Scales Of Manufacturing

Question 1

Scales

Answer 1

One off
Low volume
Mass production
Continuous

Question 2

One off

Answer 2

Is where the customer or designer requires a unique article or large product made to a specific design
Basically hand crafted, can be outsourced
Costly in labour and materials but high quality
Wedding dress

Question 3

Low volume

Answer 3

Involves manufacture of a specified number of articles to fill an order.
Used by designers working with specialised products that have a small or uncertain market
Allows designers and manufacturers to respond quickly to changes to market demand and adapt the designs accordingly
Suitable for products designed for specific situation
Eg boutique clothing or shoes

Question 4

Mass production

Answer 4

Is the production of thousands and sometimes millions of items.
Process is standardised and usually inflexible but gives greatest economies of scale
Needs to be planned careful as it is time consuming and expensive to set up
Can be a financial risk need to be certain of market
Often dedicated to completing a single complex product
Eg motor vehicle

Question 5

Continuous volume

Answer 5

Continues 24/7. Is usually rid by CAM
This type of production is often associated with component manufacture such as the memory chips used in computers where demand is relatively constant

Question 6

Comparison

Answer 6

1)
People who make products are multi skilled and entire product s overseen by one person
2) workers may require limited skills or one specific skill or may work on only one part of the product
1) the type of work may be varied and interesting
2) may be repetitive, boring and dull
1) one item produced at a time and each product is individual
2) hundreds or thousands of one product is made
1)May take a long time to produce
2) average time taken to produce each product is reduced
1) cost of making product s usually high as materials need to be purchased at full price
2) cost of each product is usually lowered due to economies of scale
1) quality of the product depends on skill of the creator or maker
2) the quality of the product depends on the accuracy of the machines and the systems and staff that run them

Question 7

Types of manufacturing

Answer 7

Lean manufacture
Just in time
Agile

Question 8

Lean manufacture

Answer 8

System based on tqm
LeAn methods aim for little or no waste in the seven areas of waste with the purpose of improving value for the consumer
About creating smooth flow and having processes run efficiently to minimise waste
Measurements rather than opinions are used to make decisions and improvements
About right things to right place at the right time in the right quantity to achieve perfect work flow

Question 9

Just in time

Answer 9

Is the process of ordering supplies only as they are required. Reduced need to have expensive stockpiles of raw materials and or components

Question 10

Agile manufacturing

Answer 10

Flexible and responsive style of manufacturing that allows manufacturer to change production with little notice and without requiring expensive changes in rolling. Meaning manufacturers can cater to consumer demands for more customised products and respond to changes in sales
Robotics have helped to enable this
Relies on fast product development process
Zara