Technology in Production Flashcards
All 10 cards in this deck
Give one benefit to a business of using technology in production.
Machinery works faster than employees, raising productivity, so average variable cost per unit falls. (Also: products are more consistent in quality.)
Give one drawback of investing in machinery and technology for production.
High initial cost raises fixed costs, so the break-even point may rise and the investment is wasted if demand is not sustained.
Give one drawback of using technology in production, other than its cost.
Any one of: it can soon become out of date and need replacing; employees must be trained to use it.
Give two examples of technology used in production.
Any two of: automation, such as automated assembly lines; computers, such as computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-controlled machinery (CAM); robotics; 3D printing.
What is automation?
Production carried out by machinery that is controlled by a computer rather than by a person; workers oversee the machines and check production is running correctly.
What is robotics in production?
Using robots, which are machines programmed by a computer to carry out specific tasks, such as welding, painting or lifting parts into place.
Give one advantage of machines over human workers in production, other than speed.
Any one of: they can run continuously without breaks or absence; they can do dangerous tasks; they are more accurate, so less material is wasted.
Give one cost linked to employees when a business introduces new technology in production.
Any one of: redundancy payments to workers who are no longer needed; higher pay to recruit the skilled workers needed to run it.
Why can relying on machinery be a risk to production?
If a machine breaks down, production is disrupted, so orders may be delayed and output lost.
How can computer-controlled machinery make production more flexible?
The machines can be reprogrammed to make different versions or designs of a product, so variety is possible on the same equipment.