Talking about Manufacture and Industry: English Vocabulary List

a basic substance used in manufacturing or production that has not yet been processed or refined

"Lumber is the raw material for paper production."

"Iron ore is the primary raw material used in the production of steel worldwide."

a production process where a product is put together in a step-by-step manner by different people or machines, each responsible for a specific task

"Cars are built on an assembly line."

"The assembly line moves car parts from one worker to another until the entire vehicle is built."

large-scale, standardized manufacturing for efficient production of identical items

"Mass production made automobiles affordable for the average citizen."

"Mass production involves the manufacture of large quantities of standardized products"

the sequence of processes, organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in producing and delivering a product or service from its origin to the final customer

"The supply chain was disrupted by the global pandemic."

"A resilient supply chain is a network between a company and its suppliers to produce and distribute a specific final product."

storage and management of goods in a warehouse for efficient distribution

"The company improved its warehousing."

"Efficient warehousing is essential for managing inventory and ensuring timely delivery of products."

a name or design that exclusively belongs to a particular company or its products

"The company's distinctive logo is a registered trademark."

"The company registered its trademark to protect the brand from unauthorized use."

the time in which a machine, like a computer, is not operational

"The factory experienced unexpected downtime due to a machine failure."

"Scheduled downtime for server maintenance is essential to apply security patches and prevent a much larger future system outage."

industry that produces large products or requires significant machinery and facilities, often involving the extraction, processing, or manufacturing of raw materials

"Heavy industry builds large machines."

"Heavy industry plays a significant role in the country's economic development."

the sector of manufacturing that produces finished products suitable for direct consumer use, typically requiring less capital-intensive equipment and facilities than heavy industry

"The assembly of electronics is a form of light industry."

"Light industry is more consumer-oriented and less capital-intensive than heavy industry"

a production strategy that aims to reduce inventory costs by producing and receiving goods only as they are needed

"The factory uses a just in time system to minimize inventory."

"Just in time is a lean manufacturing strategy that aligns raw-material orders from suppliers directly with strict production schedules."

a factory in which a natural substance such as oil or sugar is made pure by removing all other substances from it

"The oil refinery processes crude oil."

"The oil refinery processes crude oil into gasoline diesel and other useful petroleum products for consumers."

a factory or workshop where metal is melted and made into different shapes or objects

"The metal was sent to foundry."

"The ancient Roman foundry was responsible for casting intricate bronze statues and tools."

a facility or industrial plant equipped with machinery for cutting, processing, and shaping logs or timber into lumber or wood products

"Logs were transported from the forest to the local sawmill."

"A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into standard-dimension lumber using large"

relating to products or practices that involve skilled craftsmanship or traditional methods, often resulting in high-quality, handcrafted goods

"They sell artisanal bread."

"The bakery sells artisanal bread made with organic flour and natural sourdough starter and the loaves are baked fresh every morning before the store opens."

a standard or point of reference used to measure or compare something, often to assess quality or performance

"The new processor sets a benchmark for performance."

"A benchmark is a standard point of reference against which the quality or speed of things may be compared or assessed."

the process of having someone outside of a company provide goods or services for that company

"They decided on outsourcing."

"Many businesses opt for outsourcing their customer service to specialized call centers."

the physical and organizational assets, such as roads, bridges, utilities, and public services, that support economic activity and daily life

"The government plans to invest heavily in new infrastructure."

"A country's infrastructure includes its physical systems like roads"

the process of developing and expanding industries within a region or country, involving the increased production of goods through the use of advanced machinery, technology, and organized labor

"Industrialization changed the country greatly."

"Import substitution industrialization is a trade policy that advocates replacing foreign imports with domestic production to boost a local economy."

a production methodology aimed at minimizing waste while maximizing productivity and efficiency

"Lean manufacturing improves efficiency."

"Implementing lean manufacturing principles helped the factory significantly reduce production costs and lead times."

the use of software and computer-controlled machinery to automate and optimize manufacturing processes

"The part was cut precisely using computer-aided manufacturing."

"Computer-aided manufacturing software converts a digital design into a set of coded instructions for a computer-controlled machine tool."