A bench assembly is a sub-assembly created off the assembly line at a workstation, often requiring extensive individual attention. Henry Ford created bench assembly to save time in the total assembly process. Bench assembly is used in woodworking, hydraulic systems, and plumbing components. The benefit of using benchtop assembly components in complex manufacturing processes is obvious.
A benchtop assembly is a component that has been assembled off the assembly line at a workstation. Often, one component of a major assembly requires extensive individual attention in a manufacturing facility. When this occurs, it is given the nickname “bench assembly” and is assembled on a workbench from a series of parts and pieces. Once assembled, the bench assembly piece is often clamped or fastened to the main assembly by the worker who assembled the subassembly on the bench. In some cases, an entire crew or individual worker is responsible for all the components of the bench assembly for an entire work shift.
The father of the assembly line, Henry Ford of Ford Motor Co., also created bench assembly. By having some complex sub-assemblies assembled as a whole, off the side of the main assembly line, Ford learned that he could save valuable time in the total assembly process. Ultimately, all of the sub-assemblies were built in a dedicated area of the manufacturing facility and driven to the location on the assembly line where they were to be joined to the main components. The Ford Motor Company continued this tradition with specialty automobiles, in which the entire powertrain is built by a single worker, then installed into the automobile on the assembly line.
In woodworking applications, a bench assembly often involves a heating or cooling component. These systems often require sub-assembly away from the permanent mounting location before being installed. Some hydraulic assemblies are also created as a bench assembly and then inserted into the hydraulic system. Narrow and restrictive space constraints dictate this type of assembly procedure in many buildings. Plumbing components can also be checked for leaks much more easily when assembled on a bench, resulting in a higher quality septic and drainage system.
When looking at a complex manufacturing process, the benefit of using benchtop assembly components is obvious. To create a complete assembly, the creation of many smaller assemblies can be incorporated into the manufacturing design. Small sub-assemblies and assemblages are combined in a properly choreographed design and engineering system to become a final product that could often seem nearly impossible to create. Additionally, many of these products must be disassembled into even small sub-assemblies to complete the required maintenance and repair. Once removed from the larger component, the small bank assembly can be further disassembled and cleaned, lubricated and inspected before reassembly.
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