The design of a production system requires a complete understanding of a product, its function and the quality of finish. Each system can be unique and specific to the product it is creating, often requiring the designers to adapt their design to be manufactured using certain methods.

 A production process that based on manual skills. It is a small-scale production.

Advantages and disadvantages of craft production.

• When discussing advantages and disadvantages, students should consider economies of scale, value of the product, labour, market forces and flexibility of manufacture.

Design Contexts include: one-off products such as custom made furniture, pottery, art and crafts,

Mechanized production

A volume production process where machines are controlled by humans.

• Originally, very small numbers of products were made by craftsmen in home workshops.
• The increasing demand for consumer goods following the industrial revolution, meant that larger numbers of products needed to be manufactured in a more efficient way

Advantages

• The creation of economies of scale … the product is cheaper than craft production
• The quality of the product is improved as fewer human errors will occur, the finish of the product will also be improved.
• Increased wages due to training and becoming skilled.
• Efficiency of production: less time is taken to produce goods

Disadvantages 

• Redundancy – machinery for labour substitution
• Health and safety. Work conditions are usually poor in the factories, lack of safety standards can be an issue in some cases. Repetitive strain injury.
• Cost of energy, training and capital machinery. Increased wages due to highly skilled operators needed.
• Environmental pollution.
• Boredom for the workers
• Low job satisfaction for workers

Design Contexts include: bicycles,

Automated production

 A volume production process involving machines controlled by computers.

Systems such as CAD, CAM and CNC can contribute to an automated production system by linking to the manufacturing equipment with is likewise controlled by a computer. CAM for example would offer a better control over the equipment then a human operator, which can also reduce labor costs. Also since the machines are following the exact CAD drawings there is a lower chance of flaws to occur with the finished product. Designers can use this method to create prototypes much faster and it allows them also to test if the product is feasible. Furthermore it allows the production process to lower waste amount.

When discussing advantages and disadvantages, consider cost, quality of product, social conditions and labour.

Design Contexts include: toilet paper, plastic drink bottles,

Many products require such precision in their manufacture that, without automation, it would not be possible to produce them at an affordable price

Computer numerical control (CNC)

(CNC) refers to the computer control of machines for the purpose of manufacturing complex parts in metals and other materials. Machines are controlled by a programme commonly called a “G code”. Each code is assigned to a particular operation or process. The codes control X, Y and Z movement 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.

The mass production of a product via a flow line based on the inter-changeability of parts, pre-processing of materials, standardisation and work division.

The use of an assembly line for manufacturing a product is a manufacturing technique where the product in question is moved from one modification stand to another by a mechanically moving conveyor. It is used to gather in a fast way large amounts of uniform products. The origins of the Assembly line can be traced back to 1908, when Henry Ford invented and used for the first time the assembly line for the manufacturing of his Ford Model T.

• Read this item

When discussing advantages and disadvantages, consider cost, quality of product, social conditions and labour.

Design Contexts include: automobile manufacture, computer or laptops, most electronic consumer products.

Mass production

 is the production of large amounts of standardized products on production lines, permitting very high rates of production per worker. 

Advantages and disadvantages …

Mass customization

See Mass customisation on 4.5 Production Systems.

It is a sophisticated CIM system that manufactures products to individual customer orders. The benefits of economy of scale are gained whether the order is for a single item or thousands.

Production system selection criteria

Production system selection criteria include time, labour, skills and training, health and safety, cost, type of product, maintenance, impact on the environment and quality management

Impact of different production systems on the workforce and environment

Automation – Consider nature and type of employment, health and safety issues, social interaction and job satisfaction. Short essay on the human impact of Automation

Positive

• Tedious and time-consuming jobs are now being performed by machines rather than workers. An example would be dish washing.
• Improved health and safety due to improved work conditions
• Improved job satisfaction due to improved work conditions
• Replaces unskilled workers with skilled workers or upscaling of existing workers. Results in better pay

Negative

• Less social interaction in the workplace due to fewer employees
• The numbers of workers needed has been cut sharply
• The loss of worker expertise
• The loss of overtime pay
• Makes life dependant on new technology
• Training in the new areas of electronics, computer engineering and maintenance of systems is now needed. –HSC Online
• huge negative affect on the environment due to heavy industrialisation

 Mechanisation and Assembly Line

Positive

• More labour is performed by machines
• More social interaction since workers are under one roof
• Upscaling from craft to learn new machines results in better pay

Negative

• Health and Safety may decrease due to pollution from industrialisation
• Loss of master craftsman
• huge negative affect on the environment due to heavy industrialisation

Craft Production

Positive

• High job satisfaction, prestige as a master craftsman
• Good health and safety due to control over the work environment
• Minimal negative affect on the environment

Negative

• minimal social interaction usually working on their own

Design for manufacture (DfM):

DfM means designers design specifically for optimum use of existing manufacturing capability. There are four aspects of DfM.

• Design for materials
  • designing in relation to materials during processing
• Design for process
  • designing to enable the product to be manufactured using a specific manufacturing process, for example, injection moulding.
• Design for assembly
  • designing taking account of assembly at various levels, for example, component to component, components into sub-assemblies and sub-assemblies into complete products.
• Design for disassembly
  • designing a product so that when it becomes obsolete it can easily and economically be taken apart, the components reused or repaired, and the materials repurposed or recycled.
• Adapting designs for DfM
  • Designs will need to be adapted in some way in order to utilise the different DfMs.
  • These include: using standard parts, reducing the number of parts, employ modular design principles, rude the number of sub-assemblies

The design of a production system requires a complete understanding of a product, its function and the quality of finish. Each system can be unique and specific to the product it is creating, often requiring the designers to adapt their design to be manufactured using certain methods.

 A production process that based on manual skills. It is a small-scale production.

Advantages and disadvantages of craft production.

Advantages:

A lot more care is put into making the product as good/nice as possible, therefore the quality tends to be seen as considerably higher than something that was mass-produced. The product can also be customised to fit personal needs, and there is a good deal of flexibility for the designer, customer and craftsman. Much skill is often required for the craftsman; therefore they are able to charge more for the manufacturing of the product.

Disadvantages: Although the manufacturing process doe not require machines for the producer, it takes a great amount of time and effort; therefore it becomes much more expensive for the buyer. Also, with craft production it is not possible to produce on a larger scale. This could mean a loss of profit for the manufacturer, however the higher prices of craft produced products can sometimes make up for this. Another disadvantage may be that the product is not designed for disassembly, so if something goes wrong during the making of it, there are no interchangeable parts. Every piece also becomes more valuable so any defects will be more important.

Design Contexts include: one-off products such as custom made furniture, pottery, art and crafts,

Mechanized production

A volume production process where machines are controlled by humans.

Originally, very small numbers of products were made by craftsmen in home workshops. But, the increasing demand for consumer goods following the industrial revolution, meant that larger numbers of products needed to be manufactured in a more efficient way

Advantages

• The creation of economies of scale … the product is cheaper than craft production
• The quality of the product is improved as fewer human errors will occur, the finish of the product will also be improved.
• Increased wages due to training and becoming skilled.
• Efficiency of production: less time is taken to produce goods

Disadvantages 

• Redundancy – machinery for labour substitution
• Health and safety. Work conditions are usually poor in the factories, lack of safety standards can be an issue in some cases. Repetitive strain injury.
• Cost of energy, training and capital machinery. Increased wages due to highly skilled operators needed.
• Environmental pollution.
• Boredom for the workers
• Low job satisfaction for workers

Design Contexts include: bicycles,

Automated production

 A volume production process involving machines controlled by computers.

Systems such as CAD, CAM and CNC can contribute to an automated production system by linking to the manufacturing equipment with is likewise controlled by a computer. CAM for example would offer a better control over the equipment then a human operator, which can also reduce labor costs. Also since the machines are following the exact CAD drawings there is a lower chance of flaws to occur with the finished product. Designers can use this method to create prototypes much faster and it allows them also to test if the product is feasible. Furthermore it allows the production process to lower waste amount.

When discussing advantages and disadvantages, consider cost, quality of product, social conditions and labour.

Design Contexts include: toilet paper, plastic drink bottles,

Many products require such precision in their manufacture that, without automation, it would not be possible to produce them at an affordable price

Computer numerical control (CNC)

(CNC) refers to the computer control of machines for the purpose of manufacturing complex parts in metals and other materials. Machines are controlled by a programme commonly called a “G code”. Each code is assigned to a particular operation or process. The codes control X, Y and Z movement 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.

The mass production of a product via a flow line based on the inter-changeability of parts, pre-processing of materials, standardisation and work division.

The use of an assembly line for manufacturing a product is a manufacturing technique where the product in question is moved from one modification stand to another by a mechanically moving conveyor. It is used to gather in a fast way large amounts of uniform products. The origins of the Assembly line can be traced back to 1908, when Henry Ford invented and used for the first time the assembly line for the manufacturing of his Ford Model T.

• Read this item

When discussing advantages and disadvantages, consider cost, quality of product, social conditions and labour.

Design Contexts include: automobile manufacture, computer or laptops, most electronic consumer products.

Mass production

 is the production of large amounts of standardized products on production lines, permitting very high rates of production per worker. 

Advantages and disadvantages …

Mass customization

See Mass customisation on 4.5 Production Systems.

It is a sophisticated CIM system that manufactures products to individual customer orders. The benefits of economy of scale are gained whether the order is for a single item or thousands.

Production system selection criteria

Production system selection criteria include time, labour, skills and training, health and safety, cost, type of product, maintenance, impact on the environment and quality management

Impact of different production systems on the workforce and environment

Automation – Consider nature and type of employment, health and safety issues, social interaction and job satisfaction. Short essay on the human impact of Automation

Positive

• Tedious and time-consuming jobs are now being performed by machines rather than workers. An example would be dish washing.
• Improved health and safety due to improved work conditions
• Improved job satisfaction due to improved work conditions
• Replaces unskilled workers with skilled workers or upscaling of existing workers. Results in better pay

Negative

• Less social interaction in the workplace due to fewer employees
• The numbers of workers needed has been cut sharply
• The loss of worker expertise
• The loss of overtime pay
• Makes life dependant on new technology
• Training in the new areas of electronics, computer engineering and maintenance of systems is now needed. –HSC Online
• huge negative affect on the environment due to heavy industrialisation

 Mechanisation and Assembly Line

Positive

• More labour is performed by machines
• More social interaction since workers are under one roof
• Upscaling from craft to learn new machines results in better pay

Negative

• Health and Safety may decrease due to pollution from industrialisation
• Loss of master craftsman
• huge negative affect on the environment due to heavy industrialisation

Craft Production

Positive

• High job satisfaction, prestige as a master craftsman
• Good health and safety due to control over the work environment
• Minimal negative affect on the environment

Negative

• minimal social interaction usually working on their own

Design for manufacture (DfM):

DfM means designers design specifically for optimum use of existing manufacturing capability. There are four aspects of DfM.

• Design for materials
  • designing in relation to materials during processing
• Design for process
  • designing to enable the product to be manufactured using a specific manufacturing process, for example, injection moulding.
• Design for assembly
  • designing taking account of assembly at various levels, for example, component to component, components into sub-assemblies and sub-assemblies into complete products.
• Design for disassembly
  • designing a product so that when it becomes obsolete it can easily and economically be taken apart, the components reused or repaired, and the materials repurposed or recycled.
• Adapting designs for DfM
  • Designs will need to be adapted in some way in order to utilise the different DfMs.
  • These include: using standard parts, reducing the number of parts, employ modular design principles, rude the number of sub-assemblies