Manufacturing Environments and Processes (2)

In our previous article, we have described different forms of manufacturing environment and listed its characteristics. In this article we will discuss the other part of this topic which is manufacturing processes. This will help us to have an extensive synopsis about how manufacturing firms are doing their business.

Recalling manufacturing process is the sequences of activities accomplished to transform the raw materials into final product. Every manufacturing environment has its matching manufacturing process type and layout that will help to achieve the business objective. There’s some factors that determine the manufacturing process type and layout which is linked with manufacturing environment such as customer lead time, frequency of the final product, and nature of tasks performed. 

We have 3 main manufacturing process types, i.e. project, intermittent, and flow; and each type has its corresponding process layout.

·         Project Process Type: this process type always suitable for Engineered-To-Order (ETO) manufacturing environment. Since the movement of a unique deliverable final product is too costly, all raw materials and services are moved into a fixed position layout while some other parts are assembled off site then moved back to the base production site. The project process type has a very long customer lead time and complex tasks to go through using project management techniques.

·         Intermittent process type: this process type is most suitable with Make-To-Order (MTO) and Assembled-To-Order (ATO) manufacturing environments where the final product is requiring different requirements and uneven workflow between work hubs. In this process type, general purpose resources, i.e. equipment and human, are required to be more flexible to execute different sized orders.  The intermittent process type has a medium to long customer lead time and specialized tasks to go through using functional layout,

o   Batch: a form of functional layout where there is a high production volume and all tasks need to be organized in a way that reduces motions with long production runs and less changeovers.

o   Work Center: a form of functional layout where similar tasks are grouped within production area such as cutting, sewing, knitting, and packing. This will help to have fast, flexible, and planned changeovers. 

·         Flow process type: this process type is common with Make-To-Stock (MTS) manufacturing environment where the standardized final product is requiring a specialized equipment, human, and direct and smooth flow between work cells forming a cellular layout using a repeated tasks. The flow process type has very low customer lead time because of large economies of scales and high level of inventory.

o   Line: a form of cellular layout where a discrete units of final product is produced through repetitive flow.

o   Continuous: a form of cellular layout where a specific type of final product, i.e. liquid, or solids, is produced.