A look at various manufacturing methods

There are various manufacturing methods that can be looked at.They are batch production, continuous production, job production and mass production.All four of these manufacturing methods are used throughout the world.Take a look at the various manufacturing methods.

Batch production is a manufacturing method that is used to produce products in batches.This is unlike continuous production or one-off production.Batch production manufacturing is where all the components of a product are completed at a workstation before they move to the next one.

One down side to batch manufacturing is that sometimes the line must be shut down, re-configured, and output tests must be taken before the next batch can be produced. This is called "down time" and happens with all batch manufacturing.The upside of the batch manufacturing method is that it can reduce initial capital, and can be helpful to companies who don't have the funds for continuous production lines.

The continuous production manufacturing method is where there is no break in the production line.Continuous production can enhance automation.Continuous production has the ability to use programmable logic controllers.Most of the jobs done on continuous production can easily be automated.This reduces the interference of human error. With this manufacturing method businesses can use conveyors, elevators, feeders and similar items.

The main difference between batch manufacturing and continuous manufacturing is that any changes or maintenance on continuous manufacturing has to be done while work is going on.This means that high alertness and quick responsiveness needs to be present.

There is another manufacturing method called job production.Job production is when a company manufactures a certain product for a specific customer.With job production the quality it typically higher and customization is to the customers exact requirements.There is great flexibility and the workers are typically more motivated.

One disadvantage of the manufacturing method of job production is that it has a higher cost of production.It is slower than other production types and job production usually requires the use of specialist labor.

Look at another manufacturing method like, mass production.Mass production and job production are on the opposite ends of the production line.Mass production is just that, production in mass amounts.Mass production typically uses moving tracks to move products that are partially done to the next section so that the next part can be added.The unfinished product goes down the tracks or conveyor belts until it is finished.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to mass production, as with all the various manufacturing methods.The main advantages are the time and money saved when producing large amounts of products, and the human error is drastically decreased because of all the machinery involved.The main disadvantages are that it is difficult to change any designs and getting the customers customized preferences is very difficult.

The manufacturing method of mass production uses assembly lines, but assembly lines are not restricted to mass production.The assembly line can be used in smaller jobs that require multiple parts to be added to a product.The assembly line can be machine, human or a combination of both.Most assemblies are a combination of both machine and human.Assembly lines can reduce the time for production for many products and many companies.

Take a look at the various manufacturing method and you will find that there are a few to look at.There are manufacturing methods for any type of business and company out there.Some manufacturing methods are better choices for certain business than others.But all manufacturing methods have their place in the business world.