What is total cost minimization, and how does it affect our everyday lives? It is a very important process, that has a strong affect on the economy. The introduction of the assembly line had a tremendous effect on the process of total cost minimization. Without the assembly line, we would not be where we are today. The assembly line is also called progressive production. Two very important requirements for assembly lines to work, is that the product must contain interchangeable parts, and use conveyors to move the product along during production. This led to the assembly line being perfected in the automobile manufacturing industry. We are very grateful to Henry Ford, because he was one of the first people to effectively use the assembly line …show more content…
He built the Model T, and became one of the first American automobile manufacturers in 1908. He was always looking for ways to increase production speed, and lower prices of vehicles. Ford thought that bringing the work to the worker, was more effective than moving the worker to the work. He first discovered this when he had a Model T frame, pulled through the factory by rope, and assembled on its way. This significantly improved the manufacturing time, and led him to start using the moving assembly line. “By the year 1913, Ford introduced the first moving assembly belts in his plants.” After the moving assembly line was introduced, less skilled workers were required to do a task, and a large part of the task was automated. This led to the hiring of more unskilled workers for lower wages, rather than skilled workers. Tasks were broken up into smaller pieces, and a worker was only associated with one specific …show more content…
The wartime economy kept America busy, they now were manufacturing aircraft, ships, and tanks. Not to mention helmets, and many other supplies needed during war. It was also during this time that many African American workers, and women workers were hired in these factories. There had not been many African American, or women workers in factories before this time, because they were not seen as competent. They proved themselves during the wartime economy, and forever changed the structure of the factory workers. It is strongly believed, that one of the reasons the Americans won World War II, was due to them mastering the manufacturing industry. They were effectively able to produce weapons, and supplies, faster, and cheaper than any other
He had his workers work less, with more breaks, and he also payed them almost twice as much as other jobs. As Eric Foner states, “Ford paid the assembly line workers $5 a day when prevailing wages were about $2.50...he also reduced working hours to 8.” With this, workers were more likely to work harder and better, which led to more productivity. The productivity was not done alone, the infrastructure of the assembly line is very critical to the production process. This was done by, as Robert Sobel states,” ...conveyor belts in the assembly line that brought parts to the workers to perform their specific task.” All this improved the production rate and it satisfied the workers. Many may say the assembly line removed individuality, however it brought faster, better, and cheaper production to the Ford Motor Company.
The automobile industry put American citizens into action. Mass production was a big component in the success of automobiles. Although successful, it became very repetitive. Skilled workers who were once worshipped, were no longer needed. Henry Ford was described as racist, bitter, but he brought success to citizens in the 1920s. Ford started the Ford Motor Company in 1903 with the help of a limited amount of workers in a shed. It was not until 1914 where custom-made cars turned into many cars, such as the Model T, moving down an assembly line. The Model T was a very popular car that benefitted cheap labor and easy mobility for its owners. Ford became a billionaire from the help of the federal government’s actions. At this point, the government decided that funds should be spent more on roads. Automobiles introduced
Henry ford was born in 1863, on July 30, near Dearborn, Michigan, on his family’s farm. His father gave henry a pocket watch when henry was thirteen years old. Henry took the watch a part and put it back together. Many people were amazed and ask henry to work on their watches. Henry Ford’s model T. and the assembly line are important turning points in American history. Before 1908 automobiles were a luxury item that only the rich could afford. Henry ford devised a cheaper and faster way to manufacture cars. The model T. was assembled on an assembly line which produced more cars in the less time.
A motor car for the great multitude a goal for Henry Ford(Schlager 593). In the 1920s, automobiles are rapidly changing the American lifestyle forever because of their affordability and also the development of new assembly technology to lower the cost. Technological innovations of assembly begin to expand and advance for the better throughout the 1920s, which impacts Americans and the people of the world today. Henry Ford, a bold figure during the 1920s, owner of Ford automobiles. His ideas and innovation like the assembly line forever changes the automobile and the way goods are produce. Although there are many technological advancement during the 1920s, the assembly line designed by
During World War II there was many hardships and opportunities that groups of Americans had to experience through the War. Some opportunities that American groups had to offer was to get a job, fight for their country, and to fight for freedom. Most Americans did not have as many opportunities because they had to deal with hardships. Lots of the hardships were that they had to deal with racism, men going to war, and wages for women.
During World War II the United States began to manufacture war materials to support its allies through lucrative government defense contracts as automobile factories like Ford and General Motors put aside their usual business operations and began to produce tanks and airplanes, shipyards too expanded their operations . The demand for war equipment naturally increased the demand for labor and as a result helped pull the American economy out of the grips of the Great Depression. Then as the unthinkable happened, on December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, which drew many young American men into the battlefield.
Women once again were the backbone of America during WWII just like in WWI. They worked high jobs reserved for men and some women helped create machines that would help in the war (ships, tanks, planes, etc.). Agricultural took a backburner because many left their jobs to either fight in the war or work in jobs that would provide for the war. Although the jobs for women didn’t last long and they didn’t get paid as much it set in motion more encouragement for Women’s Suffrage. African Americans also moved from farming to more industrialized jobs because they believed that winning the war might encourage more equality in America itself. African-Americans could earn more money and FDR passed the FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Commission) but it was not practiced much in the armed forces. In the armed forces African-Americans were given small jobs and not properly trained for higher jobs if they got one. The FEPC called for the armed forces to give out
The Second World War benefited American society in numerous ways. Massive state spending on munitions put the country to work, which effectively ended the Great Depression. Secure employment boosted those who were unemployed or at the bottom of the job ladder; which typically included women and African Americans. Segregated African American military units such as the Tuskegee Airmen distinguished themselves in combat, while other African Americans gained access to good industrial employment for the first time.
This is because the USA was one of the largest distributors of supplies, like food, water, guns armor and so on. Consequently, during the war there would need to be a variety of jobs developed to help in the war effort. For instance, creating the Navy battleships, making and designing the fighter planes. The fact that the battleships and the aircraft were being used so often and so many were necessary, created a need to hire more and more engineers and designers in order to create new planes and boats. This in turn boosted the economy.
This Company was known as the Ford Motor Company. He first put into production a car name the Model T. This car became a household name and made up most of the cars in America at the time. With the Many orders for the car he created a new form of production that has never been tried before. The production form was known as the assembly line. This made it so one person did one thing each which made it easier to do everything that was needed. Henry Ford Drastically increase the wages for his workings raising it to $5 (Henry Ford Biography
He introduced the assembly which reduced time to build a car from twelve hours to an incredible two hours and thirty minutes (“Ford’s assembly line starts rolling”) Although, Henry Ford's assembly line was intended to make large amounts of vehicles as simple as he could for a reasonable price as possible in order for him to make a profit. Henry ford's improvements in mass production helped other companies as well as the assembly line. Other companies that made radios, vacuum cleaners , and washing machines were even affected by the assembly line because they also used the same method to mass produce goods. The assembly line was inspired by the production methods from flour mills, breweries, canneries, and some industrial bakeries and made manufacturing faster than ever
Two factors allowed Ford’s goal come to life, the lower cost, and credit. Ford was able to lower costs of his car by coming up with the assembly line. An assembly line allowed each part on the car to be exactly the same, and the workers would stay in their place to do that job on the car. This was never done before in the car industry. Other car manufactures custom built each car and their parts which took a long time to do, and it made it expensive.
Soon after, he left the Edison Electric Illuminating Company to launch his own automobile company, once with the Detroit Automobile Company in August 5, 1899, with the financial help of a couple of investors and the Henry Ford Corporation in November 3, 1901, but unfortunately both had failed and were shut down after a year. Later In 1901, Ford had tried to get his automobiles more publicity by attending races and showing off his vehicles to the public, this worked greatly but he soon realized that people of his generation did not need racecars. So he set his mind to build an automobile everyone would want. On July 15, 1903, again with the help of investors Henry Ford had founded the Ford Motor Company, this company soon became very successful and sold their very first automobile, the Model A. Furthermore, Ford introduced the Model T in 1908, an automobile that was far better than his previous and during the same year the Ford Motor Company became overseas. During 1913, Ford focused on finding a better way to manufacture the automobiles in a shorter period of time. It had taken around 12 hours to build the automobiles at first but with the new assembly lines, Ford had placed after, the time had been lowered down to around 2 hours and 30 minutes. And during the following year, Ford decided to help out his workers by raising their salary to $5 per day, so that they could all live an easier and happier life. Soon after, there was a
He was the first ever manufacturer to ever use an assembly line. The Dodge bros. made thousands of transmissions and engines for him starting in 1902. The business was thriving strongly as it was also selling parts to other automanfactures. During this increase, Ford has went through two bankruptcies, and he struggled to keeping his business afloat. He heard that the Dodge bros. were making parts for more than 10 other companies.
World War II brought the US out of this period of slow growth. The military needed tanks, planes, guns, and everything else needed for the war effort. People were either back to work or overseas fighting. Production and growth rates reached new highs.