Understanding Production Processes and Plant Distribution

Posted on Dec 7, 2024 in Other subjects

Production

The Production Function

The production function aims to provide goods and services that will meet consumer needs. This is done by transforming inputs and raw materials into goods or services.

  • It is the function that characterizes the industrial and commercial enterprise, unlike the latter, which only buys and sells.
  • Production is providing goods and services to meet users’ needs, transforming a set of inputs (raw materials, materials, hand labor, energy) into a set of specific elements out: satisfiers.

Production Rates

  1. Artisanal: Manufacturers of exclusive jewelry, artwork, luxury cars, etc. Great satisfaction on those involved in this type of technology that “sees the entire work.”
  2. Mass production: Identifies the processes in series, with a high degree of mechanization, a sequential number of work stations that combine machine and man to obtain an efficient outcome. This technology involves a low rate of human satisfaction, as the worker is a cog in the process.
  3. The production process: The idea is associated with automation and technology-intensive or capital and human labor. In this case, the work is more creative and motivating than in mass production but not as accomplished as the craft.

Function and Production of Worries

  1. For technical or industrial design products to be developed: Previously required to define which products will be manufactured (the responsibility of the marketing function) specifying the technical characteristics of the product.
  2. In process engineering, including:
    • The determination of the production process. This is the set of operations to be performed in sequential order to obtain the product in the required conditions.
    • Machinery and equipment necessary to complete the process must be selected.
  3. From the distribution of plant: Machinery and equipment must have a correct location according to the process flow to avoid setbacks, crossings, and a difficult and costly production process.

Distribution of Machinery and Equipment

The distribution of machinery and equipment is carried out according to the following principles:

  1. Integration: The inputs, labor, equipment, and work stations are concentrated in space to avoid obstructing the free flow of the process.
  2. Stroke: The displacement of workers and materials to a minimum, avoiding crossings and reversals in the flow, i.e., favoring a sequential order.
  3. Cubic Space: Refers to the use of variable height and volume in the service of optimizing the use of space and gravity:
    • Processes in freefall and inclined planes serve this purpose.

Principles of Plant Distribution

  • Position balanced line refers to a distribution based on a balanced line.
  1. The outputs of a product or group of related products are of such magnitude that the workstations are aimed online, according to a sequential process.
  2. The processing units in line pass through the stations, so the production and assembly line must be balanced (not generate jams or bottlenecks that slow the overall process).
  3. Maybe a station or part of the station caters to the next with such speed that it cannot absorb.

Fixed Position

In the fixed position distributions, the material to be processed does not move; the equipment operators and their tools move to it.

Principles and Distribution of Plant

  • Planning and production control is a continuous and ongoing process in the service of a more rational delivery of work orders per workshop (programming) and subsequent verification of compliance (control). This uses sophisticated techniques such as linear programming, the PERT system and its variations, and other simpler means, such as the Gantt chart.
  • Quality control is applied to the final product and the various components of the process operations. This quality does not necessarily refer to the best quality but to one that meets the technical specifications of the product.

Product Quality

Whatever the technology, products must meet certain standards or quality standards, according to the specifications. The latter must be related to product attributes, determined by the characteristics of the target market. The control must take into account that the quality is given at the point where they equal the point of maximum utility with the “optimal” quality.

Production Topology

Production is classified into different types according to certain specifications and expected demand:

  1. Certain of the above: If the specifications are more or less variable, may be in order, to stock, or mixed.
  2. Demand is expected: Production can be:
    1. Flashing, fits the demand cycles.
    2. Continuous or permanent, seasonal variations.
    3. A piece, maximum production and permanent, depending on demand and manufacturing capacity.

Selection and Replacement of Equipment

Constant technological progress and the natural wear of the equipment cause the need for renewal to combat obsolescence, failure, and partial or total impairment. Prior to the renewal of the machinery, it must be selected, depending on the requirements and capabilities of production, the value of the equipment, useful life, maintenance service offered by different suppliers, etc.