Ford Moving Assembly Line

Ford's moving line showed how bringing work to the worker, with each person at a fixed station, can multiply output, the principle behind goods-to-person picking and conveyor-fed pack stations. Chassis assembly fell from about 12.5 hours under stationary assembly to about 93 minutes by early 1914. Ford drew on earlier moving lines in meatpacking and on standardized, interchangeable parts. Modern fulfillment centers apply the same idea with conveyors, sortation, and robots that bring totes and shelves to stationary pickers, cutting walking time, which often takes up much of a manual picker's shift.

• Goods-to-PersonGTPAutomation brings stock to the picker
• Conveyor SystemBelts and rollers that move totes and cartons
• Sortation SystemEquipment that sends each item to its lane

• Henry Ford1863–1947 · Founder of Ford Motor Company

• The Principles of Scientific Management1911 · Taylor's book on timed tasks and standard methods
• Liberty Ships1941–1945 · US yards build 2,710 cargo ships to one design
• First Unimate Industrial Robot at General Motors1961 · A robot arm goes to work on a GM production line

1. Ford Methods and the Ford Shops thehenryford.org
2. Highland Park Ford Plant en.wikipedia.org
3. Game Changer: 100th Anniversary of the Moving Assembly Line media.ford.com