The development and innovation of sophisticated technologies plays a major role in simplifying manufacturing. The high demand for mass products, which are cost-effectively manufactured with minimal labor, is achieved with precision machining equipment. For example, other forms of production may require an individual to produce the entire final product. If the person is not very competent, he can make one or another mistake and harm the good. However, in mass production, the employee is more skilled because they can focus on a specific task – which can reduce waste and sunk costs of damaged goods. Mass production allowed for large increases in total production. With a European artisanal system until the end of the 19th century, it was difficult to meet the demand for products such as sewing machines and mechanical harvesters with animal propulsion. [2] By the late 1920s, many previously scarce goods were well supplied. One economist argued that this represented “overproduction” and contributed to high unemployment during the Great Depression. [40] Say`s Law denies the possibility of general overproduction, and for this reason classical economists deny that it played a role in the Great Depression.
In 1807, Eli Terry was commissioned to produce 4,000 wooden movements as part of the Porter contract. At that time, the annual yield of wooden watches did not exceed a few dozen on average. Terry developed a milling machine in 1795 in which he perfected interchangeable parts. In 1807, Terry developed a spindle cutting machine capable of producing multiple parts simultaneously. Terry hired Silas Hoadley and Seth Thomas to work on the assembly line for the facility. The Porter contract was the first contract to provide for mass production of movements in history. In 1815, Terry began mass production of the first shelf clock. Chauncey Jerome, a student of Eli Terry, was producing up to 20,000 brass clocks a year in 1840 when he invented the cheap 30-hour OG clock. [19] For the ongoing energy transition, many wind turbine and solar module components are in series production. [21] [22] [23] Wind turbines and solar panels are used in wind farms and solar farms respectively.
Mass production has enabled the development of consumerism by lowering the unit cost of many commodities used. Some of the organizational management concepts used for mass production in the 20th century. As in the nineteenth century, scientific management was developed by other engineers (most of whom are not famous, but Frederick Winslow Taylor is one of the best known) whose work was later synthesized in fields such as industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, operations research, and management consulting. Although Henry Ford, after leaving the Henry Ford Company, which was renamed Cadillac and later received the Dewar Trophy in 1908 for the production of interchangeable precision engine parts, he downplayed Taylorism`s role in the development of mass production in his company. However, Ford management has conducted time studies and experiments to mechanize its factory processes, with a focus on minimizing labor movements. The difference is that while Taylor focused primarily on worker efficiency, Ford also replaced labor by using machines carefully arranged wherever possible. An influential paper that helped shape and popularize the definition of mass production in the 20th century appeared in a supplement to the Encyclopædia Britannica in 1926. The article was written based on correspondence with the Ford Motor Company and is sometimes credited as the first use of the term. [2] Depending on the type of goods produced, fewer employees are required. This leads to the efficiency described above.
Due to the need for fewer employees, the company has less overhead. This means that it can produce at a lower unit cost and therefore make it available to the mass population at a lower price. In mass production, mechanization is used to achieve high volume, detailed organization of material flow, careful control of quality standards and division of labor. An early example of the demand for standardized products in large quantities came from military organizations and their need for uniforms and other supplies. Precision machining machines have led to a high demand for mass-produced products that are cost-effectively manufactured with a small workforce. In ancient Carthage, warships were mass-produced on a large scale at a moderate cost, allowing them to effectively maintain their control over the Mediterranean. [7] Several centuries later, the Republic of Venice followed Carthage in the production of ships with prefabricated parts on the assembly line: the Venetian arsenal produced nearly one ship a day in the world`s first factory, which at its peak employed 16,000 people. [8] [9] If you look around, most of the goods you see are mass-produced.
This is because it is the most effective way to make them affordable for the masses. Products such as handmade ceramic bowls or a handmade desk take longer to make because they require a significant amount of skill and the task cannot be divided. These are more expensive than their mass-produced counterparts, but they are often more sought after – due to their rarity. However, mass production has made it affordable to buy a variety of products. These examples are: consumer demand can change over time, and as the market changes, companies that engage in mass production will find it costly and time-consuming to change. This is especially noticeable in fashion, which relies on ever-changing styles. Another example is the food industry, where food can be wasted if too much is produced. There may be seasonal fluctuations that can make it difficult to determine demand.
So if the food is perishable, the cost benefits from mass production may not be worth the sunk cost of lost goods. Mass production is defined as the large-scale production of goods without compromising quality. Compared to other methods, mass production can produce more units per day at a lower cost. It takes advantage of economies of scale. Assembly lines in the automotive industry are a very good example of mass production. In Chinese factories, iPhone parts are assembled. Unlike most other mass-produced products, this is largely done by hand – due to the filigree nature of the assembly. However, this is done in the same way as the Ford assembly line.
Each individual has a specific task and the semi-assembled product is passed on so that everyone can do their part. Large-scale production includes flow production, contract manufacturing and mass production. In the production of animal feed, the product is manufactured in an assembly line. Each unit is built by a single worker in contract manufacturing, while an entire batch of goods is produced together in mass production. The prefabrication process, in which parts are produced separately from the finished product, is at the heart of all mass production. Early examples include mobile structures believed to have been used by Akbar the Great,[34] and mansions built by emancipated slaves in Barbados. [35] First used by the British during World War I, the Nissenhütte combined prefabrication and mass production in a way that met the needs of the military. The simple structures, which cost little and could be erected in just a few hours, were very successful: more than 100,000 Nissen huts were made during World War I alone, and they were used in other conflicts, inspiring a number of similar designs. [36] The assembly line occupies an essential place in mass production, with a division of labor, specialization and large-scale machine production of identical goods or components.