During the sales period December, 991
oo
phonographs were ordered and 753 were made.E. 1889, Batchelor and J. August 1889 the
Phonograph Works produced 708 machines, and received orders for
only 217 phonographs. Full scale
production machines did not begin until the spring 1889
and June only 1200 had been completed.
The laboratory served the conduit for information about
production (and the product) and made the required changes
in the design the product and the process manufacturing
it. English, the Works
manager, labored improve production methods: changing
operations, laying out the machines more logical sequence,
and redesigning tools. The "American
system" manufacture with interchangeable parts was easier
said than done. The Works
average daily output was probably less than 50— much less than
the original production target 200 day!
Edison had been highly optimistic his plans set up
mass production phonographs West Orange. essential part organizing
production was hiring and training the right personnel for the
." was
naive even consider mass production when the prototype was
being continually redesigned. Edison admitted later that "so called
interchangeable parts have adjusted place.IV-19
acceptance business offices, yet not enough warrant the
large-scale production that Edison planned 1887. The laboratory staff were charged with production
engineering. Mass production West Orange
turned into continual process adjustment manufacture
