Ibo Ortgies wrote:

> Mass production - how is that defined? 

I think it usually means producing large numbers of
identical things, typically by some kind of assembly line
where each person does only one (or some small number) of
the tasks involved in the production, rather than having one
person shepherd an entire unit (of whatever's produced) from
start to finish. That's why Peter discussed the
interchangeability of Kirckman's jacks, not just the large
number that was produced.

> I am thinking of Arp
> Schnitger's  ...
> Before 1700 the shop(s) must have produced a magnitude of around 5000
> pipes per year, average, ca. 160 each day. All sizes of pipes from
> (seldom) 32' to the many small mixture pipes. 

If these were identical and interchangeable (so that it
wouldn't matter where you put them in the organ, or even in
which organ you put them), that would indicate mass
production, with an assembly line. But since these were
mostly different from each other, that indicates only some
kind of large-scale production, not necessarily "mass
production." Hubbard's description of pin making is a
classic example of early mass production.

best,
 Stuart

My name is Stuart Frankel and I approve this message.


-- 
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