Conveyor method of production of Henry Ford. Autostories: the emergence of the first automobile assembly line The first automobile assembly line

Why did Ford drastically raise the wages of assembly line workers?

In 1913, at the Highland Park plant, Henry Ford launched the first assembly line in the automobile industry. First conveyor assembly was applied to the generator and engine, and then to the chassis (assembly time was halved). By the way, in order to increase labor efficiency, two conveyor lines were soon launched - for workers of different heights.

The result of this innovation was the reduction of the assembly time of the car (Model T) from 12 hours to 2 (this happened within a few months), which made it possible to reduce its cost and make it the most popular car in the United States.

In addition to improving production efficiency by standardizing operations and deepening the division of labor (Fordism), the assembly line method of production allowed Henry Ford to save a lot on training workers (and skilled workers). For example, the assembly of an engine used to require a fairly high qualification from the worker. After the engine assembly process was divided into 84 operations, each of which was performed by a separate worker, no special knowledge was required from the staff. Each worker mastered one operation and perfected its execution to automatism.

Increasing the efficiency of labor through the assembly line method and saving on skilled workers allowed Ford to raise wages for workers and put into practice the "theory of efficient wages." The fact is that the conveyor method of production made the work very tedious (the worker did the same thing for many hours in a row) and greatly exhausted the workers (it was impossible to take a break and rest), which led to an increase in staff turnover. Therefore, the increase in wages was largely a forced decision (and Ford was also afraid of the emergence of a trade union at his enterprise).

P.S. Charlie Chaplin in 1936 made a film satire on Fordism - "Modern Times".

In April 1913, an event occurred that became one of the key in the history of industry: the first generators rolled off the assembly line created by Henry Ford.

Production optimization

Up to this point, for a ten-hour shift, a skilled worker assembled 25-30 units, spending about 20 minutes. for one product.

The created line made it possible to divide the production process into 29 separate operations. Each was carried out by a worker, a generator was delivered to him, where a conveyor belt was used. This approach made it possible to reduce the time of product creation to approximately 13 minutes. A year later, there were already 84 operations - it took only 5 minutes to assemble.

About Henry Ford

The famous inventor was born on June 30, 1863. In his youth, he lived in Detroit, working as an apprentice mechanic, and devoted all his free time to creating his car. But during the tests, all its imperfections became obvious. In 1893, Ford built the first prototype with a four-stroke internal combustion engine - although it looked more like a bicycle with four wheels.

Having changed several jobs, the legendary American gained some experience, and in 1903 he founded Ford Motor, which later became one of the most famous companies in the automotive industry. The enterprise actively introduced a standardization system and the conveyor principle. Ideas in the field of labor organization are outlined by Ford in a number of books written later.

Contribution to the development of the automotive industry

In 1903, the inventor created a racing car. At the same time, Ford opened mass production of cars. In total, 1,700 “A” models (8 hp, speed up to 50 km/h) rolled off the assembly line. Today, such figures may seem ridiculous, but by 1906, the K model was able to reach 160 km / h on the race track.

First the lineup"Ford Motor" was updated constantly. But with the release of the Model T in 1908, everything changed. It was the first machine assembled using a conveyor, it was black and until 1927 it was the only one the company had. In 1924, 50% of all cars in the world were represented by the Ford T model, which was produced for about two decades.

Soon Ford cars began to appear throughout Europe, large factories were created in Germany and England. By the way, it was in this country that a monument was erected to the inventor.

Ford cars became cheaper, competition intensified in this market segment. Henry began to act: he stopped factories, fired workers, readjusted production. In 1928, the Model A was created, which at that time was considered the best passenger car in the world.

Until 1939, Ford produced 27 million cars. But the war changed plans for further development - the production of cars was temporarily banned in the country. In the vacated workshops, aircraft began to be produced - more than 8 thousand of them were created. And only in the post-war 1946 did production return to normal.

Reasons for success

What helped the famous inventor and entrepreneur to achieve such heights? First of all, it is:

New principles of labor organization;

Implementation of the conveyor line in production.

Even the term "Fordism" is associated with the name of the engineer. It was this approach that led to an increase in labor productivity, turning it into an unconscious one. The workers became a kind of robots, in connection with which time wages were introduced in the factories.

To make the car accessible to many, Ford needed to think about increasing productivity. This required:

Limit the number of operations a worker performs;

Bring the task closer to the performer;

Take into account the sequence of operations.

Henry Ford had no economic education, but his approach to the organization of production influenced the whole world and contributed to the improvement of living standards in the United States.

“On the main Ford assembly line, people work at a feverish pace. We were struck by the gloomily excited look of the people employed on the assembly line. The work absorbed them completely, there was no time even to raise their heads. But it wasn't just physical fatigue. It seemed that people were mentally oppressed, that they were seized at the assembly line by a daily six-hour insanity, after which, returning home, each time they had to leave for a long time, recover, in order to again fall into temporary insanity the next day.

Labor is divided in such a way that people on the assembly line do not know how, they have no profession. The workers here do not drive the machine, but serve it. Therefore, they do not see the dignity that the American skilled worker has. The Ford worker gets a good wage, but he has no technical value. At any moment they can expose him and take another. And this other one twenty two minutes learn to make cars.

Ford's work provides income, but does not improve skills and does not provide a future. Because of this, Americans try not to go to Ford, and if they do, then they are craftsmen, employees. Ford employs Mexicans, Poles, Czechs, Italians, Negroes. The conveyor moves, and one after another, excellent and cheap machines descend from it. They ride through the wide gates into the world, into the prairie, into freedom. The people who made them remain in prison. This is an amazing picture of the triumph of technology and the disasters of man. Cars of all colors rode along the assembly line: black, Washington blue, green, gunmetal cars (as it is officially called), even, ox, ox, noble mouse. There was one body of bright orange color, apparently, the future taxi.

Amidst the noise of assembling and the rattling of automatic wrenches, one man maintained a majestic calmness. It was a painter, whose duty it was to draw a colored strip on the body with a thin brush. He did not have any devices, not even a mace to support his arm. Jars of different colors hung on his left arm. He took his time. He even had time to look at his work with a demanding look. On a mouse-colored car, he made a green stripe. On an orange taxi, he drew a blue stripe. He was a freelance artist, the only person at the Ford plant who had nothing to do with technology, some kind of Nuremberg mastersinger, a free-spirited master of the paint shop. Probably, Ford's laboratory found that it is most profitable to strip in this medieval way.

The bell rang, the conveyor stopped, and small car trains filled the building with breakfast for the workers. Without washing their hands, the workers approached the wagons, bought sandwiches, tomato juice, oranges - and sat on the floor. “Sirs,” said Mr. Adams, suddenly animated, “do you know why Mr. Ford's workers have breakfast on the cement floor?” This is very, very interesting, sirs. Mister Ford it does not matter how his worker will have breakfast. He knows that the assembly line will still make him do his job, no matter where he ate - on the floor, at the table, or even nothing at all. Take, for example, General Electric. It would be foolish to think, sirs, that the administration of General Electric loves the workers more than Mr. Ford. Maybe even less. Meanwhile, they have excellent canteens for workers. The fact is, sirs, that they employ skilled workers and they must be reckoned with, they can go to another plant. It's a purely American trait, sirs. Don't do anything extra. Do not doubt that Mr. Ford considers himself a friend of the workers. But he will not spend a single extra penny on them.

We were offered to sit in a car that had just rolled off the assembly line. Each car makes two or three test laps on a special factory road. This is in some way an example of a very bad road. You can travel all over the States and not find one. In general, the road was not so bad. A few correct potholes, a small, even pretty puddle - that's all, nothing terrible. And the car, made in front of our eyes by the hands of people who do not have any profession, showed remarkable properties.

Ilya Ilf, Evgeny Petrov, One-Story America, in Collection: Essays on America by Soviet Writers / Comp.: M.A. Saparov, L., Lenizdat, 1983, p. 204-205.

Henry Ford is often called the "father" of the automotive industry, because he created a whole network automobile factories. Ford received 161 patents, so he is deservedly considered the greatest inventor. The industrialist devoted his life to the production of cheap cars and sought to provide everyone with a car. Henry Ford was the first to use the assembly line to mass-produce cars. The brainchild of a businessman, the Ford Motor Company, still operates today under the leadership of his descendants.

Childhood and youth

The future industrialist was born on July 30, 1863 on his father's farm near the town of Dearborn (Michigan). Parents William Ford and Marie Litogot emigrated to America from Ireland. The boy was brought up with three brothers and two sisters.

Father and mother worked hard on the farm and were considered wealthy people. But Henry was sure that in housekeeping there was much more work than the fruits of labor, so he did not seek to continue the work of his parents.

The boy was educated only in a church school and did not even learn to write without errors. When Ford became the head of the company, he could not correctly draw up a contract. Once in the newspaper, the industrialist was called "ignorant", because of which Ford sued the publication. But the inventor was sure that for a person the main thing is not literacy, but the ability to think.

At the age of 12, Henry lost his mother, and this event shocked the boy. At the same age, the future entrepreneur first saw a locomobile. Ford was delighted with the crew, moving under the action of the motor, and decided in the future to assemble a moving mechanism himself. But the father wanted Henry to become a farmer, so he was critical of the child's interest in mechanics.

At the age of 16, Ford went to Detroit and became an apprentice in a machine shop. Four years later, Henry returned to the farm, where he worked on the farm during the day and invented inventions at night. To make his father's daily work easier, Ford created a threshing machine that ran on gasoline. Given the demand for such equipment, a buyer was soon found. Henry sold a patent for an invention, and then got a job in the company of this famous entrepreneur.

Business

In 1891, Ford again went to Detroit to become a mechanical engineer for Thomas Edison's company. Henry held this position until 1899, but in his spare time he continued to work on the creation of the machine. Ford did not just do what he loved, but lived with the idea of ​​​​creating available car. In 1893, Henry managed to achieve a result - he designed his first car.

The management of the Edison company did not support the employee's hobbies and recommended that incredible ideas be abandoned. Instead, in 1899, the future industrialist left his job and became one of the owners of the Detroit Automobile Company. But even here the guy did not stay long and left the company three years later due to differences of opinion with other co-owners.

At this time, the invention of a young entrepreneur was not in great demand. To attract the attention of customers, Ford drove around the city in his car. At the same time, Henry was often ridiculed and called "obsessed" from Begley Street. But the guy was not afraid of failure and despised the fear of losing. In 1902, Ford participated in auto racing and managed to get ahead of the reigning US champion. The task of the inventor was to advertise the car and demonstrate its dignity, and the guy achieved the desired result.

In 1903, the aspiring businessman created the Ford Motor Company and began manufacturing Ford A cars. The inventor wanted to provide customers with a universal machine that would be reliable and economical. Gradually, Ford made the design of the car much simpler, standardized various mechanisms and parts. The inventor was the first to use a conveyor belt for the production of machines, which was a real innovation. A talented businessman has achieved a breakthrough in the automotive industry and has taken a leading position in this industry.

Henry Ford was not afraid of difficulties and fought even the strongest opponent. When Ford Motor ran into a car syndicate, the young entrepreneur fought back. Back in 1879, George Selden received a patent for a car design, but did not implement it. When other companies took up the production of cars, the inventor began to go to court. After the first case won, a number of firms bought licenses from him and created an association of car manufacturers.

Litigation against Ford began in 1903 and lasted until 1911. The industrialist refused to buy a license and promised protection to his clients. In 1909, Ford lost the case, but after reviewing the case, the court ruled that all automakers acted within the law and did not violate Selden's patent rights, as they used a different engine design. As a result, the association of automakers broke up, and Ford won the glory of a fighter for the interests of buyers.

Success came to the talented inventor in 1908 with the launch of the Ford T. The brainchild of Ford was distinguished by a simple finish, affordable price and practicality. I even chose this car, converted into an ambulance.

Sales of the Ford Motor Company grew rapidly, because Ford cars were of high quality, but inexpensive. At the same time, the cost of the Ford T fell over the years: if in 1909 the price of a car was $ 850, then in 1913 it fell to $ 550.

In 1910, Henry Ford built the Highland Park plant. Three years later, the assembly line began to be used here. First, the generator was assembled, and then the engine. The assembly of each engine was carried out by several dozen workers who performed individual operations and this reduced the production time. A moving platform was also used, as a result of which the chassis was made in half the time. Such experiments affected many aspects of the production process, increasing its productivity and efficiency.

Gradually, the industrialist bought mines, coal mines and opened new factories. So Ford achieved a complete production cycle: from ore mining to production finished machines. As a result, the businessman created an entire empire, which did not depend on other companies and foreign trade. In 1914, Ford produced 10 million cars, or 10% of all cars in the world.

Henry Ford sought to improve working conditions in factories. From 1914 the wages of workers increased to $5 a day. But in order to receive such money, employees were obliged to spend it wisely. If the earnings were spent on drinking, then the worker was fired.

The enterprises set the mode of operation in three shifts of 8 hours, instead of two of 9 hours. The entrepreneur also introduced one day off and paid vacation. Although the workers were required to maintain strict discipline, good conditions attracted thousands of people, and Ford did not lack personnel. However, until 1941, the factories of the American industrialist had a ban on trade unions.

In the early 1920s, Ford sold more cars than all competitors combined. Of the ten cars sold in the United States, seven are manufactured by Ford. During this period, the industrialist began to be called the "automobile king."

Since 1917, the United States participated in the war as part of the Entente. Then the factories of Henry Ford were engaged in the implementation of military orders and produced helmets, gas masks, submarines and tanks. But the entrepreneur emphasized that he did not want to make money on the bloodshed and promised to return the profit to the treasury. Ford's patriotic impulse was warmly welcomed by compatriots, which raised the authority of the industrialist.

After the war, the talented inventor faced new problem- a drop in Ford-T sales. Ford Motor's stock was limited, and the buyer wanted variety. Ford's statement that he could offer a car of any color, if that color was black, corresponded to reality, but no longer met the needs of the market. The entrepreneur was betting on affordability by selling cars on credit, but rival General Motors offered a variety of models and pulled ahead.

Sales plummeted, and in 1927 Ford was threatened with bankruptcy. Then the inventor stopped the production process and started creating a new car. Ford was also assisted by his son, who was involved in the design of the car. In the same year, the industrialist presented the Ford-A model, which was distinguished by its spectacular appearance and improved technical specifications. These innovations returned Ford to its leadership position in automotive market.

Back in 1925, the entrepreneur decided to create an airline, which was called "Ford Airways". Then Ford bought the firm of William Stout and began to produce airliners. Subsequently, the Ford Trimotor was especially popular. This passenger aircraft was in mass production during 1927-1933. 199 copies were produced, which were operated until 1989.

In the 1920s, Henry Ford maintained economic relations with the USSR. The first Soviet mass-produced tractor Fordson-Putilovets, presented in 1923, was created on the basis of the Fordson tractor. During 1929-1932, Ford Motor employees contributed to the construction and reconstruction of factories in Moscow and Gorky.

In the early years of the Great Depression, the Ford company was confidently afloat, but in 1931 the crisis affected Ford Motor. Falling sales and increased competition forced Ford to close some factories again and cut wages for the remaining workers. The indignant crowd began to break through to the Rouge plant, the police dispersed the people only with the help of weapons.

Once again, Ford found a way out of a difficult situation thanks to a new invention. The industrialist presented the "Ford V 8" - a sports car, the speed of which reached 130 km / h. The new product allowed the company to resume full-fledged work and increase sales.

Political views and antisemitism

There are several pages in the biography of Henry Ford that caused condemnation among contemporaries. So, back in 1918, the inventor bought The Dearborn Independent and two years later began to spread anti-Semitic ideas. In 1920, a number of publications on this subject were combined into one book - International Jewry. Subsequently, Ford's ideas and publications were actively used by the Nazis to influence the younger generation.

In 1921, 119 prominent US citizens, including three presidents, spoke out against the views of the inventor. In 1927, Ford admitted his mistakes and published a letter of apology to the media.

The entrepreneur kept in touch with the NSDAP and even provided financial support to the Nazis. admired Ford and kept a portrait of the inventor in the Munich residence. In the book "My Struggle" only one American is mentioned - Henry Ford. In the Nazi-occupied city of Poissy (France), since 1940, the Henry Ford factory has been operating, producing cars and aircraft engines.

Personal life

In 1887, Henry Ford married Clara Bryant, the daughter of a simple farmer. "Automobile King" lived with Clara amicably and happily. The wife became a reliable support for a talented inventor. Bryant believed in her husband when the townspeople laughed at him and criticized colleagues. Once in an interview, Ford said that he would like to live another life only if he could marry Clara again.

The couple had only one son, Edsel (1893-1943), who later became his father's chief assistant. Disputes often arose between Henry Ford and Edsel, but this did not interfere with their friendly relations and joint work. The father was a teetotaler who loved country dances and bird watching, while his son preferred modern art, jazz, noisy parties and cocktails.

Death

The Car King ran Ford Motor until the 1930s, after which he handed control over to Edsel. The reason for the departure of the businessman from the management of the company was conflicts with partners and trade union organizations. Since 1919, Ford's son has been acting president, so he fully coped with the new powers. After the death of his son in 1943 from stomach cancer, the old industrialist again led the automobile empire.

But advanced years did not allow Ford to manage the company at the proper level, and therefore, two years later, he ceded the reins of power to his grandson, Henry Ford II. The outstanding inventor died on April 7, 1947 from a cerebral hemorrhage. At that time, Ford was 83 years old.

"Automobile King" managed to realize a childhood dream, leaving behind one of the largest automotive companies in the world. At the same time, the main task of the industrialist was not to earn money, but to improve people's lives with the help of his favorite pastime - the invention and production of cars.

After himself, Henry Ford left his autobiography "My Life, My Achievements", in which he vividly described the methods of organizing labor at the enterprise. The ideas presented in this book have been adopted by many companies, and quotes from the statements of the inventor remain relevant today.

Back in 1928, the businessman received the Elliot Cresson Medal for achievements in the automotive industry. The history of Ford's life and achievements is the subject of many books and films. So, in 1987, Allan Eastmans' film "Ford: Man-Machine" was released in Canada, telling about the inventor as one of the symbols of America.

Quotes

• “If you have enthusiasm, you can do anything. Enthusiasm is the basis of any progress."
• “When it seems that the whole world is against you, remember that the plane takes off against the wind!”
• “My secret to success lies in the ability to understand the point of view of another person and look at things from both his and my own points of view”
• "Quality is doing something right, even when no one is watching"
• “If you require someone to give his time and energy to a cause, then make sure that he does not experience financial difficulties”
• “Only two incentives make people work: the desire for wages and the fear of losing it”

"Model T" or "Tin Lizzie" was not the first car that Henry Ford assembled, but before that, the assembly was carried out by hand, the process itself took a lot of time, as a result, the car was a piece goods, a luxury item. With the invention of the industrial assembly line for mass production of automobiles, Ford, as his contemporaries said, "put America on wheels." The fact is that the conveyor for mass production was used before. However, Henry Ford was the first to "put on the conveyor" such technically complex products as a car.

"Model T" or "Tin Lizzy" sold 15 million copies

Actually, the first attempt to automate the process was made by Oldsmobile in 1901. An assembly line was organized there: the parts and components of the future car were moved on special carts from one work point to another. Production efficiency has increased several times. However, Henry Ford wanted to improve this technology.

Henry Ford and his famous "Tin Lizzy"

Ford is said to have come up with the idea for the assembly line after visiting Chicago slaughterhouses. There, carcasses hung on chains moved from one “station” to another, where butchers chopped off pieces, wasting no time in moving from one workplace to another. Be that as it may, in 1910 Ford built and launched a plant in Highland Park, where a couple of years later he conducted the first experiment on the use of an assembly line. The goal was reached gradually, the generator was the first to go to the assembly, then the rule was extended to the entire engine, and then to the chassis.

Thanks to the assembly line, the production of the car took less than 2 hours

By reducing the time to produce a car and various costs, Henry Ford also lowered the price of a car. As a result, the personal car became available to the middle class, which previously could only dream of. The Model T first cost $800, then $600, and in the second half of the 1920s, its cost dropped to $345, while it was made in less than two hours. As the price dropped, sales skyrocketed. In total, about 15 million of these machines were produced.

Thanks to in-line production, the cost of the "Model T" has dropped to $ 650

Successful production was facilitated not only by the conveyor, but also by an intelligent organization of labor. First, from 1914, Ford began paying workers $5 a day, which was significantly more than the industry average. Secondly, he reduced the working day to 8 hours, thirdly, he gave his workers 2 days off. “Liberty is the right to work a decent number of hours and receive a decent remuneration for it; it is an opportunity to manage your own personal affairs,” Ford wrote in My Life, My Achievements.