what are the advantages and disadvantages in manufacturing(including the tools used e.g granding)?

Question

e.g using computor software in manufacturing products help save time but it is very expenssive.

Answer 1

Traditionally, Using computer aided manufacturing (CAM) has been most cost justifiable, if you plan on running a medium to large production run.

More recently, CAM has been used on shorter and shorter production runs as part of lean manufacturing goals.

Yes, it has been a bit more expensive, but as prices of computer controlled equipment drops and the availability of trained technicians increases it has become a competitive alternative.

The advantages of using CAM is that it has the ability to repeat a procedure over and over with a high degree of accuracy.

The disadvantage, as you mentioned, is that the equipment is more expensive and that the technicians require additional training.

For the most part, on small production runs, less expensive equipment is still used. Although, in areas where each part, cost a small fortune, such as those parts used in the aerospace industry, CAM is a viable option, even in small production runs.

Answer 2

If the computer methods are too expensive, I suggest an implementation of some form of control. These quality assurance programs masquerade with different names and different philosophies, but all preach monitoring, auditing, and control.

Quite popular for manufacturing has been Lean Manufacturing. Cheap to implement, effective if people buy into it. They will if they see that it means less work for them and a stronger foothold for your company. Which workers want to build a product lacking quality?