Prior to the Industrial Revolution, artisans and trades people handcrafted every product that hit the market. Teams of craftspeople would create the parts and assemble them in one working item such as knives and files. Division of labor was a key principle back then.
Over time, technology progressed, paving the way for early machine tools. Many inventors created machines – the forefathers of today’s modern industrial material handling equipment – that eased the production process.
The Assembly Line
One concept that stood out is the assembly line, an idea that still follows the notion of labor division. Henry Ford’s model – the moving assembly line – is perhaps the most famous. It introduced the idea of a worker specializing in a certain task for the final product, thus honing expertise in the craft.
An Influential Idea
Until now, the assembly line’s legacy remains. It’s one of the great leaps in terms of production as it lowered the cost and sped up the rate of completing projects. Ford did not create the idea of the assembly line, but it certainly propelled him and his company to greater heights. It boosted the efficiency of companies in terms of production, something that the entire world benefited from.
Production has come a long way, but its progress isn’t over yet. Thanks to the newest industrial machines that hit the market, businesses are becoming more productive than ever.