One more step ...

The speaker emphasizes that other automation systems seem to neglect the job-shop operator, Cuoting a machine tool manufactuyer, 75% of the metal working operations of the country are in job lots of ten to fifty; and at GE-Syracuse, military and commercial job-lot or semi-job-lot production exceeds by two-to-one the mass production of TV sets.and radios. The author proposes that GE introduce automation to small quantity production. Flexibility, minimum set-up time and skill, minimum tool investment, and minimum downtime, are named as some of the prime requirements. A report is made on thedevelopment of an Automatic Component Assembly System for the Army Signal Corps. The indicated approach, uses various combinations´of widths and lengths, from 1 to 12 inches, of printed wiring boards; and at a placspent rate of 50 component parts per minute. Standard component parts and conventional constructionsl methods are only slightly modified in the interest of standardization. Programming of a Weiderman punch press is accomplishedby punched cards. Following his talk, the author showed a motion picture as a progress report.