F.sci\F.r.fii.\(; ri.i.wixc iok M.ixrr.icrrRR 543 



soft and hard riil)lH'r in tlu' form of shod, nnl, lulu-, and molded 

 shafH's, thi- insulation of wire with ti'Xiiifs, fii.inu-ls, and papiT, and 

 ihf ronvt-rsion of copptT hiili-ts into win-. 



Thcst' materials arc used for iu.ikin>; parts wiiicli, generally speak- 

 ing, are (|iiite small in size when compared witii parts usetl in stea.'n 

 ioeomotives, gas engines, dynamos, and otiicr kindred i-(niipinenl 

 nimmon to the eleetriral and mechanical fields. 



The fart that the parts are small in dimension. howe\er. does not 

 mean that the manufactiiring ditTiciiliies are in proportion. On the 

 contrary the problems involved in tlnir ni.mufacture are often times 

 in .m inverse ratio to the size of the p.irt. 



Fig. I shows a crank shaft al)oiit three feet long and the shaft used 

 in the calling dial for machine switching about an inch and a half 

 long. The layout of the operations retjuircd for machining the crank 

 shaft is shown in the upper left hand corner. There are a total of 

 eight. 



Below at the left is shown the UiNout of operations fur making the 

 shaft for the dial. There arc a total of eighteen. 



As you will note from the data at the right, the number of machines 

 involved is, roughly, the same in each case. These data illustrate 

 the fact, however, that the small part may be more complicated and 

 invoKe more engineering [iroblems that the larger [lart. 



Pl.xnning i-()R Tin-: Fitirf. 



.\s the manufacturing unit of the Bell S\stem, the Western Klectric 

 (\)mpany in planning its production has had to bear in mind, first, 

 that the facilities shall be adequate to turn out the tremendous 

 \olume of apparatus and equipment required from year to year: 

 second, that the System's supply of equipment must be planned to 

 eliminate, so far as is humanly possible, any interruptions: and third, 

 that the .System must get its equipment at the lowest po.ssible cost. 



BrietK', our program for providing buildings and equipment for 

 the future is based on a five-year forecast of business made by each 

 -Associate Company and summarized by the .American Telephone and 

 Telegraph Conipan>'. 



It takes approximately two years to erect and e(|uip new iiuildings; 

 con.sequently, capacity studies on fioor space are made two years or 

 more in advanie and tool and machine equipment studies are made 

 one year or more in advance, as this equipment can usualK be pro- 

 vided in one year. 



