What are Production Processes?
- Production processes, as the name implies, are the different methods of making a product.
- Production processes can be organized into four categories:
- Craft production
- Mechanized production
- Automated production
- Assembly line production
Craft Production
- A small-scale production process centered on manual skills.
- Generally used on the scale of one-off production.
Mechanized Production
- A volume production process involving machines controlled by humans.
Automated Production
- A volume production process involving machines controlled by computers (CNC).
Computer Numerical Control (CNC)
- Refers specifically to the computer control of machines for the purpose of manufacturing complex parts in metals and other materials.
- Machines are controlled by a program commonly called a “G code”.
- Each code is assigned to a particular operation or process.
- The codes control X, Y, Z movements and feed speeds.
Assembly Line Production
- A volume production process where products and components are moved continuously along a conveyor.
- As the product goes from one work- station to another, components are added until the final product is assembled.
- While assembly-line production has traditionally used people to assemble components, robots are now more and more common.