manufacturing scale of production

Question 1

what is high volume production

Answer 1

• involves the continuous production of standard items over a long period of time
• not employed by industries that undergo rapid changes

Question 2

what is the aim of high volume production

Answer 2

• aim is to make as many products as possible in the most efficient manner possible and to make those products as consistent and identical as possible

Question 3

what makes high volume of scale possible

Answer 3

• economic scale
• buying large quantities of parts and materials allows them to be brought at a lower cost
• lower wages - unskilled workers / robots / automated processes
• fast, efficient production

Question 4

what needs to be invested

Answer 4

a large investment in capital is required to set up in high volume production
- money needs to be invested in specific, purpose built equipment and on developing automated systems to improve efficiency

Question 5

what do processes have to be

Answer 5

• fast
• efficient
• create consistent, identical parts and products

Question 6

processes commonly used include

Answer 6

• injection moulding
• blow moulding
• high pressure die casting
• press forming operations

Question 7

high volume production can be

Answer 7

continuous flow
repetitive flow

Question 8

continuous flow

Answer 8

where products are made on a production line, one process after the other. it is usually high / fully automated

Question 9

repetitive flow

Answer 9

where production is broken down into sub-assemblies, which are assembled together at the end of the process

Question 10

batch production

Answer 10

• often used by where change occurs fairly and frequently where the type of product remains similar, but the exact natural of products changes regularly
• e.g. fashionable products that will be out of date frequently
• means different versions of similar types of products can be made

Question 11

what is labour like for batch production

Answer 11

labour intense and require more skill than those employed in HV
- need to be able to switch skills rapidly

Question 12

what processes frequently use BP

Answer 12

• vacuum forming
• sand casting
• steam bending
• sewing

Question 13

one off production

Answer 13

• also known as bespoke / customer made

Question 14

example

Answer 14

• bespoke tailoring
• customer - sports equipment
• bespoke furniture

Question 15

what labour does one off require

Answer 15

highly skilled workers

Question 16

what is production like for one off

Answer 16

• production slow
  great deal of care and attention

Question 17

what equipment is used in one off

Answer 17

hand held tools
- saws
- files
-lathes
- sewing machines
equipment often comes at a lower cost