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One-off production is when a single product is made for a customer.
One-off production
It is very unlikely that there has been any large machinery involved.The item may be made entirely by one person or by a small group of people.A production sample or mock up (toile) may be made to present to the customer.This method can be extremely time consuming and therefore very expensive.
Wedding dresses are often made to measure,
to the customer’s specific requirements.
How many other examples of one-off textile products can you think of?
A specified number of identical items is produced in one go, in response to an order for a one-off consignment.
Orders are often made due to seasonal change. For example, factories will start producing vest tops ready for summer.
A skilled workforce will be required to work on different products as they are produced.
Batch production
Clothing is often produced using batch production methods, as it accommodates demands for new styles and designs in response to constantly changing fashions.
Mass production is one of the most economical methods of manufacture as the more items produced in a short period of time, the lower the costs.
Each worker will complete one task before passing the product down the production line.
Mass production often uses a continuous production system which never stops: machinery runs 24 hours a day to produce items, with machines only stopping to be cleaned.
To make this process worthwhile, the product must be in high demand.
Where a continuous or mass production system is in place, a factory is normally set up to only produce one product. Changing the line to make a different product would be time consuming and costly. Continuous production is not often used to produce clothing, as styles change too often. However, it is used to manufacture fabrics which can then be used for a variety of purposes.
Mass production
CAM is used to allow continuous, mass and batch production systems to run smoothly and to automatically check the quality of items.
Progressive bundle production is similar to cell production. However, staff are accountable for a particular part of the garment/textile item.
Cell production involves staff working in small teams. Each person is responsible for the finished end product. Workers concentrate on a different parts of the garment/textile item at a time.
The make-through system is when the garment/textile item is produced by one person, or a small team, from start to finish. This system tends only to be used in very small factories which employ extremely skilled staff.
Textile production systems
In textile manufacturing, goods are produced using a range of production systems depending on the type of product, the number of items being made and the skills the staff have.