The manufacturing process that in the manufacturing industry allows raw materials to be transformed into a product ready to be marketed begins with a design and the specification of materials that will be used.
The manufacturing industry is a productive sector dedicated to transforming raw materials or semi-finished items into new products that are ready to be marketed.
It should be noted that, at first, the concept of manufacturing was associated with the idea of artisanal, although after the Industrial Revolution the notion transcended the meaning of manual labor to encompass processes developed on a large scale to produce goods from the transformation of a certain element. In this new panorama, manual skill is replaced or complemented with machinery and robotization in order to maximize efficiency , quality and productivity .
Due to its particularities and its relevance for both social and economic development , the manufacturing industry is needed in each nation and must, therefore, be adequately valued, promoted and defended. Each country would have to have a solid industrial policy and provide facilities, instruments, stimuli and opportunities to ensure that more and more links in the industry are consolidated and achieve security and sufficient conditions to broaden horizons, multiply sources of employment and be at the same time. tone with the latest trends in design , logistics , management systems , etc.
Manufacturing Industry Classes
There are several easily recognizable types of manufacturing industry . Depending on their place in the production chain, it is possible to classify them as traditional (area in which the raw material is converted into a product ready to go on sale and reach the final consumer), intermediate (responsible for producing semi-finished products intended for supplying from other industries ) or mechanical (generators of machines and resources useful for multiple industrial processes). The residual industries that use waste and leftovers to work with them, conceiving them as raw materials, also deserve space and recognition.
Taking into consideration its productive model, however, the categories of continuous production manufacturing industries (in which productive activity is never interrupted), repetitive production industries (characterized by applying the continuous manufacturing system in specific cases) gain visibility. and batch production manufacturing industries (where work is carried out based on a minimum production quantity to avoid losing profitability).
Technology at the service of industrial activity
As time goes by, the range of options that puts technology at the service of industrial activity grows and diversifies.
The production process becomes more agile, effective and profitable when knowledge and human effort are enhanced with state-of-the-art equipment. For certain tasks (such as those focused on the assembly line or the labeling phase), robotization is truly a magnificent advance.
The so-called assembly line contemplates a sequenced work that is divided into work stations where a piece is assembled until all the parts of the product in question are assembled.
By adopting the model and characteristics that define the so-called industry 4.0 , a company or enterprise prospers at a productive level, manages to use its resources more efficiently and obtains beneficial tools to plan and make decisions in real time. Adding cybersecurity , artificial intelligence , 3D technology printing and the Internet of Things (IoT) is essential to be part of this revolutionary transformative force.
The predictive maintenance technique and flexible manufacturing systems are other options that benefit the dynamics of the industrial sector .
Varieties of manufacturing industry
It is worth knowing or remembering what the main varieties of the manufacturing industry are in order to be aware of all the activities that are included within this area belonging to the secondary economic sector.
This list may well begin by referring to the textile industry , aimed at producing fabrics and yarns from elements such as linen, wool and cotton . If we want to establish a ranking of productive areas with greater automation , meanwhile, the automotive industry will undoubtedly gain prominence.
For the benefit of the population, on the other hand, investment, innovation and responsibility in the pharmaceutical industry are vital, a field where a model of Good Manufacturing Practices is followed, designed for safe and effective manufacturing of medicines and other pharmaceutical products .
Similar regulations or guidelines govern the food and beverage industry with the aim of maximizing care in the production , industrialization , storage, transportation and marketing of merchandise intended for consumption by different species of animals (including humans, obviously). ).
The chemical industry , like the aerospace industry , are other branches that feed the manufacturing industries .
Industrial safety is essential to minimize the risk of accidents at work and protect personnel from possible dangers when carrying out a task or when handling certain substances.
Methodologies and tools for industrial management
Knowing what methodologies and tools exist for industrial management favors both the organization and profitability of companies and their commitment to orderly and innovative growth.
There are those who, for example, recommend adopting the Lean Production system (also known as Lean Manufacturing ) which invites you to leave aside any resource that is not essential in order to gain quality , time and flexibility while avoiding waste.
At the disposal of factories, on the other hand, is the Toyota or Just-in-time methodology ( "Just in time" , in Spanish). It is designed to spend as little as possible in carrying out inventories , storing elements and moving them to the production sector.
Businesses can also benefit from the Six Sigma method, which provides guidelines and strategies so that failures or defects in a service or product when delivered to customers are zero or minimal.
Carrying out a process of continuous improvement , taking serious care of quality management , not losing sight of the importance of training and development and having good human resources management also enhances industrial practice.