Manufacturing means large-scale production of finished merchandise or goods by converting raw materials and components into finished products with the help of manual labor and/or machines. This world of manufacturing has dramatically evolved over the years. Manufacturers all over the globe are opting to use machines in their operations prompted by the need to enhance productivity and improve product and service quality.
Mechanization, as we call this change, has ushered growth and prosperity in industrialization with faster production, better productivity, efficiency, less labor, and low cost. At present, it is even inconceivable to think about industrial operations without mechanization. Several factors make the use of machines indispensable in the manufacturing sector.
Increased productivity: Mechanization increases the speed of execution of manufacturing operations. It raises the efficiency of labor and farm production per worker.
Lessening the cost of labor and dependence on labor shortage: By its nature mechanization decreases the quantum of labor needed to manufacture a single unit of output. In this way, it lessens the required amount of labor for the work. Machines also take up a considerable amount of work which reduces the overall burden or dependence on labor.
Cost reduction is one of the most significant learnings from the past industrial revolution. Mechanization helps reduce the cost of staple goods made possible by mass, mechanized production which would be beyond the capabilities of human labor.
This ultimately prompts valuable diversion of effort for other processes and other industries. Mechanization brings flexibility to today’s industries because production machinery can easily be reconfigured for different products, lines, and operations based on the need.
Reduced manufacturing time: Machines help industries do away with a lot of mundane work which would otherwise waste valuable time of labor. They aid in multi-tasking as one person can cater to different processes from one single point of interference. This also establishes consistency in the process.
It reduces health hazards in manufacturing setups to a large extent. Processes considered dangerous are easily dealt with by machines that keep the valuable workforce safe.
Mechanization is less location-sensitive and so ensures greater process reliability in case of dependence on far-flung production sites because less availability of machines in processes also makes single-source supply points more vulnerable to disasters.
Timeliness is another crucial factor that drives the growth of machinery used in manufacturing businesses. Time saving is very important and lack of mechanization can badly hurt its pursuit.
Mechanization raises the skill level of manpower in the industry so a manufacturing setup not only loses out on vital replacement of equipment and production processes but also the scientific organization of labor for maximum production. Mechanization is one of the prime avenues of technical progress and serves as the material base for enhancing the efficiency of production.