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

john_smith077john_smith077 Member Posts: 175 ✭✭✭
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

Answers

  • john_smith077john_smith077 Member Posts: 175 ✭✭✭

    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_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO
    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_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,890 PRO

    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... 


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