Scales of production
There are four terms used to describe the scale of production in relation to manufacturing a product:
- prototypeThe first working model of a design used for testing, development and evaluation. or one-off production
- batch productionWhere one group of identical products is made at the same time, before moving onto producing the next group.
- mass productionWhen the same product is manufactured many times. or high volume
- continuous productionA production method that leads to many of the same product being made, continuously.
Prototype and one-off production
Most boards are very suitable for manufacturing a prototypeThe first working model of a design used for testing, development and evaluation. due to the very low cost and ease of manipulation of the material. Many architectureThe design and structure of buildings. firms use foam-core board to make prototype display models to present to clientIn business, a client is a person or organisation that wants a product manufactured, eg a retailer..
Batch production
Some promotional books and magazines are printed in a batch, eg a programme for an event such as a sports fixture, listing teams and other information. These would be produced in a large quantity, but only once.
Costs are an important part in scales of production, as a designer will have to calculate the costs associated with production. Generally a manufacturer will charge less per item as the quantity increases because the machine can continue running without having to be set up again, and this saves money.
Example
A leaflet printing firm have set charges depending on the number of leaflets printed. Their prices can be seen below:
| Quantity | Price per leaflet |
| 0-100 | £0.20 |
| 101-500 | £0.18 |
| 501-1,000 | £0.16 |
| 1,000+ | £0.13 |
| Quantity | 0-100 |
|---|---|
| Price per leaflet | £0.20 |
| Quantity | 101-500 |
|---|---|
| Price per leaflet | £0.18 |
| Quantity | 501-1,000 |
|---|---|
| Price per leaflet | £0.16 |
| Quantity | 1,000+ |
|---|---|
| Price per leaflet | £0.13 |
If a designer required 200 leaflets, they could see from the table that each leaflet would cost £0.18.
Total cost = individual price × quantity required
= 0.18 × 200 = £36.00
Question
Using the information shown above, calculate the total cost if 1,500 leaflets were needed.
Individual price for 1,000 or more leaflets is £0.13.
Total cost = individual price × quantity required
= 0.13 × 1,500 = £195.00
Mass production
Mass production is where the product is manufactured in very large quantities and would be suitable for printing popular magazines and newspapers. Usually mass-produced items require a small workforce but lots of machines for automationUsing automatic equipment in production. to speed up the manufacture.
Continuous production
The production of paper is continuous, meaning that it is made 24 hours per day, 7 days per week as there is a continual demand for the product. Highly specialised equipment is used to automate the process, which means that fewer workers are needed.
