What is Manufacturing

Defining Manufacturing

The word manufacturing comes from two latin words, manus (hand) and factus (make).  So the combination of the two words is manufacturing which means ” made by hand”[1]. Manufacturing is defined as the method and means of converting a raw material to final product.

A detailed definition is given as,”The applications of physical and chemical processes to alter the geometry, properties, and/or appearance of a given starting material to make parts or products”[1].

So any process that is used to convert some raw or semi-finished part into a useful part or product is termed as manufacturing process. These processes could be mechanical, electrical, chemical, or thermal.

Types of Manufacturing

Manufacturing Engineering is a vast and multidisciplinary field. There is no clear cutoff about what comes under the umbrella of Manufacturing.

Manufacturing are of two types

1. Primary Manufacturing
2. Secondary Manufacturing

Primary Manufacturing

Primaray manufacturing (defined in terms of metals) is the conversion of metal ores (i.e rocks) into metallic materials. So it is the conversion of a combined metal ore into separate pure metals. For example the process of purifying or making cast iron, steels, aluminum etc.

Secondary Manufacturing

Secondary Manufacturing refers to the conversion of these pure metals (raw materials) into semi-finished or finished parts. For example, the conversion of aluminum ingot to an automobile engine block(semi-finished part) and then the assembly of all the automobile parts to form an engine(finished part).

 

Reference:

1. Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing by M.P Groover