Here is an article that discusses a manufacturing plant and more on the history of manufacturing.
Manufacturing have been existing for a long even before the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 18th century. As time progressed, manufacturing evolved exponentially.
Across the world today, there are thousands of manufacturing plants. Every functional manufacturing plant is used to produce certain goods.
Since the late 18th century, manufacturing factories have boosted the global economy. There is no doubt that every country on the surface of the earth has manufacturing factories producing goods.
Before we discuss manufacturing plants and more on different types of plants, first, let’s talk about the history of manufacturing.
History of Manufacturing
Manufacturing has been in existence for centuries now. Over the years people learnt the skills involved in the manufacturing process through apprenticeship.
At the beginning of the industrial revolution during the late 18th century, the factory system was introduced in Britain. This changed the manufacturing system from what it was previously.
It was a new system that embraced advanced techniques to make work easier. The system introduced machinery powered by steam, water, and later advanced to electricity.
The result was a large-scale production, better than manual labour.
Scottish economist Adam Smith, in his work An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, understood the concept of division of labour was essential to economic progress.
This will allow different people to be involved in just one part of the manufacturing process.
Instead of having an artisan manufacture the whole product just as it was in the past, manufacturing had to be disintegrated into different parts. This is the idea that created the basis for modern manufacture in the world today.
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Early Industrialization in the United States
Not until the early 20th century, the United States economy was still focused on agriculture. The American economy turned from that to focus on industry in the early 1900s.
The newly accepted development was the beginning of several manufacturing plants to be built across different parts of the United States. It was time for the American people to embrace this new development.
During the early 20th century, several sectors moved to the Midwest. The automobile sector was one of the sectors that relocated to the Midwest to meet up the high demand back then.
The first automobile manufacturer to move to the Midwest during the early 1900s was Ford. In 1903, Ford opened its first manufacturing plant in Michigan.
Ford was the first automobile manufacturer to open a manufacturing plant in the United States and a few decades later, other followed. By 1920, the United States was home to over 5,000 automobile manufacturing plants.
That era was also the period when other industries relocated to the Midwest. The steel industry moved to the Midwest as well during that period. They relocated several manufacturing plants to the region, especially in Southwestern states.
Also, in the early 1900s, several agricultural companies relocated to the Midwest to do business. Some of the large companies that made this journey include Cargill and Tyson Foods.
Because of this early 20th-century migration of manufacturing plants to the Midwest, the region remains one of the most economically stable regions in the United States.
What Is a Manufacturing Plant?
Manufacturing plants are responsible for producing goods and they also render services to other businesses.
Generally, manufacturing plants are located at places where there is a high demand for products manufactured. They produced anything from construction materials, essential goods, automobiles, household appliances, etc.
It’s a business that requires lots of resources and investment of time. Operating a manufacturing plant can be highly profitable once there is a high demand for products.
Manufacturing companies out there earn millions of dollars as profit. Top automobile manufacturers earn billions of dollars annually as gross profit.
How Do Manufacturing Plant Function?
Manufacturing plants have contributed positively to the global economy since the early 18th century. They produce goods we use every day for construction, maintenance, and other important reasons.
Manufacturing plants make our everyday life easy to get along all thanks to their products. These factories produce anything from household items to construction materials, electronic appliances, you name it.
Their products are reliable and handy when we need them.
Something important every manufacturing company is concerned about is quality. A manufacturing company will only continue to stay in business if the quality of its product is up to standard.
Operating in an environment where there is a high demand for a quality product is the aim and that is why quality cannot be neglected. Setting up a manufacturing company also requires coordinating different departments and individuals.
The only way to operate a successful manufacturing company is to understand the entire manufacturing process and how it should be built. Going into this business without understanding production logistics, customer service, design, and engineering is unwise.
To be successful in operating a manufacturing company, you need to hire the best engineers and professional architects. With their expertise, they will design the manufacturing plant in a way that will enhance production.
Types of Manufacturing Plants
Generally, there are several types of manufacturing plants out there.
Types of manufacturing plants include furniture factories, textile plants, automotive plants, food production plants, and clothing factories.
Food production plants make use of refrigerators, freezers, and ovens to manufacture food products like sandwiches, burgers, and pizza.
What you would expect a textile plant to have are large machines that wash and spin fabrics used to make different types of clothes.
A fabrication plant is a factory that deals with raw materials and turn them into small parts and component to manufacture a finished product.
Casting plants are factories that produce metal parts by pouring molten metal into various moulds.
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Manufacturing Plants Examples
The steel industry was one of the industries to relocate to the Midwest in the early 1900s. When it comes to construction and building, the steel industry is an important distributor of materials.
We have talked about the steel mill and other industries that contribute positively to our everyday life.
#1. Steel Mill
A steel mill is a factory where steel products are manufactured. The steel industry produces materials used in building and construction.
Steel mills boost the economy of countries around the world, as they often create job opportunities for people.
#2. Glass Factory
We have seen thousands of skyscrapers across the world covered in glass. A glass factory is responsible for producing the glasses used in buildings, automobiles, and appliances.
#3. Paper Mill
The books we use in school and every other magazine or newspaper we have seen were produced in a paper mill.
#4. Chemical Plant
This is a factory that manufactures chemicals, which are used in manufacturing paints, plastic, and cleaning supplies.
#5. Aluminium Plant
A little different from what is produced at a steel mill. An aluminium plant is a manufacturing plant that produces aluminium products.
#6. Automotive Plant
An automotive plant is a manufacturing facility known for producing cars. We talked about Ford as one of the automobile manufacturers that moved to the Midwest in the early 20th century.
#7. Petroleum Refinery
This is a manufacturing facility where crude oil is refined into gasoline. Petroleum is an indispensable resource used in various industries.
#8. Food Processing Plant
This is a manufacturing facility that a nation survives on. Without food processing plants, we won’t find products to use in foods like pizza, candy, and bread.
#9. Textile Plant
This is a manufacturing facility where textiles are produced. Textile plants manufacture clothes, carpets, and other household items using fabrics.
#10. Toy Factory
Toy factories are responsible for producing different sets of toys used in play.
What Is the Benefit of a Manufacturing Plant?
Firstly, we have to look at job creation as one of the important benefits of a manufacturing plant.
Establishing a manufacturing plant in a new area creates job opportunities for people. It also creates a demand for products, since the manufacturing company is coming into a new area.
A manufacturing plant creates wealth for a particular region. We talked about how the Midwest is economically strong because of the industries that moved there in the early 1900s.
Creating wealth for a particular region can be taxes paid by employees and sales tax collected on purchased goods.
Critical Component of Manufacturing Plant
For a manufacturing plant to function and succeed in business, these things must be considered.
Space
Every manufacturing company needs a large space to keep materials used in production, as well as the finished products.
Quality Control Area
Quality matters when it comes to manufacturing good products. The quality control area must be separated from the production line to avoid any risk of contamination.
Production Line
The production line must be arranged for the type of product produced. It should also be able to take care of large volumes of production with ease.
Storage Area
The storage area is where the finished products are kept. Once there is an order to purchase the products, they will be moved from the storage area and then transported to a final consumer.
The storage area should be in good condition to store products and prevent them from any form of damage.
Steps in Manufacturing Process
Generally, steps in the manufacturing process involve casting, injection moulding, riveting, blanking, and plating.
Casting
Casting is the first step in the manufacturing process. It’s a process used to create parts that require specific shapes.
Material dissolved into liquid is poured into a mould and then removed. It can either be a metal, rubber or plastic mould.
Injection Moulding
Injection moulding is more like casting, but it’s used to create strong parts. The process involves using a pressurized injection of melted material.
Pieces are made with a machine that uses a plunger to get the melted materials into the mould. The mould has a unique pattern.
Riveting
Rivets are useful when it comes to connecting two pieces of metal. They usually form by forcing a clip through two metal pieces. There has to be a hole in the two pieces of metal to make this work.
Blanking
Blanking involves a process that makes the finished product. It involves removing extra material and polishing the piece.
Just so you know, blanks are products of metal or plastics and they are used to make other products.
Plating
Plating involves giving a shiny finish to a product. When plating is done after the product is finished.
What Will a Manufacturing Plant of the Future Look Like?
Since the industrial revolution in the late 18th century, the world has advanced so much in technology. Technology has transformed this era into a digital age and we can all see the better transformation.
The future as we all know it is unpredictable, but don’t let that be the fate of your plant’s performance.
If you are a plant manager, your priority should be sticking to your production schedules. You should also try to keep the cost down while you try to stick to production.
Optimizing production can be a challenge, especially when you have to deal with things like power consumption, temperature, vibration, quality, pressure, etc.
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Types of Manufacturing
Manufacturing is a simple and unique process that involves getting the raw materials or component parts to produce the finished product.
Generally, there are three types of manufacturing production processes and they include make-to-stock (MTS), make-to-order (MTO), and make-to-assemble (MTA).
Make-To-Stock (MTS)
Here, a factory manufactures goods that are kept in stock at stores and showrooms. There must be a prediction for the market so that goods are produced in advance for a consumer.
Make-To-Order (MTO)
This involves the manufacturer waiting until there is an order received before production starts. Customers must wait for the manufacturer to make the products.
Make-To-Assemble (MTA)
There is a similarity between the make-to-assemble and make-to-stock. The make-to-assemble method involves the manufacturer being prepared to fulfil a customer order once they are available. It can also leave the manufacturer with a stock of unwanted parts if demands are not coming in.
Conclusion
The industrial revolution introduced a new system in the late 18th century, and since then, there has been a massive transformation.
The steel industry is arguably one of the world’s most important industries. Materials from the steel industry are used in both building and construction.
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