Introduction to Continuous, Batch and Discrete Processes

Manufacturing operations can be generally classified as discrete, continuous, or batch processes.

Continuous Processes

Continuous processes involve the continuous flow of material through various processing equipment. Once a continuous process is operating in a steady state, the goal is to produce a consistent product no matter how long the operation may run. The production of gasoline is an example of a continuous process.

Discrete Processes

Discrete processes involve the production of individual objects. A part or a specific quantity of parts in a group moves from one workstation to another, gaining value at each location as work is performed. In a discrete process, each object maintains its unique identity. A great example of a discrete manufacturing process is the production of automobiles.

Batch Processes

According to the S88 standard, a batch process is defined as a process that leads to the production of finite quantities of material by subjecting quantities of input materials to an ordered set of processing activities, over a finite period of time, using one or more pieces of equipment.

Instead of a continuous flow that can go on for days or weeks, batch processing involves limited quantities of material called batches. By the nature of the process, batch manufacturing is discontinuous. That is, you start with some raw material, process it, package and dispatch it, and then start the next batch with some new raw material.

Batch manufacturing is also not discrete. There are no things that you can easily separate or identify. A portion of a batch can be isolated into some specific container, like a bottle of soy sauce, but that doesn't make the process discrete. You can individually mark bottles of soy sauce, but the sauce inside the bottle is still part of the same batch and cannot be distinguished from one bottle to the next. The distinguishing factor of a product like soy sauce is the batch or lot from which it was bottled. That’s why you’ll see some type of batch or lot identifier printed on the cap or label.

The Continuous Troubleshooter is ideally suited for the rapid process troubleshooting of continuous type processes.

The Discrete & Batch Troubleshooter is ideally suited for the rapid process troubleshooting of discrete and/or batch type processes.