Before you can even begin to decide on a manufacturing system that is right for your company you are going to need to know about the different manufacturing systems. The good news is that there are only four major types of manufacturing systems, so as long as you know a little about the different types of systems you will be one step closer to being able to decide between the different systems and choose the one that is right for your company.
In order to be a successful small business manufacturing plant you are going to need to know a little bit about manufacturing. One of the most important things that you will need t know is what types of manufacturing systems there are and what the differences between them are. Once you have learned about the different types of manufacturing systems you are going to have to choose the one that is best for your small business manufacturing plant.
Here is a look at the different manufacturing systems.
Custom manufacturing:
This is probably one of the oldest manufacturing systems in the world because it goes back to when products where first made. Basically custom manufacturing is where one person has the skill that is needed to make a certain product. A great example of this type of manufacturing is a shoe maker or a candle maker; it used to be that only one person was required to make these customized products. Custom manufacturing is still used today but rather than just one person making the product that is required we have machines that will do the jobs for us. And if people are doing the manufacturing you are going to need more than one person to make the specialized product so you can keep up with the higher demands.
Intermittent manufacturing:
This is also an older style of a manufacturing system. This system was used when custom manufacturing could not meet the demands of the customers. Basically what intermittent manufacturing is would be where more than one of the same product is being made. This type of manufacturing is actually used world wide and it is a great way to make more than one product in a short amount of time, as long as the product is the same product. This type of manufacturing won't work on multiple products. A great example of this type of manufacturing is making five pairs of the same shoe rather than one custom pair of shoes.
Continuous manufacturing:
This is a newer system of manufacturing and it was created when product demands got to be too much for intermittent manufacturing. Basically this manufacturing system is an actual assembly line. This system is usually used when more then one product is being made and it takes more than two people working together to actually make the product. In this type of manufacturing system the product moves from one station to the next and each person at each station has a specific job that they need to do in the manufacturing process. This type of manufacturing system is great if you are producing a product that requires you to complete a lot of steps before it can be considered a finished product, but the drawback to this type of manufacturing system is that it can be expensive to run.
Flexible manufacturing:
This is actually the newest type of manufacturing system that is being used currently. This type of manufacturing system uses machines that are controlled by computers. This type of manufacturing produces a product just like intermitted manufacturing and is continuous like continuous manufacturing, but the thing about this type of manufacturing system is that it cuts out having to hire people for an assembly line. Not to mention that it is also a great way to always make the product faster which is a great way to keep up with the customers demands.
MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS, HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM
Choosing a manufacturing system for you company can be very difficult. There are things you have to think about, like; which system will make you a high quality product. Think about how much energy your system will use. Will the system be easy for you and your employees to use? How much will your new system cost, you will want a cost efficient system that produces a quality product. There are four different types of major manufacturing. Let's talk about these four types; this will make it easier to choose which will work for the needs of your business.
There are a few things that you will want to consider in your choices of the manufacturing systems available. These different considerations are:
• Which of the systems available will best benefit the type of manufacturing you are planning?
• How much will it take in both effort and energy for you to be able to obtain, implement and maintain consistency with the manufacturing system you will go with?
• How easy or difficult will it be for the employees, managers and owners to implement and maintain the manufacturing system?
• How much will the manufacturing system cost, and what can you afford to spend?
• Will the cost efficiency from the manufacturing system resolve into enough of a saving of cost, to benefit the cost of the program?
Custom Manufacturing- this technique has been around for ages. Custom manufacturing as one person who had the skill to make a product. For example: the shoe make made the shoes, the tailor made clothes. Now days these machines are used to fill the needs of the customer. Today more people then just one will work to fill the needs of the production of a special product for a customer. So if your company is making custom made products you might consider custom manufacturing.
Intermittent Manufacturing- when custom manufacturing could not fill the demands of the customer's intermitted manufacturing began. This is where more of the same product was made at the same time, like; instead of one bottle of water being made a dozen bottles of water are made. This type of manufacturing is used world wide and it is a good way to make multiple products in a short amount of time.
Continuous Manufacturing- this type of manufacturing is an assembly line. Usually when one product is made and a team of workers work together to produce the product. The product moves from one station to the next and a worker at each station has a specific job. As the product moves down the line it gets closer and closer to being finished. This would be a good system if your product has a lot of steps to take before it is a complete product. This manufacturing type might get expensive. The cost of machinery and the cost of having a large amount of employees can hurt your finances.
Flexible Manufacturing- this is the newest type of manufacturing used today. This type of manufacturing uses machines that are controlled by computers. Flexible manufacturing produces a product just like intermitted manufacturing and is continuous like continuous manufacturing. This cuts out having to hire people for an assembly line. This way also always the product to be made a lot quicker, so you will keep up with the demand of customers.
All of these ways of manufacturing are good ways to get your product made. They all have their advantages and they all have their disadvantages. You can make your decision easily if you know what your companies needs are. If you are making products that are made from special order from your customers then a custom manufacturing system will work for you. If you need to make a product that is in high demand, having a manufacturing system like the intermitted of the flexible will work for you. Or if your product involves a lot of detail when making it, the continuous manufacturing will work for you. The right choice in a manufacturing system will help your company grow and you will have an easy way of producing your product. Do your research and choose wisely.
