B4.1 Production Systems

What is a Production System?

The organization of facilities, machinery, equipment, and processes used to transform raw materials into finished products.

What are the 6 main types of Production Systems?

Craft, Mechanised, Automated, Assembly Line, Hybrid Production Systems, and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM).

What is Craft Production?

A small-scale production process relying on manual skills and artisan expertise to make individual, custom, or bespoke products.

What are the main advantages of Craft Production?

Superior quality, high attention to detail, and extreme flexibility to adapt to custom customer requests.

What are the main disadvantages of Craft Production?

High labor-intensive production costs, long production times, and poor scalability for volume output.

What is Mechanised Production?

A volume production process where human operators use and control power-driven machinery to produce goods.

What are the advantages of Mechanised Production?

Increased production speed and output compared to craft production, alongside consistent product quality.

What are the disadvantages of Mechanised Production?

High initial investment in machinery and maintenance, plus reduced flexibility for rapid design changes.

What is Automated Production?

A high-volume production process where computer-controlled machinery performs manufacturing with minimal human intervention.

What are the advantages of Automated Production?

Exceptionally high efficiency, continuous rapid output, reduced labor costs, and low unit defect rates.

What are the disadvantages of Automated Production?

Very high setup and technology infrastructure costs, alongside limited flexibility without complex reprogramming.

What is an Assembly Line?

A volume production system where products move continuously along a conveyor past fixed workstations where specific sequential assembly tasks are performed.

What are the advantages of an Assembly Line?

Maximized efficiency, high specialization of labor or robotics, fast output, and very low per-unit production costs.

What are the disadvantages of an Assembly Line?

High inflexibility to design modifications, high risk of total line downtime if one station fails, and repetitive worker monotony.

What is a Hybrid Production System?

A flexible manufacturing setup combining manual, mechanized, and automated processes to balance customization with output efficiency.

What are the advantages of a Hybrid Production System?

High flexibility to adapt to changing market demands while optimizing resources and controlling operational costs.

What is Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)?

A fully integrated system where computers control the entire production process, linking design (CAD), manufacturing (CAM), robotics, and enterprise logistics.

What are the main advantages of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)?

Streamlined lead times, real-time data tracking, high precision, and quick adaptability to design modifications.

What are the primary disadvantages of CIM?

Extreme capital investment required for setup, high system complexity, and reliance on highly specialized maintenance personnel.

What is One-Off Production?

The creation of a single, customized product or prototype tailored to a specific client brief.

What is Batch Production?

A manufacturing scale where a specific quantity of identical items is produced together in a group before retooling equipment for another run.

What is Mass Production?

High-volume manufacturing of standardized products using fixed assembly lines and continuous processes.

What is Continuous Production?

A 24/7 uninterrupted manufacturing process used for extremely high volumes of homogeneous materials like steel, oil, or paper.

What is Mass Customisation?

The flexible large-scale production of goods tailored to individual consumer preferences using modular components and automated systems.

What is Just-In-Time (JIT) Inventory Management?

A lean strategy where raw materials arrive at the factory only as needed for production, eliminating storage and warehousing costs.

What is Just-In-Case (JIC) Inventory Management?

An inventory strategy where extra raw materials and spare stock are stored to protect against supply chain interruptions.

Which 6 factors influence the choice of a manufacturing technique?

Product type/complexity, material properties, scale of production, available production system, cost constraints, and environmental considerations.

What are the 3 component types in product deconstruction?

Structural components (frames/support), functional components (moving parts/mechanisms), and aesthetic components (finishes/covers).

How do production limitations influence product design?

System boundaries in machinery precision, budget, time, and material properties force designers to balance function, aesthetics, and manufacturability.