Standard components

It is common practice in modern manufacturing for the production of the components that make up a product to be outsourced [outsourced: contracted-out to another manufacturer/provider - usually because this is cheaper than keeping the job inhouse. ] to other companies.

For example, modern headlights for cars are usually built as a whole unit, rather than an individual lens and reflector. The light shown in the picture below could easily be built in France and shipped to the UK to be assembled into a vehicle.

The advantage with using standard components is that it speeds up manufacturing and reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs, as the same units can be purchased and used all around the world.

A standard component

Modular systems

As the electronics used in products have become more complex, many manufacturers have adopted a modular [modular: using standardized units or dimensions ] approach to control systems [control systems: systems which control the behaviour of other systems. ]. Modular systems have the following advantages:

• they allow inputs, processes and output to be combined permanently or temporarily, and
• they make replacements and upgrades easier, because only the broken / outdated part needs a replacement / upgrade. For example, you can replace (or upgrade) the hard drive or disk drive of a computer, without having to replace the whole computer.

The picture below shows a stacked printed circuit board (PCB). The bottom board is a standard Programmable Interface Controller (PIC [PIC: Programmable Interface Controller - a device which can be programmed via a computer to control complex circuits. ]) board. The top board is an input / output board. This system could either use a ready-made or a customised input / output board. In either situation, the standard features make the system more universal than a completely custom-made PCB.

Exam tip:

In the stacked PCB [PCB: Printed Circuit Board ] system shown above there are a number of standard components - such as the hexagonal spacers and machine screws used to mount and stack the boards. Try to identify the other standard components in the picture.

Production methods

There are three main production methods used in manufacturing: one-off, batch and mass production.

One-off production:

One off production

Sometimes known as job or custom production, this is where a single item is required - for example a suspension bridge or a custom-made engine for a racing car. The unit cost is high for this method, as the production system needs to be changed for each different unit.

Batch production:

Bath production

This occurs where quantities of an item are sold regularly - for example a local baker producing many batches of specialist loaves each day for sale in local shops. Batch production will involve producing and storing the components which will make up the end product, eg the batch production of PCBs [PCB: Printed Circuit Board ].

Mass production:

Mass production

Products that sell in high volume, nationally or internationally, are manufactured on production or assembly lines. The initial set-up cost (or capital investment) of mass production is high, due to the specialist equipment used - but the cost is spread across a very large number of products, so the unit cost [unit cost: the cost per item manufactured ] is low. When a mass-production line runs continuously round the clock, it is called continuous flow.

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