Interchangeable Parts The idea of interchangeable parts was first thought of by Honore Blanc. He introduced the world to the idea when he manufactured multiple firearms with the parts. His presentation was take a few muskets, disassemble them then have scientists put them back together in any way they like. And to the scientists surprise, the parts fit together perfectly! Back in America, inventor Eli Whitney had the same plan. He copied Blanc's idea of taking rifles disassembling them and then putting them back together with different parts. But his time in front of Congress. After this amazing discovery, Congress decided to replace America's weapons and go with Eli Whitney's idea.
The point of Eli Whitney's invention was that products that were broken can receive a part to replace it and still have it work. But a problem already presented it's self. How to make all the parts the same? well the solution lies in mass production. Mass production is when you make ten times the amount of parts all at the same time. Manufacturers used to have to hire many people to put together that many. So instead of a master-craftsman assembling the item by hand, ten to twenty workers could make it in half the time. And interchangeable parts helped this process because the parts could be put together at once in a half an hour compared to three days by an experienced gunsmith. -CK |