DOCSLIB.ORG

An Automatic Machine Tool

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Automatic Machine Tool An Automatic Machine Tool Feedback control has begun to advance in the working of metals. Presenting the first account of a milling machine that converts information on punched tape into the contours of a finished part by William Pease HE metal-cutting industry is one chine tools built to produce a variety of rudimentary foundry casting. Crude, field in which automatic control parts in relatively small quantities. hand-powered lathes were already in Thas been late in arriving. The The problem will be clearer if we existence, but they were used only for speed, judgment and especially the first review briefly the history of ma­ wood-turning or occasionally for mak­ flexibility with which a skilled machinist chine tools and their relationship to ing clock parts. controls his machine tool have not manufacturing processes. The story be­ The first machine tool in the modern been easily duplicated by automatic ma­ gins in the last quarter of the 18th cen­ sense of the word was a cylinder-boring chines. Only for mass-production op­ tury. Prior to that time the tools of the device invented in 1774 by John Wil­ erations such as the making of automo­ millwright, as the machinist of that day kinson. Wilkinson is by no means as bile parts has it been feasible to employ was called, consisted chiefly of the well-remembered as James Watt, but it automatic machinery. New develop­ hammer, chisel and file. His measure­ was his invention that enabled Watt to ments in feedback control and machine ments were made with a wooden rule build a full-scale steam engine. For 10 computation, however, are now open­ and crude calipers. His materials were years Watt had been struggling vainly ing the door to automatization of ma- prepared either by hand-forging or by to turn out a cylinder true enough for PR �A�lPLE ODUCT of the automatic machine too] The instructions which direct the cutting of the cam escri bed in this article is the cam shown at right. from a square blank are encoded on paper tape. 101 © 1952 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC the job. After one effort he reported in mated. It made the steam engine a com­ cutting machines. The most significant discouragement that in his cylinder of mercial success, and it was the fore­ of these was a screw-cutting lathe with 18-inch diameter "at the worst place runner of all the large, accurate metal­ a slide rest and change gears remark_ the long diameter exceeded the short working tools of modern industry. ably like our modern lathes. by three-eighths of an inch." But in 1776 Another productive Englishman of Watt's partner, Matthew Boulton, was the same period was Joseph Bramah. HE NEXT great step forward in able to write: "Mr. Wilkinson has bored His inventions included one of the most Tmachine technology was pioneered us several cylinders almost without successful locks ever devised, the hy­ by Eli Whitney. Although he is re­ error; that of 50 inches diameter, which draulic press, various woodworking ma­ membered mainly as the inventor of we have put up at Tipton, does not err chines, the four-way valve, a beer pump the cotton gin, his greatest contribution the thickness of an old shilling in any and the water closet. To manufacture was an innovation of much more gen­ part." The importance of Wilkinson's his inventions he and an associate, eral import: interchangeability of man­ boring machine cannot be overesti- Henry Maudslay, created several metal- ufactured parts. In 1798 Whitney, hav- MACHINE AND CONTROL are shown here in entirety. slide" moves the head back and forth across table; the l For details of the control panels (left) see pages 104 and tahle moves from side to side under tool. The contro 105. The machine has universal motion: the "head," system coordinates all three motions simultaneously to holding the cutting tool, moves vertically; the "cross perform the operations shown on the opposite page. 102 © 1952 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC © 1952 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC CONTROL·SYSTEM panel at left each motion of the machine. An elec· of pulses. These are blocked or distributes commands to banks of reo tronic oscillator "clock" at top of passed on by flip-flop switches in lays in three panels at right, one for second panel generates steady flow data-interpreting system below clock, ing made little money from the cotton them, he showed that the gun parts duction as we know it today. Auto­ gin, set up in New Haven as a manu­ could be interchanged among all 10 mobiles and washing machines, type­ facturer of muskets for the U. S. Govern­ without affecting the guns' operability. writers and egg beaters-every common ment. He employed on this contract the He went on to prove in his New Haven machine we use is manufactured with interchangeable system of manufac­ shop that precision machinery operated interchangeable parts. ture which was at that time still con­ by relatively unskilled labor could The two primary tools of inter­ sidered impractical by most experts. In make parts accurately enough. for in­ changeable manufacture are the lathe fact, two years later it was necessary terchangeability, so that expensive and the milling machine. The modern for Whitney to go to Washington to handwork was no longer required. lathe owes its form mainly to Maudslay, reassure the Secretary of War and offi­ Whitney's idea was received with but about 1854 the addition of the tool­ cers of the Army that his idea was skepticism, but it eventually won out. changing turret equipped the lathe and sound. Displaying 10 muskets, all Interchangeable manufacture is a fun­ its cousin, the automatic screw-cutting tooled as nearly alike as he could make damental principle of all quantity pro- machine, for interchangeable manu- 104 © 1952 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC ._ HIGH SPEED ElECTRONIC COUNTERS INDISPENSABLE TO THE AUTOMATIC FACTORY MACHINE AND PROCESS CONTROL Potter High Speed Predetermined Electronic Counters are being applied to automatic control of a wide variety of machines and processes. The Counters are used to provide control action after a measure of Quantity, Dimension, Time, Revolution-or any count­ producing action. The program, representing a sequence of predetermined counts, is set up on digital dial switches. Where a large number of steps is involved, the program of predetermined counts and control action can be sent from punched tape, cards or mag­ netic tope. Potter Electronic Counters are inertiale .. , there is NO MECHANICAL WEAR! Counting at rate, over 1,000,000 per second-with absolute accuracy-is possible. PRODUCTION AND INVENTORY in accord with commands stored in anisms in three panels at right. These CONTROL r elays. Now coded in pulses, com­ convert pulses into continuously The Potter Instrument Company alsa supplies ma nds flow to decoding servo-mech- varying signals that drive machine. complete PRODUCTION AND INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEMS utilizing a radically new facture. The first milling machine suit­ atism is no new concept in the metal­ Randam Access Memary (RAM), electronic able for interchanaeable manufacture cutting industry. From the beginning Wa computer circuitry and a high speed printer s built by Whitney. In 1862 the machine tools were created to reduce Pro (Flying Typewriter). vidence inventor Joseph R. Brown the amount of human skill required .in de �eloped the universal milling ma­ manufacture. These automatic aids to Chl FOR AN ENGINEERING OR SYSTEMS APPRAISAL lle, the type in common use today. proficiency, always adhering to the To tl1 OF YOUR PROBLEM, WRITE OR CAll DEPT. 9A ese basic tools the 19th century double principle of accuracy for inter­ add d � machines for drilling, punching, changeability and speed for economy, sawmg and shaping metal. have increased through the years. POTTER �n a sense the guides, tracks and ot er devices built into machinery to INSTRUMENT COMPANY . MACHINES, capable of raise its precision level are a kind of LEXIBLE INCORPORAT ED Fmanufacturing a wide assortment of automatic control. This type of autom- parts, are an essential part of modern 115 CUrrER MILL ROAD, GREAT NECK, l. I. 105 © 1952 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC COMMAND PULSES Q)Q) Q) Q)Q) Q) Cll Cll Q) Cll Q) Cll DECODER AND AMPLIFIER FEEDBACK PULSES • � - + DIRECTION � -DIRECTION t POSITION CODE CONVERTER DECODING SERVO·MECHANISM ensures that com· shaft one degree per pulse. Rotation is sensed by brushes mands are correctly translated from pulse form into on position coder, which feed back one pulse to ampli. the analogue form of a varying shaft angle. Pulses from fier for each degree of rotation. Transmitter selsyn amplifier cause servomotor to rotate the transmitter converts shaft motion into varying electrical signal. TRANSMITTER SELSYN VARIABLE SPEED HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION t'-"'-'-">.. 00 00 AMPLIFIER - MACHINE·DRIVE SERVO·MECHANISM ensures that chine. Receiver selsyn under table at right feeds back to commands in the form of a varying electrical signal amplifier a signal corresponding to the motion of the from decoding servo·mechanism transmitter are cor· table. This signal is compared with the transmitter rectly reproduced by the motions of the milling mao signal and a corrected signal is sent to the table drive. 106 © 1952 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC Jual1U fI:.a cturing technique. The reason • bid wI� tlley have thus far een untouc le lb" b automatic contro can e gIven 111 concepts of informa tery m's of the tion flow and feedback control. A rough measure of the cost of auto- rol is the amount and ma tI'C cont . na- . ture of the informatIOn the automatIc machine must handle. To perform a d operation such complicate as maI�u­ uring a metal part, we must fnct bu�ld 'nto the machine a great deal of 111- formation-handling capacity, for it has to carry out a whole complex of in­ structions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Industrial Revolution in America
    DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A SECTION 1 The Industrial TEKS 5B, 5D, 7A, 11A, 12C, 12D, 13A, Revolution in 13B, 14A, 14B, 27A, 27D, 28B What You Will Learn… America Main Ideas 1. The invention of new machines in Great Britain If YOU were there... led to the beginning of the You live in a small Pennsylvania town in the 1780s. Your father is a Industrial Revolution. 2. The development of new blacksmith, but you earn money for the family, too. You raise sheep machines and processes and spin their wool into yarn. Your sisters knit the yarn into warm brought the Industrial Revolu- tion to the United States. wool gloves and mittens. You sell your products to merchants in the 3. Despite a slow start in manu- city. But now you hear that someone has invented machines that facturing, the United States made rapid improvements can spin thread and make cloth. during the War of 1812. Would you still be able to earn the same amount The Big Idea of money for your family? Why? The Industrial Revolution trans- formed the way goods were produced in the United States. BUILDING BACKOU GR ND In the early 1700s making goods depend- ed on the hard work of humans and animals. It had been that way for Key Terms and People hundreds of years. Then new technology brought a change so radical Industrial Revolution, p. 385 that it is called a revolution. It began in Great Britain and soon spread to textiles, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Machine Tools and Mass Production in the Armaments Boom: Germany and the United States, 1929–441 by CRISTIANO ANDREA RISTUCCIA and ADAM TOOZE*
    bs_bs_banner Economic History Review, 66, 4 (2013), pp. 953–974 Machine tools and mass production in the armaments boom: Germany and the United States, 1929–441 By CRISTIANO ANDREA RISTUCCIA and ADAM TOOZE* This article anatomizes the ‘productivity race’ between Nazi Germany and the US over the period from the Great Depression to the Second World War in the metal- working industry.We present novel data that allow us to account for both the quantity of installed machine tools and their technological type. Hitherto, comparison of productive technologies has been limited to case studies and well-worn narratives about US mass production and European-style flexible specialization. Our data show that the two countries in fact employed similar types of machines combined in different ratios. Furthermore, neither country was locked in a rigid technological paradigm. By 1945 Germany had converged on the US both in terms of capital- intensity and the specific technologies employed. Capital investment made a greater contribution to output growth in Germany, whereas US growth was capital-saving. Total factor productivity growth made a substantial contribution to the armaments boom in both countries. But it was US industry, spared the war’s most disruptive effects, that was in a position to take fullest advantage of the opportunities for wartime productivity growth. This adds a new element to familiar explanations for Germany’s rapid catch-up after 1945. earmament in the 1930s followed by the industrial effort for the Second RWorld War unleashed an unprecedented boom in worldwide metalworking production. Over the entire period from the early 1930s to the end of the Second World War, the combatants between them produced in excess of 600,000 military aircraft and many times that number of highly sophisticated aero- engines.
    [Show full text]
  • Artisanal Skills, Watchmaking, and the Industrial Revolution: Prescot and Beyond
    A Service of Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics Cummins, Neil; Ó Gráda, Cormac Working Paper Artisanal skills, watchmaking, and the Industrial Revolution: Prescot and beyond Working Paper Series, No. WP19/24 Provided in Cooperation with: UCD School of Economics, University College Dublin (UCD) Suggested Citation: Cummins, Neil; Ó Gráda, Cormac (2019) : Artisanal skills, watchmaking, and the Industrial Revolution: Prescot and beyond, Working Paper Series, No. WP19/24, University College Dublin, UCD Centre for Economic Research, Dublin This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/228172 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen
    [Show full text]
  • DRAFT – Subject to NIST Approval 1.5 IMPACTS of AUTOMATION on PRECISION1 M. Alkan Donmez and Johannes A. Soons Manufacturin
    DRAFT – Subject to NIST approval 1.5 IMPACTS OF AUTOMATION ON PRECISION1 M. Alkan Donmez and Johannes A. Soons Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899 ABSTRACT Automation has significant impacts on the economy and the development and use of technology. In this section, the impacts of automation on precision, which directly influences science, technology, and the economy, are discussed. As automation enables improved precision, precision also improves automation. Followed by the definition of precision and the factors affecting precision, the relationship between precision and automation is described. This section concludes with specific examples of how automation has improved the precision of manufacturing processes and manufactured products over the last decades. 1.5.1 What is precision Precision is the closeness of agreement between a series of individual measurements, values, or results. For a manufacturing process, precision describes how well the process is capable of producing products with identical properties. The properties of interest can be the dimensions of the product, its shape, surface finish, color, weight, etc. For a device or instrument, precision describes the invariance of its output when operated with the same set of inputs. Measurement precision is defined by the International Vocabulary of Metrology [1] as the "closeness of agreement between indications obtained by replicate measurements on the same or similar objects under specified conditions." In this definition, the "specified conditions" describe whether precision is associated with the repeatability or the reproducibility of the measurement process. Repeatability is the closeness of the agreement between results of successive measurements of the same quantity carried out under the same conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Metal Drill Bits Hammer Drill Stronger Than Steel Chisel Drill Bits Stone and Special Metal Drill Bits
    BITS METAL DRILL BITS HAMMER DRILL STRONGER THAN STEEL CHISEL DRILL BITS STONE AND SPECIAL METAL DRILL BITS 307 | HSS-E DIN 338 cobalt 76–79 WOOD DRILL BITS 311 | HSS TIN DIN 338 steel drill bit 80–81 302 | HSS DIN 338, ground, split point 82–85 300 | HSS DIN 338, standard 86–90 300 | HSS DIN 338, standard, shank reduced 91 340 | HSS DIN 340, ground, split point, long 92 342 | HSS DIN 1869, ground, extra long 93 SAWS 344 | HSS hollow section drill bit / Facade drill bit 94 345 | HSS DIN 345 morse taper 95–96 303 | HSS DIN 1897 pilot drill bit, ground, split point, extra short 97 310 | HSS DIN 8037 carbide tipped 98 312 | HSS-G Speeder DIN 338 RN metal drill bit 99 304 | HSS Double end drill bit, ground, split point 100 315 | HSS Drill bit KEILBIT, ground 101 317 | HSS combination tool KEILBIT 102 329 | HSS countersink KEILBIT 103 327 | HSS countersink 90° DIN 335 C 104 328 | HSS deburring countersink 105 ASSORTMENTS 326 | HSS tube and sheet drill bit 106 325 | HSS step drill 107 140 | Scriber 108 320 | HSS hole saw bi-metal 109–112 SHELVES | From Pros for Pros | www.keil.eu | 73 MODULES - BITS HAMMER DRILL METAL DRILL BITS Nothing stops the metal drill bits because we offer a drill bit for every application. CHISEL HSS-E TWIST DRILL BIT 135° The HSS-E drill bit is a cobalt alloyed high performance drill bit. Even with insufficient cooling it has reserve in heat resistance. Due to the alloying addition of 5 % Co in the cutting material these drill bits can be used for working with work pieces with a tensile strength of over 800N/m².
    [Show full text]
  • Water Jet Cutting a Technology on the Rise
    Water Jet Cutting A Technology on the Rise Water Jet Cutting- A Technology on the Rise Foreword: Siberia to Iceland, from Norway to South The purpose of this brochure is to give the Africa. reader a rough overview of Waterjet Specially trained technicians are constantly Cutting. In addition to precise cutting of on duty and can help you immediately at various materials as presented, many any time. special applications i.e. medical and in the decommissioning and demolition field Service and wear parts are shipped within exist – these however being outside the 24 hours. scope of this text. For any additional Our contract-cutting department takes information, our KMT Waterjet team is care of our customers’ needs to the fullest, always available. Also, we would like to enabling us to perform test-cutting welcome you to visit our homepage procedures in order to optimize the www.kmt-waterjet.com, where you have cutting method, allowing you for the option of downloading useful files. economically and technically sound In order for you to get a better operation of your machines. understanding of KMT Waterjet Systems, The KMT Waterjet team in Bad Nauheim is we would also like to take this opportunity always available to answer your questions! to present our company. In the Autumn of 2003, KMT AB of Sweden purchased the Waterjet Cutting Division from Ingersoll-Rand. The KMT Corporation is an Internationally active corporation with over 700 employees worldwide. KMT Waterjet Systems employs 200 people. Further KMT brands include UVA, LIDKOPING, KMT Robotic Solutions, KMT Aqua-Dyne, KMT McCartney, and KMT H2O.
    [Show full text]
  • Portable Machine Tools Safety Precautions
    TC 9-524 Chapter 3 PORTABLE MACHINE TOOLS The portable machine tools identified and described in this Portable machine tools are powered by self-contained chapter are intended for use by maintenance personnel in a electric motors or compressed air (pneumatic) from an outside shop or field environment. These lightweight, transportable source. They are classified as either cutting took (straight and machine tools, can quickly and easily be moved to the angle hand drills, metal sawing machines, and metal cutting workplace to accomplish machining operations. The accuracy shears) or finishing tools (sanders, grinders, and polishers). of work performed by portable machine tools is dependent upon the user’s skill and experience. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS GENERAL Portable machine tools require special safety precautions Remove chuck keys from drills prior to use. while being used. These are in addition to those safety precautions described in Chapter 1. Hold tools firmly and maintain good balance. Secure the work in a holding device, not in your PNEUMATIC AND ELECTRIC TOOL hands. SAFETY Wear eye protection while operating these Here are some safety precautions to follow: machines. Never use electric equipment (such as drills, Ensure that all lock buttons or switches are off sanders, and saws) in wet or damp conditions. before plugging the machine tool into the power source. Properly ground all electric tools prior to use. Never leave a portable pneumatic hammer with a Do not use electric tools near flammable liquids or chisel, star drill, rivet set, or other tool in its nozzle. gases. ELECTRIC EXTENSION CORDS Inspect all pneumatic hose lines and connections prior to use.
    [Show full text]
  • Hollow Chisel Mortiser
    User Manual Read and understand this manual before using machine. HOLLOW CHISEL MORTISER Model Number 25200 ® CUS STEEL CITY TOOL WORKS Manual Part No. OR71593 VER. 2.07 THANK YOU for purchasing your new Steel City Hollow Chisel Mortiser. This mortiser has been designed, tested, and inspected with you, the customer, in mind. When properly assembled, used and maintained, your mortiser will provide you with years of trouble free service, which is why it is backed by one of the longest machinery warranties in the business. This mortiser is just one of many products in the Steel City’s family of woodworking machinery and is proof of our commitment to total customer satisfaction. At Steel City we continue to strive for excellence each and every day and value the opinion of you, our customer. For comments about your mortiser or Steel City Tool Works, please visit our web site at www.steelcitytoolworks.com . 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION SECTION 1 Warranty .................................................................................................................................................4 SECTION 2 Product Specifications ............................................................................................................................7 SECTION 3 Accessories and Attachments ................................................................................................................7 SECTION 4 Definition of Terms..................................................................................................................................7
    [Show full text]
  • Coltâ•Žs Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company Collection
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8hh6mgb No online items Finding Aid to the Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company Collection 89.62 Finding aid prepared by Holly Rose Larson and Jeffrey Richardson Autry National Center, Autry Library 4700 Western Heritage Way Los Angeles, CA, 90027 (323) 667-2000 ext. 349 [email protected] 2012 March 7 Finding Aid to the Colt’s Patent 89.62 1 Firearms Manufacturing Company Collection 89.62 Title: Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company Collection Identifier/Call Number: 89.62 Contributing Institution: Autry National Center, Autry Library Language of Material: English Physical Description: 3.4 Linear feet(2 boxes) Date (inclusive): 1894-1946 Abstract: Samuel Colt patented his revolver with a mechanically rotating cylinder in 1835 and 1836. It revolutionized the firearms industry and was the first truly global manufacturing export in American history. The success of the revolver ultimately allowed Samuel Colt to incorporate Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in 1855. This collection of Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company documents spans 1894-1946 and includes contracts, correspondence, invoices, memos, notes, receipts, stock certificates, and trademark registration certificates regarding manufacture, registration and trade of Colt products. Language: English, Spanish, French. creator: Colt Manufacturing Company creator: Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company creator: Colt, Samuel, 1814-1862 Access Collection is open for research. Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit http://theautry.org/research/research-rules-and-application or contact library staff at [email protected]. An item-level inventory is available from library staff.
    [Show full text]
  • The Industrial Revolution!!! ​Ɯ Ɯ​ 1750
    The Industrial Revolution!!! Ɯ Ɯ​ 1750 - Today ​ The Industrial Revolution was a period during which predominantly agricultural, rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and more people lived in cities. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain in the late 1700s, manufacturing** was often ​ ​ done in people’s homes, using hand tools or basic machines. Industrialization marked a shift to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and mass production. The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the steam engine, played central roles in the Industrial Revolution, which also saw improved systems of transportation, communication and banking. While industrialization brought about an increased volume and variety of manufactured goods and an improved standard of living** for some, it also resulted in often ​ ​ grim employment and living conditions for the poor and working classes. Manufacturing = Making and producing things! Standard of living = How most people live their lives BRITAIN: BIRTHPLACE OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, most people resided in small, rural communities where their daily existences revolved around farming. Life for the average person was difficult, as incomes were meager, and malnourishment and disease were common. People produced the bulk of their own food, clothing, furniture and tools. Most manufacturing was done in homes or small, rural shops, using hand tools or simple machines. A number of factors contributed to Britain’s role as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. For one, it had great deposits of coal and iron ore, which proved essential for industrialization. Additionally, Britain was a politically stable society, as well as the world’s leading colonial power, which meant its colonies could serve as a source for raw materials, as well as a marketplace for manufactured goods.
    [Show full text]
  • What Was the Assembly Line ?
    59 WHAT WAS THE ASSEMBLY LINE ? DAVID E. NYE INTRODUCTION Today, ”assembly line” immediately suggests Asian or Latin-American factories where poorly-paid workers make consumer goods for export to the West. For example, many US corporations shifted jobs to northern Mexico beginning in 1965 as part of the Border Industrialization Program. This process accelerated dramatically after January 1, 1994, when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. It abolished tariffs and made re-importation of assembly line goods easy. By 2000, 1.2 million US jobs had been relocated to Mexico. Most of the Mexicans hired were semi-skilled women, preferred both for their manual dexterity and their willingness to accept low wages.1 Corporations built factories where environmental legislation was lax and unions were weak or non-existent. In such places, “the danger is that repression rather than innovation becomes a competitive advantage.”2 Yet if the assembly line of today is often part of a global production system for offshore, semi-skilled work, at its inception in 1913 the Americans saw the assembly line as the guarantor of high wages and domestic prosperity. This essay reviews the origins of the assembly line, what exactly it was as a technology, and how it was initially understood. In hindsight, it was less a beginning than a mid-point in long- term developments that are still underway. Historians frequently refer to the assembly line as an historical stage, in a sequence from Taylorism to Fordism to “post-Fordism,” with additional stages sometimes included such as “lexible production,” “lean production” and most recently “post- lean production.”3 As convenient as these historical stages once seemed, their proliferation suggests that the whole notion of a sequence was mistaken to begin with.
    [Show full text]
  • IEEM 101: Industrial Engineering and Modern Logistics
    IEEM 101: Industrial Engineering and Modern Logistics A brief introduction to the course This course is designed to introduce students with no background in IELM to the basic engineering problems studied by Industrial Engineers (IE). In this preface, we briefly comment on (i) the definition of IE, (ii) the nature of engineering, and (iii) a few important historical events in the history and development of IE. At the end, we list the main topics that will be covered during this course. Definition (from the Institute of Industrial Engineers, or IIE): Industrial Engineering is concerned with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, material, information, equipment, and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skills in the mathematical, physical, and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design to specify, predict, and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems. This definition is fairly broad, but essentially: IE’s study systems and their performance. A system may be a machine that is cutting metal, or a set of trucks that are transporting goods to and from a factory, or a hospital that has staff looking after the needs of patients, etc. As in any engineering, the objectives are to design systems that work ‘better’ (e.g. faster, cheaper, improved quality of output, etc.) Science vs. Engineering Certainly, IE is a discipline of engineering. What is engineering ? The dictionary definition: The application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends such as the design, manufacture, and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, processes, and systems.
    [Show full text]