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Lesson 9 of 12
  • Year 11

Finishing processes for metals

I can explain and compare small-scale and industrial finishing processes.

Lesson 9 of 12
New
New
  • Year 11

Finishing processes for metals

I can explain and compare small-scale and industrial finishing processes.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Small-scale methods can be used to finish materials.
  2. Finishing materials on a larger scale require different techniques.

Keywords

  • Finishing - a process that adds surface treatment to improve how a material looks, feels, or performs

  • Aesthetics - how the product looks including colour, texture and style or theme

  • Function - what a product should do

  • Surface preparation - getting a material ready for a surface treatment

Common misconception

The same tools and methods are used for both small-scale and industrial manufacturing.

The scale of production heavily influences tool choice, speed, accuracy, and repeatability.


To help you plan your year 11 design and technology lesson on: Finishing processes for metals, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Try to organise a small practical based on any of the processes mentioned in this lesson to fully embed learning.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these materials is most likely to need a protective outer layer?

Correct answer: fabric for a raincoat
polypropylene chair
glass in a window
aluminium foil

Q2.
Which of these products is designed to look or feel a certain way on the outside?

Correct answer: a cardboard gift box
a tin of soup
a wooden broom handle
a pencil eraser

Q3.
Materials are chosen based on their physical and working .

Correct Answer: properties, property

Q4.
A ready-made part used across different products to make manufacturing easier is called a .

Correct Answer: component

Q5.
What is the main purpose of recycling?

Correct answer: to save resources
to generate waste
to collect raw materials
to increase pollution

Q6.
What does CNC stand for?

Computerised Numeric Cutting
Controlled Numerical Coding
Correct answer: Computer Numerical Control
Central Networked Control

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
A process that adds surface treatment to improve how a material looks, feels, or performs is called .

Correct Answer: finishing, finish

Q2.
What does the term 'aesthetics' mean when talking about a product?

how well the product works
how strong the product is
Correct answer: how the product looks and feels
how much the product costs

Q3.
What is the main purpose of a finishing process?

to change the shape of a material
Correct answer: to improve appearance or performance
to reduce the cost of production
to join two materials together

Q4.
Degreasing, pickling, annealing, cleaning are all examples of .

Correct Answer: Surface preparation

Q5.
Match the metal finish to the description.

Correct Answer:galvanising,coating metal with zinc to prevent rust

coating metal with zinc to prevent rust

Correct Answer:anodising,thickening aluminium’s oxide layer for protection and colour

thickening aluminium’s oxide layer for protection and colour

Correct Answer:electroplating,using electricity to deposit a thin metal layer on another

using electricity to deposit a thin metal layer on another

Correct Answer:brushing,rubbing metal with an abrasive to create a textured finish

rubbing metal with an abrasive to create a textured finish

Correct Answer:enamelling,melts a layer of powdered glass

melts a layer of powdered glass

Correct Answer:embossing,creates raised or recessed texture

creates raised or recessed texture

Q6.
If a product has undergone heat treatment such as annealing or enamelling, finishing is required to remove effects of heat. Put the steps in order:

1 - acidic pickle to remove oxide layers
2 - wire brush for difficult to reach areas
3 - tumbler for polishing
4 - jewellers wax for a shine