ARTICLE

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   Abaca
   Cane
   Chair
   Cirebon
   Dining Room
   Exporter
   Furniture
   Handicraft
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   Living Room
   Mahogany
   Manufacturer
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   West Java
   Wicker

     Manufacturing, a branch of industry, is the application of tools and a processing medium to the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale. This effort includes all intermediate processes required for the production and integration of a product's components. Some industries, such as semiconductor and steel manufacturers use the term fabrication instead. The manufacturing sector is closely connected with engineering. Manufacturing accounts for about one-quarter of the world's economic activity.

     According to some unorthodox economists, manufacturing is a wealth producing sector of an economy, whereas a service sector tends to be wealth consuming. Emerging technologies have provided some new growth in advanced manufacturing employment opportunities in the Manufacturing Belt in the United States. Manufacturing provides important material support for national infrastructure and for national defense.

     On the other hand, some manufacturing may involve significant social and environmental costs. The clean-up costs of hazardous waste, for example, may outweigh the benefits. Hazardous materials may expose workers to health risks. Developed countries regulate manufacturing activity with labor laws and environmental laws. In the United States, manufacturers are subject to regulations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency In Europe, pollution taxes to offset environmental costs are another form of regulation on manufacturing activity. Labor Unions and craft guilds have played a historic role negotiation of worker rights and wages. Environment laws and labor protections that are available in developed nations may not be available in the third world. Tort law and product liability impose additional costs on manufacturing.

     Examples of major manufacturers in the United States include General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, Boeing, Gates Rubber Company and Pfizer. Examples in Europe include France's Airbus and Michelin Tire. Modern proponents of Fair Trade policy and a strong manufacturing base for the U.S. economy include economists like Paul Craig Roberts, Ravi Batra, and Lou Dobbs.


Context:
  The economics and commercial management of a manufacturing company is covered   in Business.
  The classification of those Businesses is covered in Industry.
  The economic decisions taken within this activity is covered in Production.
  The law as applied to businesses in covered in Commercial Law.
  The general management of a business is in Management (see also: General   manager).
  The political impact of the development of industry is covered in Political economy
  The use of computer technology is covered by Product Lifecycle Management,   Advanced Planning and Scheduling and Scheduling (production processes).


History and development:
  The beginnings of manufacturing is covered in the Industrial Revolution.
  The development of the manufacturing facility is covered in the Factory.
  The development of the applied science behind manufacturing is covered in Industrial   processes.


Manufacturing systems: The changing methods of Manufacturing
  Craft or Guild system
  English system of manufacturing
  American System of manufacturing
  Soviet collectivism in manufacturing
  Mass production
  Just In Time manufacturing
  Lean manufacturing
  Flexible manufacturing
  Mass customization
  Agile manufacturing
  Rapid manufacturing
  Prefabrication


Taxonomy of manufacturing processes:
  Taxonomy of manufacturing processes
  Manufacturing Process Management


Manufacturing categories:
  Aerospace manufacturing
  Agribusiness
  Alternate energy
  Automobile manufacturing
  Biotechnology
  Brewing industry
  Cognotechnology
  Chemical industry
  Clothing industry
  Construction
  Electronics
  Engineering
  Emerging technologies
  Energy industries including the production of petroleum, gas and Electric power
  Ethanol
  Food and Beverage
  Fuel Cell technology
  Furniture
  Machine Tools
  Nanotechnology
  Metalworking
  Pharmaceutical
  Radio
  Software engineering
  Steel production
  Semiconductor
  Steel industry
  Telecommunications Industry
  Tobacco industry


Theories:
  Taylorism
  Fordism
  Scientific management


Control:
  Management
  List of management topics
  Total Quality Management
  Quality control
  Six Sigma


Manufacturing engineering:
  Industrial engineering
  Computer-aided manufacturing
  Computer integrated manufacturing
  Numerically controlled
  Computer numerically controlled
  Distributed control systems
  Fieldbus control systems
  Programmable logic controllers


Design:
  Rapid prototyping
  Computer aided design
  New product development
  Toolkits for User Innovation
  Configuration systems