The Ford Assembly Line

In order to sell an affordable product, Henry Ford had to create more cars in less time. More

Inspired by the moving lines used at meat-packing plants, Ford’s factory tested an assembly line in the flywheel magneto department. Rather than having one person build a coil at a time, the supervisor broke down the individual tasks into a sequence driven by a conveyor. The new system reduced the time it took to make a magneto from twenty minutes to thirteen minutes, ten seconds.

AIR DATE 1/29/13