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Imperial Arms · 01-09-2008, 09:41 PM

Gerben,

Thank you for the very interesting information you have provided regarding Ludwig Loewe's study of American production methods and development. He realizes that American factories are capable of better mass production techniques than compared to German factories. According to the extract "they are constantly developing machinery that can perform these repeating tasks autonomously and this insures they are not depending on the good will and the technical skills of every individual worker", the American factories were more 'mechanized' whereas German factories tended to produced products which were given more worker's attention and detail. Hence, I believe that the quality of German products made in the late 1890's and early 1900's were better than other countries.

The German inventors and engineers had the technology and science in their brains, but they probably did not know how to turn it into mass production. This is where they gained from American ideas and knowledge even though the Germans were complicated and very precise. While the directors and managers noticed the benefits of the American system, they probably implemented only 50% of what they learned from the Americans because their workers could have been resistant to change or they believed that these new procedures were 'foreign' to them. For a system to work efficiently, all the parts have to function at the same rate and with the same psychology.

At the start of WWI, the German factories had to change their ideology in order to mass produce weaponry for the their Army. At this time, we notice a drop in quality because mass production was the main requirement. What they learned from the Americans surely paid off at this time! Nonetheless, practicality was still given high attention so the item 'could get the job properly done' whether it was a pistol, a uniform, a helmet or a tool such as the sight adjustment tool.

This is a very interesting subject which you have generated and you have shared some valid points. My point of view as a collector is to look back to the future from today with my hobby in my heart.

Cheers,
Albert

01-09-2008, 09:41 PM	#24
Imperial Arms Banned Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Malta, EU Posts: 579 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Gerben, Thank you for the very interesting information you have provided regarding Ludwig Loewe's study of American production methods and development. He realizes that American factories are capable of better mass production techniques than compared to German factories. According to the extract "they are constantly developing machinery that can perform these repeating tasks autonomously and this insures they are not depending on the good will and the technical skills of every individual worker", the American factories were more 'mechanized' whereas German factories tended to produced products which were given more worker's attention and detail. Hence, I believe that the quality of German products made in the late 1890's and early 1900's were better than other countries. The German inventors and engineers had the technology and science in their brains, but they probably did not know how to turn it into mass production. This is where they gained from American ideas and knowledge even though the Germans were complicated and very precise. While the directors and managers noticed the benefits of the American system, they probably implemented only 50% of what they learned from the Americans because their workers could have been resistant to change or they believed that these new procedures were 'foreign' to them. For a system to work efficiently, all the parts have to function at the same rate and with the same psychology. At the start of WWI, the German factories had to change their ideology in order to mass produce weaponry for the their Army. At this time, we notice a drop in quality because mass production was the main requirement. What they learned from the Americans surely paid off at this time! Nonetheless, practicality was still given high attention so the item 'could get the job properly done' whether it was a pistol, a uniform, a helmet or a tool such as the sight adjustment tool. This is a very interesting subject which you have generated and you have shared some valid points. My point of view as a collector is to look back to the future from today with my hobby in my heart. Cheers, Albert