1. The way products are manufactured depends on the quantity required. For example, cars are continually manufactured in hundreds of thousands, a prototype is a ‘one off’ (just one made) and DIY furniture is made in batches of thousands or hundreds. There are four main types of production.

2. Involves designing and making a single product such as a wedding ring a designer suit or an individual chair. Typically, one off production involves highly skilled workers who undertake a broad range of tasks using generalised tools and equipment. Most of the project work you do in the workshop will be done in this way.

3. Batch- produced products are identical and made at the same time in either large or small numbers. Once these products have been made, more of the same products may be made using the same equipment. Chairs, magazines, books and small electrical products are usually batch- produced.

4. Involves the product going through many stages of a production line. It deals with the high- volume manufacture of products that may or may not be identical, allot of specialist equipment is needed. The workers and machines at each stage are responsible for making certain parts of the product. Workers tend to specialise in a small range of tasks.

5. In continuous production the products are produced over a period hours, days, weeks or even years. The production line never stops running 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Continuous production usually relies on high levels of automation and very few workers are used.