Assembly Line

Assembly Line

A way to manufacture a product in which parts are added in sequence by different workers. For example, Joe may put the engine in a car and send it to Bob, who puts on the doors. Then it goes to Frank, who applies the wheels. Each worker has his/her post; the unfinished product comes to each worker in turn. This process allows workers to put together more products at a time; for instance, rather than putting together one car at a time, workers are able to use their expertise on multiple cars throughout the day. Assembly lines were developed by the Ford Motor Company in the early 20th century and were instrumental in beginning the mass production of automobiles.