Process manufacturing produces products that cannot be disassembled, while discrete manufacturing produces products that can be disassembled. Examples of process manufacturing include paints, gasoline, and processed foods, while examples of discrete manufacturing include cars, computers, and machinery. Process manufacturing uses proportional formulas, while discrete manufacturing uses bills of materials and instructions. Process manufacturing results in a chemical change, while discrete manufacturing results in a structural change. Both methods make a profit from manufacturing finished products.
When defining manufacturing procedures and methods, there are two essential terms to keep in mind: process manufacturing and discrete manufacturing. Process manufacturing results in finished products that cannot be disassembled into their original components. Discrete manufacturing, on the other hand, results in finished products that can be disassembled into their original components.
Examples of products made by manufacturing processes include paints and coatings, gasoline and diesel, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and canned or bottled soda. Examples of products made by discrete manufacturing include cars, computers, televisions, boats and machinery. In essence, goods produced by process manufacturing techniques are blended, while those produced by discrete manufacturing are assembled. Thus, process manufacturing is normally conducted using proportional formulas and recipes, while discrete manufacturing is performed using bills of materials and instructions, i.e. blueprints, drawings, etc.
Chemical manufacturing, gasoline manufacturing, commonly known as refining, processed food manufacturing, beverage manufacturing, are all industries that use process manufacturing to produce a finished product. The automotive industry, the computer industry, and the aerospace industry each use discrete manufacturing to produce finished products. As can be inferred, some components of some products made with discrete manufacturing are produced through process manufacturing. The plastic components of an automobile, for example, are produced from a mixture of chemicals according to a proportional formula.
Obviously the reverse is not true. Attempting to cast a few leather bucket seats, several vinyl armrests, and a number of plastic fan blades isn’t going to yield a five-gallon (18.93-litre) (4.16-UK-gal) bucket of paint. If enough heat were applied to the above components, a machined product would result, but certainly not paint.
Another significant difference between major manufacturing disciplines is in inventory terminology. Processed products are the result of mixing raw materials, normally inventoried in bulk. Discretely produced goods are the result of assembling parts, inventoried as items or units. Also, process manufacturing effects a chemical change in the ingredients resulting in a solid or liquid. Discrete manufacturing, in contrast, effects a structural change in the components resulting in a solid element only. The finished product inventory can therefore be seen as a method of distinguishing between processed products and discretely manufactured products.
There are many other considerations in discerning the two main manufacturing methods and procedures, including packaging recipes and proportional differences in manufacturing procedures. There are also major differences in the software used to implement production methods, as well as accounting practices, between these two disciplines. The one thing these production methods have in common is that they both make a profit from manufacturing a finished product.
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