A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a type of industrial process that allows equipment to be used for more than one purpose, though they may be somewhat related. The equipment is often used to make customized parts, or make different parts for different models of product. This type of s

A subassembly is a group of parts put together to form part of a finished assembly. An assembly refers to a group of subassemblies put together to make something that performs a specific task. The most common areas where a subassembly will be used is in electronics, optical, and computers.

Welding, simply put, is any process that bonds material by melting metal or thermoplastic surfaces. Typically, the melted edges are also bonded with a filler material, often a fusible metallic alloy. In the case of metal welding processes, arc welding is fairly common for its mostly automati

An ethanol still is a device used to separate ethyl alcohol from water and other substances. This is done through a process called distillation. Distillation heats a mixture to a specific temperature. At this point, either one substance in the mixture will boil and become a gas or both subst

Job costing is the process of determining the labor and materials cost for each job in a systematic way, and then using this information to create a quote for the customer. Job costing or cost accounting can be used in virtually any industry to ensure that the product pricing covers actual c

An industrial furnace refers to equipment which is used to provide heat for a certain process or reaction. Industrial furnaces are indispensable devices for metal casting and other processes in the iron and steel industry, for instance. They are also used in glassmaking and chemical manufact

Metal casting is a metalworking technique in which molten metal is poured into a mold and allowed to set before being removed to reveal a metal piece which can be finished with grinding, sanding, and polishing before being sold. This is one of the oldest metalworking techniques in the world,

Offset lithography is a printing technique which is widely used around the world. Most books, newspapers, and magazines are printed using offset lithography, and this printing technique is widely regarded as the workhorse of printing, because it is fast, efficient, cheap, and relatively easy

Facilities engineers are involved in the creation of the various systems that drive a manufacturing plant. Along with designing the layout for the production process, a person in this position will also be actively involved in the design for the utility systems within the space, including po

Successful electronics assembly within a manufacturing environment requires strategic organization of fabrication areas, maintaining automated machines, motivating workers, and thoroughly testing the devices. In addition, the assembly area must have regulations regarding static control to pr

We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. Advertiser Disclosure Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue genera

Cold forming is a manufacturing process where metal is worked at room temperature to create components and finished products. It can be less expensive and more efficient than other production methods, and is used to make a variety of goods including fasteners, car parts, and building supplie

Various types of shoes are made in a shoe factory, either by machines or by human hands. The process of making shoes involves several steps, and one of the most important steps is the development of the shoes soles. Rubber is a commonly used material, which means rubber manufacturing is done

Factories and manufacturing plants often specialize in various types of metal fabrication, but the process of aluminum fabrication can differ from the processes for most other types of metals. Unlike some other metals, aluminum is often extruded during aluminum fabrication; this process invo

A rapid prototype model is typically a plastic or metal part created from a computer drawing, which permits a customer to review a product under development. Starting in the late twentieth century, computer software was developed that permitted designers to create three-dimensional (3D) draw

Industrial plant design is the process of planning and building an industrial plant, starting from the conceptualization to the drawing up of a plan, up until the completion of the project. This design is usually done by external professionals who are focused on the execution of such project

The skin care industry consists of skin care manufacturers that make and sell products designed to clean or moisturize a person’s skin. This industry is a sub-category of the cosmetic industry and is known for producing acne solutions, body lotions, and skin peels. The United States and Japa

Wafer bonding is the process of creating a device for a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), a nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS), or an opto or microelectronic object. A wafer is a small slice of semiconductive material, such as silicon, used to make circuits and other electronic devices.

Bead blasting is a form of high pressure cleaning of a surface that is less damaging to the surface than typical abrasive blasting using small sharp particles such as quartz sand. One of the most common materials used in bead blasting are small spherical particles of glass that are shot with

The main advantages of mass production are simple, yet have transformed society from the days of the cottage industry where finished goods were expensive and rare. Economies of scale, standardization, automated manufacturing flow, and specialization in workers have all contributed to making