Eli5: On a production line, how do they make a car, plane or anything else be identical from one another without differences?
In: 6
Repetition and specialization.
Instead of having a team of 20 dudes building a plane from start to finish, two guys will rapidly and previcely do the first approximately ten percent, then another team will do a little work, then another team, and another, and another, with each team specializing in getting really really good at only the part of the process they’re involved in
Repetition and specialization.
Instead of having a team of 20 dudes building a plane from start to finish, two guys will rapidly and previcely do the first approximately ten percent, then another team will do a little work, then another team, and another, and another, with each team specializing in getting really really good at only the part of the process they’re involved in
I am in the automation business.
The assembly lines are automated to create each item repetitively and within very tight tolerances. Its actually rare that items (here in the US) are ‘hand built’. The machines are intelligent enough to reject any part during any process so that the bad parts/assemblies don’t make it to market. An assembly line can assemble a V8 engine every 70 seconds with less then 10 people on that line.
Repetition and specialization.
Instead of having a team of 20 dudes building a plane from start to finish, two guys will rapidly and previcely do the first approximately ten percent, then another team will do a little work, then another team, and another, and another, with each team specializing in getting really really good at only the part of the process they’re involved in
I am in the automation business.
The assembly lines are automated to create each item repetitively and within very tight tolerances. Its actually rare that items (here in the US) are ‘hand built’. The machines are intelligent enough to reject any part during any process so that the bad parts/assemblies don’t make it to market. An assembly line can assemble a V8 engine every 70 seconds with less then 10 people on that line.
I am in the automation business.
The assembly lines are automated to create each item repetitively and within very tight tolerances. Its actually rare that items (here in the US) are ‘hand built’. The machines are intelligent enough to reject any part during any process so that the bad parts/assemblies don’t make it to market. An assembly line can assemble a V8 engine every 70 seconds with less then 10 people on that line.
Well, they don’t. They have tolerances. They can spend more time and use tools that were made more carefully to get tighter tolerances.
Every zero added to your tolerances adds a zero to your price, though. A huge part of the engineering process is to figure out just how sloppy they can get away with being.
Well, they don’t. They have tolerances. They can spend more time and use tools that were made more carefully to get tighter tolerances.
Every zero added to your tolerances adds a zero to your price, though. A huge part of the engineering process is to figure out just how sloppy they can get away with being.
Why do you think it’s difficult to make them all nearly identical?
In an automated production line, it’s easier to make 100 pieces that are almost identical than 100 pieces that are all visibly different.
Everything is made by machines.
A machine is doing the same motions and using the same tools each time, so the end result is pretty much the same every time.
Well, they don’t. They have tolerances. They can spend more time and use tools that were made more carefully to get tighter tolerances.
Every zero added to your tolerances adds a zero to your price, though. A huge part of the engineering process is to figure out just how sloppy they can get away with being.
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