I need a little help with the correct use of English (in industrial manufacture)

john_smith077

Hello

What is the difference between:
- Fabricate (==> fabricator?  ==> fabrication?)
- Assemble (==> assembler? ==> assembly?)
- Manufacture (==> manufacturer? ==> product?

What is the correct use of English?

I means is it sector specific?
And/or volume-specific?

e.g. if I have a collection of parts that are magnetic, that are part of a final product, I might call it a "magnetic assembly"
But what is the (generic) name for the type of organisation that puts them together for the project, without creating a final "commercial product"?

Likewise:
- Does it make a difference if a part is created from  "basic raw materials" or from "off-the-shelf" components?
- What about if those parts are things that you have had made for your project?
==> i.e. what type of organisation would (attaching/bonding/connecting/joining/piece together/fit) your parts for you?

I am also confused about when to use which words... and the exact distinction between:
- "part"  vs.  "piece"  vs.  "item" vs. "component" (vs. unit?)
- "model" (as in model-making) vs. "prototype" ?

Also what really is "a product"?
Can a "raw material" anything that you can buy off-the-shelf from a third party?
But what do you call it, if it is something that you have had made specially for you?

All contributions welcome!
I know that I am using all of these words slightly incorrectly...

Thanks

J

john_smith077

PS Come to think about it, I only have a vague idea what these word mean:
- Manufacture (==> manufacturer)
- Make (==> maker?)
- Build (==> builder?)
- Hack (==> hacker?)

- Product (==> producer?)

- can an "artisan" be company?
- how many units of something does a company need to make before they become a manufacturer
- Likewise when does "bespoke" become "mass-produced"/"manufactured"...

john_mcclary

john_smith077 said:

Hello

What is the difference between:
- Fabricate (==> fabricator?  ==> fabrication?)
~ To Fabricate typically means to weld something, like a frame
~ A Fabricator is the person or company that does the welding
~Fabrication is the thing being welded (the frame itself)

- Assemble (==> assembler? ==> assembly?)
~To Assemble means to put all of the parts together, typically with nuts and bolts
~An Assembler is the person or company that is assembling the device.
~An Assembly is the final device that has been assembled

- Manufacture (==> manufacturer? ==> product?
~To Manufacture can mean a few things (more of a generic term for all of the above), but typically it is the process of making machined parts
~A Manufacture is the company that makes the parts / product
~A Product is typically a thing that is made efficiently with the intention of selling hundreds or thousands without modifications. That could be anything from a car to a pencil. 

What is the correct use of English?

I means is it sector specific?
And/or volume-specific? 
~Not sure what you are looking for here. 
Sector specific sounds like something made for a type of end user. Like the industrial sector, or the commercial sector... 
Volume specific sounds to me like a product that needs to be made in bulk to be worth using or making. 
Like a car, if you want to make 1 it would cost millions. If you make millions they cost thousands... 

e.g. if I have a collection of parts that are magnetic, that are part of a final product, I might call it a "magnetic assembly"
But what is the (generic) name for the type of organisation that puts them together for the project, without creating a final "commercial product"?
~If you're buying parts or widgets from someone, the are a vendor or supplier. 

Likewise:
- Does it make a difference if a part is created from  "basic raw materials" or from "off-the-shelf" components 
~Made from raw materials, i would say they are manufactured. Off the shelf components we call 'purchased parts' 

- What about if those parts are things that you have had made for your project?
==> i.e. what type of organisation would (attaching/bonding/connecting/joining/piece together/fit) your parts for you?

I am also confused about when to use which words... and the exact distinction between:
- "part"  vs.  "piece"  vs.  "item" vs. "component" (vs. unit?)
- "model" (as in model-making) vs. "prototype" ?
Part, piece, item, component are basically the same 
When we call something a unit, we typically mean a small chunk of a larger project. Like: a conveyor would be a unit, and a fence that surrounds it may be another unit. Just a way to break a big thing down into smaller ideas. 

Also what really is "a product"?
~a complete component for mass production. 

Can a "raw material" anything that you can buy off-the-shelf from a third party?
~when we say raw materials we mean a stick of steel or sheet of wood, or plastic etc. 

But what do you call it, if it is something that you have had made specially for you?

~Depends on what it is.. A part, a machine, etc. 

All contributions welcome!
I know that I am using all of these words slightly incorrectly...

Thanks

J

See ~ for my answers 

john_mcclary

john_smith077 said:

PS Come to think about it, I only have a vague idea what these word mean:
- Manufacture (==> manufacturer)
~to make

- Make (==> maker?)
~to create

- Build (==> builder?)
~same as assembler but may be better. 
We call an assembler someone who can open an IKEA box and put it together. A machine builder would be able to make or modify that same shelf even if there were missing pieces or bad lengths etc. 

- Hack (==> hacker?)
~to do something out of the ordinary or to solve a problem in a way that may not be acceptable. 
Like breaking into a computer without using a password. Or putting tape on a door latch so you don't have to turn the handle... 
Hacker is the person doing the hack. 

- Product (==> producer?)

- can an "artisan" be company?
~typically it is a very skilled person, but it can be a company's collective knowledge and skill. 

- how many units of something does a company need to make before they become a manufacturer
~1

- Likewise when does "bespoke" become "mass-produced"/"manufactured"...
~i don't know what bespoke means...