3 Types of Manufacturing System

MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

The particular type of production control type system used varies from company to company and depending on the type of control system, such as :

• -          Flow manufacturing
• -          Intermittent manufacturing
• -          Project manufacturing

 FLOW MANUFACTURING

Concerned with the production of high volume standard products. If the units are discrete such as cars and appliances, the process is called repetitive manufacturing. If the goods are made in continuous flow such as gasoline, the process called continuous manufacturing

Major characteristics :

• -          Routing
• -          Work centers
• -          Material flow
• -          Fixed capacity

INTERMITTENT MANUFACTURING

Characterize by many variations in product design, process requirement and order quantities.

• -         Flow of work through the shop is varied and depends on the design of a particular product.
• -          Machinery and workers must be flexible enough to do the variety of work.
• -          Throughput times are generally long
• -          The capacity required depends on the particular mix of products being built and is difficult to predict.

PROJECT MANUFACTURING

Usually involves the creation of one or a small number of units. Large shipbuilding is an example. There will be a close coordination between manufacturing, marketing, purchasing, and engineering.