MANUFACTURING PROCESS SELECTION

Manufacturing process selection is the choice of a method for altering a set of materials into a specified shape using one or more processes. When selecting the right manufacturing process, factors like an efficient balance of materials, manpower, product design, tooling, equipment, plant space, and many other factors influencing cost and practicality should be considered. The process must be selected in such a way that the produced product will be acceptable to the consumer functionally, economically and in appearance.

An ideal process is normally considered to be the most economic, on the condition that it meets the technical constraints. As a result, the selection of a specific manufacturing process depends on the end product requirement, material, existing manufacturing facilities, and product/part dimension.

Occasionally the manufacturing process may also depend upon the specific product requirement in terms of life and reliability and in that case additional process or modification in existing process parameters may be required. Getting process selection right is important as it is intended to provide a methodical and robust way of evaluating the available processing options and identifying the most suitable one from the options.