Scale of production and commercial viability

Question 1

What is one-off/jobbing production?

Answer 1

Producing a single, unique product made to a specific customer requirement.

Question 2

Name one advantage of one-off production.

Answer 2

High quality and customised to individual needs.

Question 3

Name one disadvantage of one-off production.

Answer 3

High labour costs and longer production times.

Question 4

What is batch production?

Answer 4

Producing a set number of identical products in groups or batches.

Question 5

Name one advantage of batch production.

Answer 5

More efficient than one-off production for medium-sized runs.

Question 6

Name one disadvantage of batch production.

Answer 6

Time lost resetting machinery between batches.

Question 7

What is mass production?

Answer 7

The continuous production of large quantities of identical products.

Question 8

Name one advantage of mass production.

Answer 8

Low unit costs and consistent quality.

Question 9

Name one disadvantage of mass production.

Answer 9

High setup costs and less flexibility to change product design.

Question 10

What is continuous production?

Answer 10

Operating 24/7 to produce vast quantities of a product without interruption.

Question 11

Name one advantage of continuous production.

Answer 11

Extremely efficient for high-demand products.

Question 12

Name one disadvantage of continuous production.

Answer 12

Very high setup and running costs, difficult to stop for maintenance.

Question 13

What is in-line assembly?

Answer 13

A production method where products move along a line and are assembled in sequence by different workers or machines.

Question 14

Name one advantage of in-line assembly.

Answer 14

Fast and efficient, reducing production time.

Question 15

Name one disadvantage of in-line assembly.

Answer 15

High initial setup cost and repetitive tasks for workers.

Question 16

What are flexible manufacturing systems (FMS)?

Answer 16

Production systems using computer-controlled machines that can easily be reprogrammed to make different products.

Question 17

Name one advantage of FMS.

Answer 17

Adaptable to market changes and product updates.

Question 18

Name one disadvantage of FMS.

Answer 18

Expensive to install and maintain.

Question 19

What is just-in-time (JIT) manufacture?

Answer 19

A system where materials and components arrive exactly when needed in production, reducing storage costs.

Question 20

Name one advantage of JIT.

Answer 20

Less storage space needed and reduced waste.

Question 21

Name one disadvantage of JIT.

Answer 21

Any supplier delays can halt production.

Question 22

What are standardised components?

Answer 22

Parts made to a common size and specification, used in many different products.

Question 23

Name one advantage of standardised components.

Answer 23

Cost-effective and simplifies assembly and repairs.

Question 24

Name one disadvantage of standardised components.

Answer 24

Limits product uniqueness and may not suit specialised designs.

Question 25

What are assemblies in manufacturing?

Answer 25

Products made by combining several components or sub-assemblies.

Question 26

Name one advantage of using assemblies.

Answer 26

Speeds up final product assembly and improves efficiency.

Question 27

What are bought-in components?

Answer 27

Parts or products purchased from external suppliers instead of being made in-house.

Question 28

Name one advantage of bought-in components.

Answer 28

Saves time and reduces manufacturing costs.

Question 29

What is one disadvantage of bought-in components?

Answer 29

Relies on supplier quality and delivery reliability.

Question 30

What is sub-contracting?

Answer 30

Outsourcing specific tasks or parts of production to external companies.

Question 31

Name one advantage of sub-contracting.

Answer 31

Specialist tasks can be handled by experts, improving quality.

Question 32

Name one disadvantage of sub-contracting.

Answer 32

Less control over production and quality.

Question 33

What is quality assurance (QA)?

Answer 33

A system of planned activities to prevent defects during the design and manufacturing process.

Question 34

Name one feature of quality assurance.

Answer 34

Procedures, training, and checks throughout production to maintain standards.

Question 35

What is quality control (QC)?

Answer 35

Inspection and testing of products at the end of or during production to detect defects.

Question 36

Name one advantage of quality control.

Answer 36

Helps ensure faulty products do not reach customers.

Question 37

What is one disadvantage of relying only on quality control?

Answer 37

It may be too late to fix major faults after production is complete.

Question 38

What is sample testing?

Answer 38

Checking a selection of products from a batch to assess overall quality.

Question 39

Name one advantage of sample testing.

Answer 39

Saves time and cost compared to testing every product.

Question 40

What are tolerances in manufacturing?

Answer 40

Acceptable limits of variation in a product’s dimensions or performance.

Question 41

Why are tolerances important?

Answer 41

They ensure products fit together and work reliably, even with minor manufacturing variations.