Batch Production and Batch Manufacturing:
6 Common Questions Answered
Batch production (or batch manufacturing) is the process of making items in predefined groups or sets (otherwise known as batches).
Each batch goes through one stage of production before moving on to the next. This manufacturing process is more frequently used for low-volume production and generally allows for flexibility within the manufacturing process.
In this blog, we’ll review the most common questions about batch production to help you determine whether it is the best fit for your needs.
Let’s get straight into the first question:
When is Batch Production Suitable?
Batch production suits products with moderate demand, variety (like colours), and seasonal demand.
Moderate demand may sound vague. So, to add clarity, moderate demand is a level of product demand that falls between low and high extremes. It represents a balanced, sustainable rate of market needs that can be met without overburdening production capacity or leaving too much idle time.
How Does Batch Production Compare to Mass Production?
Mass production is intended for products with high demand and minimal variation, such as a plastic cap for a drink bottle or plastic cutlery.
On the other hand, bicycle pedals or fan blades are examples of items that might be produced in batches.
Now that we’ve better understood the concept of batch production let's explore its advantages and disadvantages.
What are the advantages of Batch Production?
Some of the main advantages of batch production include:
- Flexibility: It’s relatively easy to switch between different products or variants
- Reduced Initial Costs: Much lower than that of mass production
- Efficiency: Working and operating times can be made more efficient, and reduce costly downtime
- Quality Control: It’s easier to detect and correct defects within a smaller batch
What are the disadvantages of Batch Production?
The main points of batch production that are sometimes considered a disadvantage are:
- Machine and workforce downtime
- Disrupted workflows as a result of batch changeovers.
- Extended production timelines as a result of batch changes
Like most aspects of manufacturing, batch production isn’t suited to every project. But despite its potential downsides for some, batch production is a great fit for many projects. But what businesses use it?
What types of industries commonly use Batch Production?
Batch production is most frequently used within the Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Leisure, Automotive and Electronics industries.
By now, I’m pretty sure you’ll be thinking similarly, but:
What should you consider when determining a batch size?
Things like:
- Demand Forecasting to predict the quantities needed
- The production capacity of your manufacturing partner
- Cost efficiencies, such as balancing setup costs and potential storage costs
- Manufacturing lead times
This might seem like a lot to consider; however, with the right manufacturing partner, this will all be part of the standard process. Find out more about on-demand manufacturing and batch production.