The Different Types of Manufacturing Processes That Exist Today

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution way back in 18th century Britain, people have continually found new ways to manufacture products en masse. In this modern age, we now combine precision digital technology and advanced materials to develop exceptional products.

But, you might be wondering what types of manufacturing processes exist today? Well, there are countless processes now to consider, so in this article, we will highlight some of the most prominent forms.

So let’s now take a look at some of the most commonly used manufacturing processes that the industry uses today.

3D Printing

We’ll start with one of the newest concepts in the manufacturing industry: 3D printing technology. Although, you might be surprised that the technology has been around since the 1980s. Yet, it’s only in recent years where this field has expanded to huge levels.

Now you can see 3D printing in various industries where they use many material and composite types to make products. The machines do this by printing the products layer after layer. This means no mechanization or manual labor is needed when using this process in the manufacturing industry.

Also, companies often now use 3D printing for new product development and rapid prototyping. Plus, the technology is becoming much more accessible these days, with tools like the Aoralscan 3 Intraoral, for example.

Job Shop Manufacturing

Job shop manufacturing is one where manufacturing processes occur in distinct areas, rather than through assembly lines. This type of manufacturing is suited for custom products at a small scale.

For example, a custom boots maker may have specific areas on the floor that are dedicated to making a particular aspect of the boot. As well, you will find many custom machine makers develop their machines using this manufacturing method.

In this modern era, you may see that particular job shop areas now use specialist software to help in the production process. By using such software, some businesses find they can scale up production and become more efficient too.

However, if a company finds out how to make all of their processes more efficient, they may be able to move into repetitive manufacturing, which we’ll look into now.

Repetitive Manufacturing

This type of manufacturing is perfect for those who have one clear production method to make something. It also allows for the highly efficient and predictable production of goods.

It’s typical to see repetitive manufacturing used at a large scale since it’s easy to expand. It also allows manufacturers to meet customer demand easily. The type of goods you may see that are manufactured in this way can include electronics like smartphones and various other consumer products.

Discrete Manufacturing

Discrete manufacturing uses repetitive manufacturing as its basis, but also allows for modifications. For instance, if you are manufacturing shoes, then you need to be able to create different sizes. There may also be various styles that you wish to create.

So with this type of manufacturing, there’s some flexibility, but it can come at a cost. The time it takes to make any changes to the production line is time lost where you could have produced a lot more of a particular product. Yet, this method can be a lot cheaper to set up than implementing multiple repetitive production lines dedicated to one specific product type.

Batch Production

The principle of batch production is that you produce goods according to customer requests and demand. For example, a company could have a client that needs 20,000 units of a certain product. The batch producer will take the order and focus their production on that product until the order is fulfilled.

You will often see newspapers, books, and pharmaceuticals being made through a batch production process. And the great thing about this process is that companies don’t overproduce because they take on production on an order-by-order basis.

Continuous Process Manufacturing

This process is almost the same as repetitive manufacturing, yet as the name suggests, it is continuously happening. It also has more of a focus on raw materials such as powders, gases, slurry, and liquids.

Where there is always a consistent demand for products, companies can resort to continuous process manufacturing. For instance, tomato ketchup is something that has a relatively consistent and widespread demand, so companies make this product using this type of manufacturing process.

The Fundamentals of Manufacturing

We’ll now take a quick look into some of the fundamentals of manufacturing that companies rely on to produce their products and components.

First, we have machining, which is where manufacturers use programmable power tools to cut and shape metals and other materials. This is a technique that is crucial in almost every industry and can be relevant to micro-levels.

Joining is an important manufacturing consideration that requires engineering knowledge. Manufacturers have to decide on how they will join materials, how long they will last, and much more. Bolting is one example of how you can join components securely.

Forming is all about making bends, stretches, or spins in metals. Manufacturers may use a die, punching tools, or a metal press to form their metals. One issue with forming, however, is it can be expensive.

Casting is another way to shape metals and other substances like plastic, which you can melt and reshape. The process involves the manufacturer pouring a liquid form substance into a cavity or mold. Then, the substance will cool and form into the desired shape ready for extraction.

Types of Manufacturing Processes Explained

Now you should have a much better grasp of the types of manufacturing processes that exist today. And we think one of the more exciting developments in recent years is with 3D printing.

So thanks for checking out this post; we hope you found it informative. If so, please consider looking through our website for more helpful tips and advice.