Henry Ford's Contributions
Henry Ford is most noted for his career in the automobile industry. However, it is not accurate to credit him as the first inventor of cars. Nevertheless, Ford was both a successful businessman and skilled mechanic.Through adopting and incorporating the moving assembly line, his iconic Model T Ford became the first mass produced automobile. Often overlooked for his engineering feats, Ford’s introduction of the assembly line and mass production may have been his greatest contributions to society.
Ford saw much promise in the moving assembly line, perhaps being the one to unlock its potential. The assembly line was integral to mass production. It first laid less responsibilities on factory workers, opening opportunities for an unskilled, but cheaper workforce. Despite lowering employee expectations, the assembly line still proved effective in amplifying product output. Moreover, as employee wages fell, so did the cost of the completed product. These two components (more goods, lower prices) , fostered by the assembly line, resulted in mass production. Basically, mass production is led by price drops that lead to an increase in popular interest. Additional consumer attraction leads to a stronger industrial economy as more factories are built to supply the public.
Ford’s Techniques
Assembly Line- stations of workers are responsible for a few tasks as a conveyor belt brings the work to them
-increased workplace efficiency
-a new industrial technique
Mass Production- MORE goods, LOWER price
-prices drop, interested consumers, more factories are built
-growth in industry and economy
Known from childhood as an adroit watch repairman, Ford chose to further his natural talent by pursuing a career in machinery. He later became chief engineer at Edison Illuminating Company when his first experiments in self-propelled vehicles commenced.
The Model T, first introduced on October 1, 1908, triggered Ford’s climatic success. Along with the moving assembly line, a catalyst to mass production, Henry Ford was able to produce more goods at a lower price. As accessibility increased, profits skyrocketed with the help of popular interest.
Effects
-assembly line and mass production significantly impact the nation’s economic methods and techniques
-industrial efficiency: greater outputs, cheap workforce and product price
-automobiles began to be mass produced; means of transportation and communication improve
-convenient self-transportation
-vast distances no longer separate individuals
Ford saw much promise in the moving assembly line, perhaps being the one to unlock its potential. The assembly line was integral to mass production. It first laid less responsibilities on factory workers, opening opportunities for an unskilled, but cheaper workforce. Despite lowering employee expectations, the assembly line still proved effective in amplifying product output. Moreover, as employee wages fell, so did the cost of the completed product. These two components (more goods, lower prices) , fostered by the assembly line, resulted in mass production. Basically, mass production is led by price drops that lead to an increase in popular interest. Additional consumer attraction leads to a stronger industrial economy as more factories are built to supply the public.
Ford’s Techniques
Assembly Line- stations of workers are responsible for a few tasks as a conveyor belt brings the work to them
-increased workplace efficiency
-a new industrial technique
Mass Production- MORE goods, LOWER price
-prices drop, interested consumers, more factories are built
-growth in industry and economy
Known from childhood as an adroit watch repairman, Ford chose to further his natural talent by pursuing a career in machinery. He later became chief engineer at Edison Illuminating Company when his first experiments in self-propelled vehicles commenced.
The Model T, first introduced on October 1, 1908, triggered Ford’s climatic success. Along with the moving assembly line, a catalyst to mass production, Henry Ford was able to produce more goods at a lower price. As accessibility increased, profits skyrocketed with the help of popular interest.
Effects
-assembly line and mass production significantly impact the nation’s economic methods and techniques
-industrial efficiency: greater outputs, cheap workforce and product price
-automobiles began to be mass produced; means of transportation and communication improve
-convenient self-transportation
-vast distances no longer separate individuals