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Assembly lines use interchangeable parts to create a finished product. They were developed in the mid-nineteenth century, but Henry Ford revolutionized the process in 1908 with his production line for automobiles. Assembly lines are efficient and cost-effective, but can be dangerous for workers and can be impacted by production issues. Modern manufacturers work to prevent these issues and welcome feedback from workers.
An assembly line is a type of industrial production in which prefabricated and interchangeable parts are used to assemble a finished product. The most basic assembly system consists of a simple conveyor belt that carries the product, like a toy, through a series of workstations to completion. More complex lines include infeed belts to transport parts to work stations along the line, used for building automobiles and other complex equipment. The development of the assembly line revolutionized manufacturing and contributed to the substantial fortunes of several major players in the industrial revolution.
Before the advent of the assembly line, when a commercial good was manufactured, it was usually created by hand, from individually manufactured parts. Factory production was limited by available space, as only so many products could be made at once, and workers tended to see a design from start to finish. In the mid-nineteenth century, many companies in the food industry had begun setting up something resembling an assembly line to make the process more efficient, but it wasn’t entirely streamlined. Goods such as early automobiles and steam engines were still handcrafted.
In 1908, Henry Ford was trying to find a way to bring automobiles to the masses. Ford was confident that if the cars were made affordable, they would become popular, but the slow and painstaking manufacturing method used did not allow Ford to reduce the cost of the cars. Working in consultation with others within the company, Ford conceived of a production line, where the workers’ work would be divided into specific tasks that would contribute to the finished whole. The inspiration for this early assembly line probably came from several industries, but many historians credit the disassembly line at a Chicago slaughterhouse with dividing the work.
An assembly line is designed to be highly efficient and very cost effective. Workers focus on a small part of the whole, which means they don’t require extensive training. The pieces are fed along a conveyor belt or series of belts for the operators to move, creating a continuous flow of the desired product. At the peak of production, the Ford line produced a new automobile every three minutes, and modern lines can be even faster, especially when they combine automated machinery with human operators.
There are dangers associated with an assembly line. The first is the risk for workers, as repetitive movements can be harmful to the body. After World War II, a growing awareness of this problem led to reforms in assembly circles. The second problem is that if there is a growl in production at one workstation, it will impact the entire line, potentially bringing it to a standstill until the situation can be fixed. However, most modern manufacturers work to prevent this with regular inspections, and some manufacturers, especially automobile manufacturers, welcome suggestions and thoughts from workers on how to improve the assembly line and the product.
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