2.11 - Scales of Production

Question 1

What are some different scales of production?

Answer 1

• One-off production
• Batch production
• Mass production
• Continuous production
• Prototype

Question 2

What is one-off production?

Answer 2

• One-off production is the manufacture of a single item.
• This may be a custom or bespoke item made specifically to a client’s brief.
• The build quality and level of skilled craftsmanship will be high, but the cost of production will also be high.

Question 3

What is batch production?

Answer 3

• Companies use batch production to make consistent products, maintaining a quality standard.
• Producing in large batches, reduces the overall cost per item.
• Templates or moulds can ensure consistency of production.
• Each batch will be tested for quality and uniformity.
• Machinery may need to be recalibrated or stopped between batches causing downtime.

Question 4

What is mass production?

Answer 4

• This is the manufacture of standardised products in large quantities.
• Automation contributes to the efficient manufacture of high-volume products.
• Automated assembly line production requires fewer workers.
• The set-up costs for efficient automated machinery or robots can be high.
• Producing high volumes of products reduces the cost per unit.

Question 5

What is continuous production?

Answer 5

• A continuous process that takes place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Industries using continuous production are very expensive to run.
• Processes will be highly automated with a small work force.
• Machinery is set up to produce large volumes of one item.

Question 6

What are some examples of products and/or processes that use one-off production?

Answer 6

Examples include a hand-made wedding dress, a cruise liner or a piece of jewellery.

Question 7

What are some examples of products and/or processes that use batch production?

Answer 7

Examples of batch produced goods include clothing, baked goods, newspapers and electrical goods.

Question 8

What are some examples of products and/or processes that use mass production?

Answer 8

• Vehicles, pharmaceuticals, popular soft drinks and mobile phones are all mass produced.
• Mass production often uses automated assembly lines.

Question 9

What are some examples of products and/or processes that use continuous production?

Answer 9

• Continuous production is often used for manufacturing many household chemicals,
  petrochemicals, cement and steel.
• Oil refinerys, blast furnaces, power stations, paper pulp production, smelting and chemical manufacture are all continuous processes.

Question 10

What is a prototype?

Answer 10

• A prototype is a representation of a product before it is produced in any quantity.
• It helps evaluate and test a design, and to confirm design methods and costs.