Materials: Other steels such as medium carbon steel or an alloy steel could be used, as well as some non-ferrous materials such as brass. Alternative coating materials could include tin or copper.

Processing: Blanks would have been cut from a wire, then cold headed (head pressed in a forming cartridge), before being threaded via thread rolling (rolling the blank against a die) and finally coated in zinc using electroplating.

Part 35 – O-RingMaterial: Butyl rubber

How Identification was made: This is a common material for the production of o-rings and has the resistances suitable to this application.

Alternative Materials: Other rubbers such as butadiene rubber or silicon rubber would have been suitable.

Processing: This component was most likely produced by injection moulding (material forced by a ram into a mould cavity then cooled.)

Part 36 – Side ScrewMaterial: Mild steel

How Identification was made: This is a common material for screws of this type and the colour of corrosion and the thread also point to this.

Alternative Materials: Other steels such as medium carbon steel or an alloy steel could be used, as well as some non-ferrous materials such as brass. Alternative coating materials could include tin or copper.

Processing: Blanks would have been cut from a wire, then cold headed (head pressed in a forming cartridge), before being threaded via thread rolling (rolling the blank against a die).