Batch production is a manufacturing process used to produce or process any product
in batches, as opposed to a continuous
production process, or a one-off production. The primary characeristic of batch production is that all components are
completed at a workstation before they move to the next one. Batch production is popular in bakeries and in the manufacture of
sports shoes, pharmaceutical ingredients, inks, paints and adhesives. In the manufacture of inks and paints, a technique called a
colour-run is used. A colour-run is where one manufactures the lightest color first, such as light yellow followed by the next
increasingly darker colour such as orange, then red and so on until reaching black and then starts over again. This minimizes the
cleanup and reconfiguring of the machinery between each batch. White (by which is meant opaque paint, not transparent ink) is the
only colour that cannot be used in a colour run due to the fact that a small amount of white pigment can adversely affect the
medium colours.
There are inefficiencies associated with batch production. The production equipment must be stopped, re-configured, and its
output tested before the next batch can be produced. Time between batches is known as 'down time'.
Batch production is useful for a factory that makes seasonal items or products for which it is difficult to forecast demand.
There are several advantages of batch production; it can reduce initial capital outlay because a single production line can be
used to produce several products. As shown in the example, batch production can be
useful for small businesses who cannot afford to run continuous production lines. Also, companies can use batch production as a
trial run. If a retailer buys a batch of a product that does not sell then the producer can cease production without having to
sustain huge losses. Other types of production include: assembly line, job production, continuous, cell, and project.
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