Article: Taylor's Unsung Contribution: Making Interchangeable Parts Practical Journal: Journal of Business and Management (JBM) 2011 Vol.17 No.1 pp.75 - 83 Abstract: For at least two centuries before they became practical, manufacturers and craftsmen searched for techniques to make identical parts that would exchange quickly and readily between machines of the same type. However, they failed and the solution was not found until the turn of the 20th century. The problem was straightforward, even if its solution was not. This solution is largely unreported in the literature, despite the importance of both the problem and its solution. The idea that the solution came from one of management's giant figures makes this even more difficult to believe, yet it is so. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Taylor's Unsung Contribution: Making Interchangeable Parts Practical

Authors: John Paxton

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: For at least two centuries before they became practical, manufacturers and craftsmen searched for techniques to make identical parts that would exchange quickly and readily between machines of the same type. However, they failed and the solution was not found until the turn of the 20th century. The problem was straightforward, even if its solution was not. This solution is largely unreported in the literature, despite the importance of both the problem and its solution. The idea that the solution came from one of management's giant figures makes this even more difficult to believe, yet it is so.

Keywords: Interchangeable parts; Taylor's contribution; manufacturing techniques; industrial history; practical implementation.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.2011.141192

Journal of Business and Management, 2011 Vol.17 No.1, pp.75 - 83

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *

Title: Taylor's Unsung Contribution: Making Interchangeable Parts Practical

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