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Low-volume manufacturing can help manufacturing organizations keep costs in mind and focus their production on smaller volumes and batches of finished goods. In this article, we’ll go over what low-volume manufacturing is, what types there are, and why it’s benefits.
Low-volume manufacturing is the prototyping of goods and products in small volumes. Hybrid techniques that combine additive and traditional manufacturing elements help reduce the overhead costs of tooling, labor, and materials while still producing products at a lower volume. It is becoming more popular over time, as it allows customers to invest less time and money while still getting fast access to different markets.
Because many industries have learned that low-volume production allows them to go to market faster, it is becoming more prevalent in factories and, therefore, is important for you to consider. It allows brands to change their designs, offer more customization, and decrease overhead costs.
There are three types of low-volume manufacturing that can be used to reach minimum order goals and produce goods: injection molding, CNC machining, and 3D printing. Below, we'll dive into each of these categories in greater detail.
Injection molding processes are production processes that use a custom mold to produce products based on a project’s individual specifications. Raw material is picked for the product, heated to a liquid state, then poured into the mold cavity. Once the material has cooled inside the mold, it is opened, ejected, and processed for shipping. Meanwhile, the mold is reused to create a new product.
Injection molding can be used with a wide variety of materials, from plastics to metals and beyond. This process also helps create consistent products with high strength, durability, and weather resistance. For example, plastic parts can be poured into a mold to create an automotive part for a specialty vehicle, and the same mold can be used for the rest of the production run.
Read more: How One Plastics Manufacturer Saves $1.4M a Year Using Amper
CNC machining uses software to input a pre-planned program that directs the movement of the tools and machinery within the equipment. CNC machining software can create complex products with three-dimensional cutting and forming by using directives and prompts.
CNC machining is another method that is repeatable and easy to accomplish for quick turnarounds and high-quality goods. It’s also scalable and can use various raw materials while having minimal investments in the machine's tooling, setup, and preparation.
3D printing, which is sometimes referred to as additive manufacturing processes, uses the layering of raw materials to create products. Using CAD software, a designer creates a design, and then the software builds it. The software builds the design by building layers on top of each other using the machine's instructions. The process repeats after each product is built.
3D printing and manufacturing is great for products that need to be under a certain weight, as these processes can create very complex and delicate parts. It also uses less labor than traditional machining for mass production and has nearly unlimited customization and design freedom for different goods.
It is still true that high-volume manufacturing has many benefits for businesses who need to produce higher volumes of product and don’t have the option of producing smaller batches. However, there are four major benefits to consider with low-volume manufacturing and product development.
High-volume manufacturing that produces many units takes time to accomplish, even on the best equipment. This means that the time to market can extend for large-scale products, meaning you spend your time catching up instead of leading the way. With low-volume manufacturing, businesses can go to market quickly and introduce their products before competitors can.
Another benefit of low-volume manufacturing is the money you can save. Especially for plastic injection molding and pressure die-casting jobs, there are much lower overhead costs to consider for tooling, materials, and labor. Over time, low-volume manufacturing can save your business more money for certain products than producing in high volume could.
When you aren’t making your products in high-volume production batches, you have much more design flexibility to change different parts of your product design, or offer different customization options to your customers. This allows you to have more freedom over the product and create the best product to secure your market share rather than a full-scale production.
Low-volume manufacturing has many benefits that can appeal to customers. However, inconsistent demand and changing requirements can make it difficult to run your factory as efficiently as possible.
That’s where Amper comes in. Amper is a factory operating system that helps you get control over your operations and automates essential business functions. Amper helps your business run smarter with metrics, KPIs, and real-time data in manufacturing analysis solutions. Schedule a demo with us and get started today to learn more about what Amper can do for you.
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