Which manufacturing form is characterized by production in fixed plant locations using general purpose equipment to handle a wide range of product designs?

• A. Job shop
• B. Intermittent production
• C. Flow production
• D. Cellular manufacturing

Answer: (B)

This describes a job shop. In a job shop, the plant layout is organized by function, so work stays in fixed locations on the shop floor. Equipment is general purpose and capable of handling a wide variety of product designs, which is essential when the mix of products is large and volumes are relatively low. The emphasis is on flexibility and customization rather than on moving along a fixed, high-volume line.

Flow production uses specialized equipment arranged in a continuous or highly synchronized line for high-volume, standardized products, which isn’t what’s described here. Cellular manufacturing groups machines into cells to efficiently produce a family of parts, again with more structured flow than a broad, flexible job shop. Intermittent production refers to production that happens in irregular, smaller batches and can overlap with a job shop, but the key distinguishing factor in the description is the fixed functional layout with general-purpose equipment to accommodate many designs, which points to a job shop.