Types of Continuous Production System - Mass and Process

Types of continuous production system

The types of a continuous production system are depicted below.

The types of a continuous production system include:

1. Mass production flows, and
2. Process production flows.

Discussed below are each type of continuous production system.

1. Mass production flows

Here, company produces different types of products on a large-scale and stock them in warehouses until they are demanded in the market.

The goods are produced either with the help of a single operation or uses a series of operations.

E.g. of mass production is the production of toothpastes, soaps, pens, etc.

The characteristics or features of mass production flows are as follows:

1. There is a continuous flow of production. However, this depends on the demand in the market.
2. Here, there is limited work-in-progress.
3. Supervision is easy because only few instructions are necessary.
4. The material handling is done mostly by machines, i.e. conveyors and automatic transfer machines.
5. The flow of materials is continuous. There is little or no queuing at any stage of production.

2. Process production flows

Here, a single product is produced and stocked in warehouses until it is demanded in the market. The flexibility of these plants is almost zero because only one product can be produced.

Examples of these plants include, steel, cement, paper, sugar, etc.

The characteristics or features of process production flows are as follows:

1. There is a highly mechanized system for handling materials. Conveyors and automatic transfer machines are used to move the materials from one stage to another.
2. Low-skilled labour and skilled technicians are required.
3. There is very less work-in-progress because material flow is continuous.
4. The production planning and scheduling can be decided well in advance.
5. The full production system is designed to produce only one specific type of item.