Part 2 - scales of production Flashcards
What determines the way products are made? And what varies with the scale of production?
the way products are manufactured can dependt on the quantity required. for example if its a single prototype ‘one off manufacturing’ it will be done by hand rather than machines. while if you were mass producing cars your would need large batches. there are 4 types of production ‘one off, batch, mass and continous’. cost, time, skill needed, effeciency of production and design condierations change as the number of products made increases
What is a prototype?
an early sample, model or release of a product made in order to test specifc aspects of the design such as operation or shape.
What costs are associated with a prototype
the cost of prototypes are high as all the costs of production are absorbed into just one price rather than being spread between lots of the same thing
Why is a prototype made and what other reasons are there for one off productions?
bespoke production is when a product is made for a specific sitguation or client and only once of them is ever made. bespoke product includes everything that the client wants as well as the specific features that the craftsperson or manufacturer prings to the product.
What is batch production? And give some examples of why batches are used.
batch production is where a limited number of the same product is made during a particular period of time. the number of units in a batch is determined by the product tha is being made, how much it costs to buy, how often it is sold, the price of raw materials and the costs of running machines. some examples of batch products can include jewlery, cakes, and books
What workforce is needed for prototyping?
one or a small group of people will be used in prototyping but the work can be labour intensive. (not indicated in text book)
What machinery and methods are involved in batch production?
moulds, patterns, jigs and formers so that a product can be made over and over again in a series of production runs
What makes batch production efficient?
computer controlled machinery is crucial to the success of modern batch production as it allows for a rapid changeover between batches with little ** down time** (when the line is not running)
What workforce is needed for batch production
people to run machines and make sure its all working (not indicated in text book)
What is mass production and when is it used?
manufaturing in large quanteties over a long period of time. can be used to produce large numbers of cheap products such as phones, clothes, stationary and packaging
Describe how mass production works
this typically uses a production line. often involves putting together products form sub-assemblies which are small sections of the whole product and standardised components which are simple parts produced in large number in another factory.
what workforce and skill level is needed for mass production
specialist machinery is often used but the skills required to operate the equipment and assemble the product are low meaning that the workfore is largley unskilled and can be reorganised quickly when the product changes.
What costs are involved with mass production and why?
using standardised components and unskilled labour allows cost of specialised equipment to be offset, resulting in a large production of cheap products.
Describe continuous production
where an item is made continously for 24 hours a per day 7 days a week with infrequent shutdowns for cleaning and maintainenes
When is continuous production used
for production that is fully automated to produce things such as paper and metals such as cars
What equipment is needed? continous production
highly specialised equipment is needed to run the facility an dto offset huge investment costs very high numbers of the same thing are mad for long periods of time
How flexible is continuous production and what are the implications for the products made?
the process is hard to change because of the costs of stopping production so continous production is usded where the demand for the same product is expeted to be the same for a long period of time.
What workers are needed? for continuos production
the whole process can be fully automated so almost no workers are needed
What applications are there for timber? continous production
continous production of timbers such as MDF boards can be useful as there is often a constant demand for the material. (not in book)
