The Different Types of Manufacturing Processes That Are Used Today

The manufacturing industry added more than $2.3 trillion to the American economy in 2019. Pharmaceuticals, motor vehicles, aerospace, and food and beverage industries let the way.

Most manufacturers are small businesses. They heavily depend on certain manufacturing processes to be efficient and stay ahead of the competition.

If you’re running a manufacturing plant or work in product development, understanding the types of manufacturing processes helps you become better at your job.

Keep reading to learn about the types of manufacturing used by the best manufacturers today.

1. Repetitive Manufacturing

If your plant has a single product to produce and runs constantly, you’re engaged in repetitive manufacturing.

This process is widely used in electronics and automotive production. This allows a manufacturing plant to produce a steady stream of products with the same quality to meet demand.

2. Job Shop Manufacturing

Manufacturing is so effective because of the assembly line. Products make their way through the line, components get added, and at the end, there’s a finished product.

With job shop manufacturing, there’s a different take on assembly lines. Products go to different stations, where they get worked on and then moved to the next station.

Each area functions as its own shop. These are primarily for custom order products like aviation and high-end cars.

3. Continuous Process Manufacturing

Continuous process manufacturing isn’t that far removed from repetitive manufacturing. The difference lies in the types of manufacturing materials.

Raw materials like oils, powders, and gasses get used in this type of manufacturing process. It’s widely used in the pharmaceutical and oil and gas industries.

Since you’re working with highly sensitive raw materials, you’ll need to get an ERP system for your industry. Some ERP systems for manufacturing are tailored for specific industries.

4. Batch Process Manufacturing

Let’s say you’re a food producer and you need to only have enough raw materials to make so many quantities of your product. Your demand might only require a small production run.

Batch process manufacturing allows you to make the small production run, clean the equipment, then make another production run for a different product.

5. 3D Printing

3D printing was supposed to take over the manufacturing industry. It found a unique role in the industry instead.

The strength of 3D printing is the ability to produce customized products in small quantities. This is the perfect solution for rapid prototyping or if you need to produce prosthetics based on patient scans.

Learning About the Types of Manufacturing Processes

As you can tell, the manufacturing process you choose can make a massive difference in your ability to produce high-quality products to meet market demands.

Your business goals should dictate the types of manufacturing processes you implement in your work. If you need a rapid prototype for product development, 3D printing is your go-to process.

If you need to produce mass-qualities of one product, then repetitive manufacturing is the best process.

For more tips to improve your business, be sure to check out the other articles on the blog today.