Research on machines and materials

In designing there are a lot of potential materials and machines to consider. Some machines include CAMM 1, 3D printers, routers and laser cutters. For each of these machines there are different materials and properties you have to consider. For example the laser cutter will cut through plastics and woods however can only do a shallow cut. When using the laser cutter there are a few health and safety tips about fumes, goggles and clothing. So if you were making and 3D model with the laser cutter you would have to make many layers to stick together. If you were to use a router, the drill bit can cut down a lot deeper therefore using less layers to create your model. If you were working as a freelance designer having these machines would be perfect as you could lease with commercial designers and companies to send any designs for specific machines through the internet. However if you where a designer within a company you would not have the machines because you would have take out a risk analysis and also to be trained up to use them and there are health and safety rules that have to be met. If you can not meet these requirements a technician trained in that machine would have to be called.

                CAMM1 is a vinyl cutter, this can be used for by all companies for packaging and promotional goods such as stickers or magnets etc. laser cutters are a bit more specialist, they are used for the making of three dimensional products so fewer companies will own these machines. Even more specialist machines are the 3d printers. Even less companies will own these but they are incredibly good for creating complex 3D shapes. Using a powder and a resin it works by building up layers of upon layers to make the 3D product.

                When designing a product its not just the designers that have to be considered in the production and selling of the product. For starters there will be an individual or group that commissions the product, that could be either a private or commercial client or a retailer. The next step is that they would contact a freelance designer or in house design team. From there model makers, computer technicians and engineers need to be brought in to get the product working efficiently through doing tests. Once the product works it needs to be looked at by health and safety technicians to make sure it passes any necessary tests. Moving into the advertisement side of the product you need graphic designers to exhibition designers to organizers for shows.

                 When making design a reality you have to consider how efficient you can be with your materials and how economical you can be with your costs. As a designers funding can be an issue as  Machines and materials can be expensive so it is important to have a wide variety techniques to combat these issues for example when creating 3d products using different techniques can be key to how successful your product is(e.g. layering and latticing) both in it’s costs and amount of material that is used.

Legislation is laws that effect any and all designs whether it be copyright or unsafe designs. A registered design is a legal right that protects the aesthetics of the product. Once you have made a product you can register it with the intellectual property office this protects your product against copyright and infringement  For a design to be registered it must be new and have individual character. However there are a few points that could stop your design being registered, for example if your product is offensive, consists of or includes certain protected flags, is not a design by legal definition or it is solely dictated by the products technical function.