A manufacturing system transforms raw materials to final products through a series of manufacturing processes. Manufacturing companies are classified into process manufacturers and discrete manufacturers. A process manufacturer builds something that is not supposed to be taken apart; for example, liquid and powder products. A discrete manufacturer makes discrete goods such as screws, nuts, and handles that can be taken apart and used on something else when needed. Design variables and system parameters in process manufacturing and discrete manufacturing are quite different. Table 8.1 gives the comparison of the characteristics of these two types of manufacturing processes (Sophen 2019).
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