Which of the following is an example of discrete manufacturing?

• A. A furniture plant
• B. A gravel pit
• C. An oil refinery
• D. A chemical blending facility

Answer: (A)

In discrete manufacturing, the focus is on creating separate, identifiable items that can be counted and tracked individually. A furniture plant fits this perfectly because it produces distinct end products—chairs, tables, desks, etc.—each one a countable unit with its own bill of materials and final inspection. The workflow is designed around assembling or finishing individual items, and inventory is managed by unit.

By contrast, the other options involve bulk, continuous output rather than discrete end items. A gravel pit produces bulk aggregate continuously for use in construction—there aren’t separate, countable end products. An oil refinery runs a continuous process to make fuels as a steady stream, not individually distinguished units. A chemical blending facility often handles continuous or batch mixing of ingredients to produce bulk chemical blends rather than a set of separable, traceable finished goods.

So, the furniture plant is the example of discrete manufacturing because it yields clearly separable, countable products.