Batch manufacturing involves producing items in groups, with each group undergoing the same process before moving to the next stage. This method is used for similar items with variations and can be inefficient due to downtime between batches. Examples include baking cookies and coating materials.
Manufacturers of everything from cakes to computer chips have many ways to organize production. One such method is called batch manufacturing. This is when, instead of producing items individually or by continuous production, the items are manufactured in batches or batches. An item-specific process occurs on a batch of items at the same time, and that group does not move to the next stage of production or inspection until the entire batch is completed.
For example, in small bakeries and many homes, unlike large food companies, cookies are baked in batches. A baker must first make the dough, then put it on baking sheets and then put it in the oven. People are limited to the number of cookies they can make at one time by the number of baking sheets and ovens they own and the size of mixing bowls available for each batch.
This is mass production, as a large number of biscuits are baked at the same time and the bakers cannot jump from one step to another until each process is completed. They can’t start baking the cookies until they’ve made the dough, and they can’t remove the cookies from the oven (in most cases) until all the cookies are baked, unless they use an oven with a conveyor belt . There are necessary steps that apply to the entire batch of cookies. Baking may require a baker to bake in individual batches, increasing the final time between the end of the dough and all the cookies having finished baking.
Sometimes, this type of manufacturing is needed when a manufacturer produces similar things, but with variations. For example, if a company produces two colors of the same shoe, it will likely use mass production. Any leather or fabric dye can’t be applied to the entire set of shoes since they’re different colors, which can mean stopping between each batch to change or clean the machines, or preparing to add new dyes for the next variation. The need to stop between batches is called “downtime” which is why some people find this method of manufacturing an inefficient manufacturing process. The time required to prepare the equipment or machines for the next batch can reduce the total quantity that can be produced and take up more time in the total production time.
Another example is found in the thin film coating of materials, such as lenses, computer screens and the like. A coating machine can hold a finite number of the item in production, and it can take several hours to more than a day to apply the coatings needed to produce a batch. After the materials have been coated, they go through the inspection process, while the coating machine needs to be ready for the next batch. This reset of the machine can be time consuming and may require several passes before the next batch can be placed on the machine.
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