Limited Affordable Low-Volume Manufacturing is the summary of a workshop convened by the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Research Council in August 2013 to discuss affordable, low-volume manufacturing. The workshop focused on four critical issues relevant to manufacturing: low-volume manufacturing; use of commercial off-the-shelf equipment; short production runs; and commercial manufacturing services. The workshop discussion also considered variable-rate manufacturing and high-mix manufacturing, both aspects of low-volume manufacturing. This report examines the characteristics of low-volume manufacturing and considers future advances in limited affordable low-volume manufacturing in the United States.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Overview
Workshop Themes
Summary of Workshop Presentations and Discussions
References
Appendixes
Appendix A: Workshop Statement of Task
Appendix B: Workshop Participants
Appendix C: Workshop Agenda
Appendix D: Acronyms