Make the things that make life better with a career in manufacturing technology.

Glossary of terms

Automation: the application of machines to tasks once performed by human beings or, increasingly, to tasks that would otherwise be impossible.

Blueprint: a detailed drawing of a part's dimensions and views.

CAD: computer-aided design of parts.

Conductivity: the power of conducting or transmitting electricity.

Control: a device or mechanism used to regulate or guide the operation of a machine, apparatus, or system; also, the state of stability, normal variation and predictability.

Defects: sources of customer irritation, which proves costly to both customers and manufacturers.

Engineer: engineering that deals with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems ( people, materials, and energy) in industry.

Electronics: a branch of physics that deals with the emission, behavior, and effects of electrons (as in electron tubes and transistors) and with electronic devices.

Extrusion: : the process of extruding (pushing out) a product from material made of metal or plastic.

Force: energy exerted through a cause of motion or change.

Human error: errors made by humans as opposed to errors made by automated machines, which are typically less frequent.

Lathe: a machine that shapes material by rotating it around a horizontal axis with a fixed tool.

Machine: an system designed to transmit or modify the application of power, force, or motion to perform a task.

Manufacturing: to make into a product suitable for use from raw materials by hand or by machinery according to an organized plan and with division of labor.

Mass production: to produce in quantity, usually by machinery.

Mill: a machine that shapes metal of metal through rotating milling cutters

Mold: a cavity in which a substance is shaped.

Plating: the process of placing a thin coat of metal, such as gold or copper, on a part to enhance conductivity, aesthetic appearance or durability.

Pressure: the action of force against an opposing force.

Prototype: a 3-D model of a part created for testing purposes.

Radial: describes parts centered around a center point or radius.

Robotics: technology dealing with the design, construction, and operation of robots in automation.

Six Sigma: a vision of quality striving for perfection, resulting in only 3.4 defects per million opportunities for each product or service transaction.

Tolerance: the allowable deviation from a standard; especially : the range of variation permitted in maintaining a specified dimension in machining a piece

Tool and die maker: creates a tool similar to a mold which is used to stamp out metal parts.

Variance: a change in a process or business practice that may alter its expected outcome.

Note: Many definitions derived and/or modified from yourdictionary.com and ge.com