The Advantages Of Mechanized Manufacturing Over Manual Manufacturing

The Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century which started in the United Kingdom and later spread across the world was a major turning point in the history of civilization. During this period, the methods of manufacturing shifted from manual-intensive processes to machine–oriented processes that signaled the beginning of mechanized manufacturing. The shift towards machines in manufacturing had deeper economic impacts as it not only transformed the ways of doing work for producing goods but also changed the relationships between people and our relation to the planet. The effects of widespread mechanized manufacturing brought about massive changes in social organization that continues.

Mechanized manufacturing has several advantages over manual manufacturing as elaborated below.

Increased speed of work and higher productivity
Manual-intensive manufacturing processes take a longer time to complete but using machines to perform the same operations speeds up the work. Moreover, the machines perform the tasks smoothly without interruptions unless there is any breakdown. Replacing the use of manual labor and hand tools with machines brought about a significant improvement in the number of goods produced in a given time. It translated into higher productivity as manufacturing companies could produce more goods without increasing the number of raw materials required for manufacturing the goods.

Lower cost of production
Manual manufacturing processes involved a lot of manpower and replacing them either completely or partially helped to save costs. Replacement of manpower by machines results in two types of cost saving – direct cost saved due to fewer people and indirect cost saving comes in the form of increased productivity achieved by using machines to manufacture goods. Although the initial investment in machines is high, the increased output over a period not only helps to recover the investment but also reduces the cost of production by producing higher quantities consistently than the manual manufacturing process.

Consistent quality, more accuracy
The use of machines for manufacturing goods helps to maintain accuracy throughout the production process which improves the quality of goods which is not possible to attain if done manually. Machines can recreate the same dimensions, patterns, and designs of products without any deviation as set at the beginning of the manufacturing process which helps to maintain a consistent quality of the finished goods. Every piece of goods produced as per a desired setting of the machines produces identical products continuously until the setting is changed. On the other hand, the quality of the goods produced manually varies considerably because humans can’t maintain the same consistency in work as that machines.

Cheaper goods, higher profits
Mechanized manufacturing impacts the market and improves the economy greatly. Machine-manufactured goods are of better quality and the increased productivity helps manufacturers to boost sales and increase profits. Consolidation of the business finances and the ability to produce more help businesses to grow faster and prosper.

Reduction in the manufacturing costs by deploying machines helps to lower the cost of finished goods thereby ensuring cheaper goods for consumers without compromising on quality.

Therefore, mechanization manufacturing is mutually beneficial for manufacturers and consumers.