Production methods
Mass production
Industrial practices
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Industrial practices are designed to
ensure that quality products are
manufactured efficiently at a profit.
They involve designers working
together with clients and
manufacturers, all of whom need to
keep the needs of the consumer in
mind.
Roles in industrial practice
The client
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The client identifies the need for a product
through market research and uses this to
provide a design brief for the designer.
They set production deadlines and the
price of the product. The client is usually
a manufacturer or retailer.
The designer
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The designer works to the design brief
and researches market trends, fabrics and
processes, taking into account any
relevant societal, cultural, moral,
environmental or safety issues. They
produce a design specification, product
costings, and help plan manufacturing.
The manufacturer
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The manufacturer uses models or
prototypes made by the designer, and
works out the most efficient way of
manufacturing the product. They produce
a production plan and a work schedule.
During manufacture they aim to keep
material and labour costs down, while
producing a high-quality, safe product on
schedule in a safe environment.
The user or consumer

The user or consumer demands a product
that meets their requirements: a highquality, value-for-money and safe product
Mass production ( flow
production)
Manufacture of large quantities of
products
 Low production costs
 All finished products are the same
 Production line workers only do repetitive
tasks
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Mass production began in Detroit in 1914
when Henry Ford discovered that a moving
assembly line using interchangeable parts
could radically reduce the cost of making
motor cars. He sold 18m Model T Fords,
transforming America into the first carowning democracy, at a price that dropped
from $600 to $250 over 15 years.
Mass production was unpleasant work, with
high turnover. To retain his unskilled
workforce, Ford doubled their wages to $5
per day - justified by higher productivity.
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Mass production
Mass production of textiles products in a factory
Mass production is the industrial-scale
manufacture of large quantities of products,
usually on a production line. Standardised
production methods mean it is suitable for
products that rarely need to be redesigned. Mass
production is used for products that are needed
in very large numbers, eg socks or jeans. Often,
products are made overseas where labour costs
are lower.
Automated mass productiopn
One off production
One-off production
 In one-off production a single product is
designed and made to a client's
specification. Labour and material
costs are high, and a high level of
design and manufacturing skills are
needed. An example of one-off production
would be a made-to-measure wedding
dress.
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Batch production
Batch production
 In batch production set quantities of a
product are manufactured to order. Batch
production requires a high level of design,
pattern making and sampling skills.
Materials are cost-effective and
manufacturing costs are lower than oneoff production
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Just-in-time
 manufacturing is when materials are
ordered so they arrive just as they are
needed.
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Cell production
Cell production has the flow production
line split into a number of self-contained
units. Each team or ‘cell’ is responsible for
a significant part of the finished article
and, rather than each person only
carrying out only one very specific task,
team members are skilled at a number of
roles, so it provides a means for job
rotation and team working
Systems in textile
production
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Preparation stage: the amount of materials
to buy-in. Preparation of garment patterns,
templates and lay plans.
Processing stage: fabric spreading, cutting,
labelling and bundling of fabric pieces.
Assembly stage: instructions for fusing,
joining and pressing the separate parts.
Finishing stage: instructions for
decorative/functional finishing and final
pressing.
Packaging stage: how to label, hang, fold
and cover the product ready for transport.
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Systems and subsystems
In a production system, a number of different
processes or subsystems take place at the
same time.
Examples of subsystems
Lay-planning: this involves laying out pattern
pieces of a fabric to work out the quantity and
cost of material.
Costing: this involves estimating how much
each product costs to make, including materials,
labour, rent and energy costs.
Quality control: this involves the checks for
quality that take place at all stages.
Elementary flow chart symbols
Simple flow chart for cruise
control in a motor vehicle