Manufacturing is one of the critical processes in the product development lifecycle. It’s the pinnacle of bringing your product idea to life. If you get to the manufacturing phase, you’ve already validated your product idea, tested a prototype, and now you’re ready to use your resources to build a product on a large scale.
However, manufacturing is not
uniform across all businesses. You’ll come across different manufacturing
processes. You need to understand these processes to choose the one that suits
your business.
Read on to learn about the common
types of manufacturing processes.
Job
Shop Manufacturing
This type of manufacturing uses
production areas like workshops and workstations. You can use this process to
produce custom products in small, made-to-order batches for your customers.
Your workers at different
workstations will add a unique element to the product when it gets to their
station. The process continues until the final product is complete. Job shop
manufacturing is slower, which means it’s only ideal for producing a low volume
of goods.
Repetitive
Manufacturing
Repetitive manufacturing involves creating
similar products 24/7 at a predetermined production rate. It’s the best
manufacturing process if you have production lines dedicated to manufacturing
the same products.
Repetitive manufacturing means that
your equipment and machines will be working 24/7. This is why you need reliable
gears to give your equipment a long-lasting performance. You should consider a herringbone gear since it can handle the shock load of your heavy machinery.
Discrete
Manufacturing
Like repetitive manufacturing,
discrete manufacturing also uses a production line. However, it’s more diverse
because it’ll allow you to make frequent changeovers and setups in your
manufacturing process.
Discrete manufacturing is suitable
if you focus on products with different designs and sizes. To manufacture these
items, you’ll need to alter the production setup to match your needs.
Batch
Manufacturing
This type of manufacturing is driven
by consumers’ demand for a given product. If you choose this type, you’ll only
produce a large enough batch to meet the current demands for the given product.
Once you’re done manufacturing the
product, you’ll clean and store your equipment while waiting for another batch.
You can produce different products over time according to the batch’s
specifications. It’ll depend on the equipment and raw materials you have.
Continuous
Manufacturing
Continuous manufacturing happens
24/7, just like repetitive manufacturing. However, it’s different because it
uses powders, slurries, liquids, or gaseous raw materials.
You’ll rely on continuous
manufacturing if you deal with oil refining, food production, or metal
smelting. The process will continue every day to yield a constant product
output.
3D
Printing
3D manufacturing is one of the most
recent trends in the manufacturing industry. It involves using digital designs
to create objects. In this process, you’ll layer down thin material layers and
fuse them together to make the desired physical object.
3D printing employs rapid
prototyping to fabricate physical parts. Prototyping ensures that you yield a
model that matches your desired finished product. You can use rapid prototyping
at any stage of the product development cycle.
Understand
the Manufacturing Processes and Choose the Most Suitable One
It’s important that you know the
different types of manufacturing processes. This knowledge will help you choose
the right type depending on the products you intend to create. We hope that our
article gives you the information you need to select a process that aligns with
your business goals.
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