What are the 5 manufacturing processes?
- One-off production
- Batch production
- Mass production
- Continuous production
- JIT (just-in-time) manufacturing
What is one-off production?
When bespoke products are made to meet specific customer requirements. Every product is unique.
What is batch production?
When a set number of products are passed through the production process together, on stage at a time
What is mass production?
When the production process is broken down into stages, with different tasks being performed as the products move along the assembly line
What is continuous production?
When identical products are made without interruption. Production will only stop occasionally for cleaning and maintenance, keeping downtime to a minimum.
What is JIT manufacturing?
When actual orders provide a signal for when a product should be manufactured
What are the advantages and disadvantages of one-off production?
- Often labour intensive
- Usually involves high skilled workers who command relatively high wages
- Each item is individually made so production can be time consuming and costly
- The finished product is usually high quality
What are the advantages and disadvantages of batch production?
- Useful when making small quantities of a product or variations of similar products
- Machines can be programmed to carry out specific tasks
- The use of templates, jigs and moulds ensures that the products are identical
- Machinery often has to be stopped and reconfigured for each batch (downtime), which can be inefficient when lots of batches are required
- Materials can be purchased in large quantities, enabling the business to benefit from economies of scale (lower unit costs when larger quantities are purchased)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of mass production?
- Produces large quantities of identical products quickly
- Productivity is high, so unit cost of production is low, allowing the business to benefit from economies of scale and offer competitive prices
- Workers or machines can perform a simple dedicated task at each stage of the production process so little skilled labour is required
- Machinery is costly so initial set-up is expensive
What are the advantages and disadvantages of continuous production?
- Runs 24/7
- Production is quick and almost entirely automated, so productivity is high and labour costs are low
- Machinery is expensive, so initial set-up costs are high
- Unit costs are very cheap due to economies of scale
- Only a very limited range of products can be produced as a result of the high level of automation
What are the advantages and disadvantages of just-in-time manufacturing?
- Decreases storage costs and optimises space usage
- The money that would have been used for stocks can be used for a different area of the business
- Reduces the time between paying for supplies and receiving payment from customers
- Customers have to wait for the product to be made
- Some customers may prefer to buy in bulk
- Ordering costs could increase due to the fact that a large number of small orders are made, rather than fewer, larger orders
- Requires reliable suppliers and transport systems
What are some common examples of one-off production?
- Bespoke clothing
- Furniture
- Jewellery
What is an example of batch production?
A bakery making different types of bread or cake
What are some common examples of mass production?
- Newspapers
- Drinks bottles
- Cars
What are some common examples of continuous production?
- Pulp and paper production
* Metal smelting and casting
