Manufacturing facility produces some intermediate varieties of product with intermediate volumes

What is intermittent production?

Intermittent production is an umbrella term for manufacturing processes that use irregular production schedules to create several different products using one production line.

It’s used by manufacturers who produce low-volume, high-variety products for either mass customization or bespoke manufacturing.

If a manufacturer produces products, either one-by-one or in a batch, but the next product(s) requires a different manufacturing route or machines to be taken down and set back up in a different configuration, it would be an example of an intermittent production system.

Intermittent manufacturing workflows that use this method are:

  • Batch manufacturing
  • Job shop manufacturing
  • Discrete manufacturing  

We’ll look more into these later in the article.

We’re going to look into what is the difference between intermittent and continuous production processes, the intermittent workflows, and how you can get started with intermittent production with smart manufacturing.

So, without further ado, let’s begin.

What is the difference between intermittent and continuous production processes?

Keep Your Team Focused  

There’s nothing more frustrating and confusing than team members running around trying to find the latest production schedule.

Katana allows you to generate tasks and assign them to team members, so you and your workers know what they need to do, and when to do it.

And as for the schedule, when you generate an MO, Katana automatically schedules production for you.

However, if you need to switch up the workflow, our nifty drag-and-drop system allows you to easily do so, and the auto-booking system will even reallocate your inventory to the new workflow.

Grow Your Business

No more getting lost in your inefficient Excel spreadsheets! Katana gives those using intermittent production the tools to start implementing automated manufacturing into their business.

Doing so will allow you to automate those dull, time-consuming, and repetitive daily tasks, so you can stay focused on your manufacturing and grow your business.

Check out the video below to see exactly how Katana can help your manufacturing business:

Conclusion

Two cosmetic workers are packaging goods for delivery with Katana ERP
manufacturing software open on a laptop nearby.

And there we have it, everything you need to know about intermittent production, from what it is, to the workflows it covers, and the software that can help you implement it.

Just be sure to look out for job shop software that allows you to try it out before you commit any resources to it.

Katana Smart Manufacturing Software offers you a 14-day free trial, so you can test out the tools for yourself to better understand how it can support your intermittent manufacturing business.

And if you like the look of it and feel like you’d be better off with a demonstration of the software, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’d be happy to go through it with you.

We hope that you found this article useful, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us a message below, or get in touch with us over on our social media channels.

And until next time, happy manufacturing.

What is intermittent manufacturing system?

Intermittent production is an umbrella term for manufacturing processes that use irregular production schedules to create several different products using one production line. It's used by manufacturers who produce low-volume, high-variety products for either mass customization or bespoke manufacturing.

What is intermediate volume systems?

Intermediate Volume Systems: Falling between mass production methods and smaller, made-to-order procedures, intermediate volume systems are perfect for items that need to be made in larger quantities, but not large enough to justify the continual production that high-volume systems would bring about.

Which production is a type of intermittent production?

The types of intermittent production system include: Project production flows, Jobbing production flows, and. Batch production flows.

What are the 4 types of manufacturing processes?

What are the 4 types of manufacturing process?.
Casting and molding..
Machining..
Joining..
Shearing and forming..