The Different Types of Manufacturing Processes That Are Used Today
When it comes to manufacturing products, you take pride in offering your best to your customers — and to the economy. And rightfully so.
Research shows that the manufacturing industry in 2020 amounted to nearly 11% of the United States’ total gross domestic product.
However, the manufacturing industry is super diverse, featuring a wide variety of processes. And each process offers its own unique benefits. For this reason, it’s critical that manufacturers explore all of the product development process options available to them before settling on a single one.
Here’s a rundown on the many different types of manufacturing processes used today.
Let’s jump in!
Continuous Manufacturing Process
A popular manufacturing process is continuous manufacturing, which runs 24/7. This process is used to create similar products or the same products repeatedly. In addition, it creates quantities of products for larger orders.
With this type of process, raw materials such as slurries, powers, liquids, and gases are utilized. Industries that use this type of process include the following:
- Furnace (alloys, steel, and iron)
- Paper
- Power stations
- Industrial gases and chemicals
- Oil refining
The fertilizer industry and the pharmaceutical industry also utilize this process.
Repetitive Manufacturing Process
Repetitive manufacturing is yet another common manufacturing process used around the clock. It involves creating the same item on a plant’s assembly line.
Several industries use this production process option. They include the following:
- Durable consumer product
- Semiconductor
- Electronics
- Automotive
These industries utilize raw materials such as aluminum. Click for more information about aluminum products in particular.
Repetitive manufacturing is perfect for these industries. Why? Because consumers’ demand for finished products is generally predictable and stable in these industries.
As a result, the assembly lines at companies in these fields stay fairly constant, requiring few changes.
Batch Manufacturing Process
This type of manufacturing process is focused on creating batches of products to serve customers’ particular needs. In between your batches, you would clean your equipment and leave it alone until you have to produce another batch.
Raw materials utilized in batch manufacturing include slurries, powders, gases, and liquids.
An example of a manufacturer that uses this type of process is a company that produces sauces. This company may be able to create mayonnaise, ketchup, and barbecue sauce, for example. However, they’ll focus on creating only one of these sauces if your customer requires just that sauce.
Take Advantage of the Many Manufacturing Processes Today
With so many manufacturing processes available today, companies have a variety of strategies at their disposal to generate their products. And each company must decide for themselves which process would work best for them in the area of new product development.
Consider the abovementioned product development processes as you seek to increase your market share. With the right process, you can easily keep consumers satisfied with your goods in the years ahead.
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