The assembly line is a production method where workers or machines perform specific tasks in sequence to mass produce goods efficiently. It was first patented by Ransom Olds in 1901, significantly increasing production rates, and later improved by Henry Ford with the introduction of a conveyor system. While assembly lines enhance specialization and uniformity, they also have drawbacks, such as high initial costs, inflexibility in changing production, and potential bottlenecks.

1. Concept of assembly line

2. Assembly line
• The principle of an assembly line is that each worker is
assigned one very specific task, which he or she simply
repeats, and then the process moves to the next worker
who does his or her task, until the task is completed and
the product is made.
• It is a way to mass produce goods quickly and efficiently.
All workers do not have to be human; robotic workers
can make up an assembly line as well.
• The design for an assembly line is determined by
analyzing the steps necessary to manufacture each
product component as well as the final product.
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3. The Early Concept for the
Assembly Line
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• Use of Interchangeable Parts:
• At the start of the Industrial Revolution, machines began to
do work that once required a human to complete. By using
machines, factories were able to spring up to replace small
craft shops. This evolution was made possible in part by the
concept of interchangeable parts, a revolutionary design
from the mind of Eli Whitney.
• The first example of interchangeable parts took root in the
firearms industry when the French gunsmith Honore
LeBlanc championed the idea of using standardized gun
parts.

4. Ransom Olds
• In 1901, Ransom Olds created and patented the assembly
line. By changing to this process, Olds was able to
increase production at his car manufacturing plant by 500
percent after the first year. The plant could produce an
unprecedented 20 units the Curved Dash model each day.
• This level of cheap product allowed the Oldsmobile brand
to market a style vehicle at a low price. Oldsmobile was
the first massed produced car in the U.S., and the Olds’
assembly line method was not only the first to be used in
the automotive industry, it also served as inspiration for
method implemented by Henry Ford.
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5. Henry Ford
• Henry Ford was able to successfully improve the
assembly line concept by using the moving platforms of a
conveyor system. In this type of system, the chassis of the
vehicle was pulled along by a rope that moved the car
station to station, allowing works to add parts as it moved
along the assembly line.
• Using this method, allowed Ford to create one Model T
every 90 minutes, leading to a peak production of around
two million cars in one year. Often credited as the father
of the modern assembly line, Ford made an indelible
mark on manufacturing in industry’s around the world.
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6. Mass Production in the Robotic
Age
• Today, robotics is taking manufacturing and the
assembly line into completely uncharted territory.
Companies have begun developing robots that can
work alongside of humans, helping to improve
productivity and efficiency.
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7. Pros & Cons of Manufacturing
Products With Assembly Lines

8. Pros of Manufacturing Products With
Assembly Lines
Worker Specialization
• On an assembly line, each employee gains
expertise on a given piece of equipment or a
specific task. Over time, this allows workers to
become increasingly effective and efficient at
what they do.
• Semi-finished products are reduced to a
minimum, thereby, intermediate storage are
avoided largely.

9. Uniform Product
• Another benefit of using an assembly line in
the manufacturing process is that a
regimented production process helps ensure a
uniform product. In other words, the products
made by an assembly line are not likely to
exhibit much variation. If one worker created
an entire good scratch, his product might be
significantly different from the goods
produced by another employee.

10. Cons of Manufacturing Products With
Assembly Lines
• Initial Cost
• While assembly lines can potentially reduce the total
cost of product per unit, they can have a high initial
cost. Assembly lines require a significant amount of
space to operate, and renting factory floor space can
be expensive.
• In addition, assembly lines often make use of large,
specialized machines that can be expensive to
purchase and difficult for small businesses to finance.
An assembly line needs to increase productivity and
sales enough to cover the initial costs to be considered
a sound investment.

11. Flexibility
• Assembly lines are geared toward producing a
specific type of product in mass quantities, which
can make a company less flexible if it wants to
shift production to different types of products.
For example, the machinery used on an assembly
line used to make automobiles might have little
application for other tasks.
• Shifting operations to produce different products
in an assembly line environment can be costly
and might require additional training and the
purchase of new machinery

12. Bottlenecks and Delays
• By definition, a product in an assembly line
cannot move forward until it is through a
current stage of manufacturing. This reality
leads to bottlenecks if a back-up occurs at one
stage. A worker who isn't performing up to par
on a given day could stall production. This
impact not only impacts efficiency, but it could
create tension among the workforce.

13. Repetitive Work
• While consistency is a common goal with an
assembly line, you lose out on distinct
craftsmanship that consumers often prefer
with luxury or high-end items. The repetitive
nature of the work also weighs on some
workers over time. It is easy to lose motivation
when you perform a repetitive, monotonous
task day after day.