Aiken, played crucial role in
53
developing new products and manufacturing existing ones. This was done informal,
haphazard way; there was proper set drawings kept and
each foreman made his own changes suit himself and usually
failed inform anybody else. took the
drawings and models produced the lab and integrated all
modifications and changes into the design production model
that would cheap and easy manufacture. For example, they redesigned
the horn the phonograph improve sound quality and give
the phonograph new look, working new design for horn and
attachment brackets 1907.
Weber and his staff carried out improvements machines, often
at the request dealer feedback. The job everyday
production engineering went, default, into the hands the
foremen the machine shops and Edison Phonograph Works.
The transformation all these design changes into new
blueprints, tools, and manufacturing processes was important
as the actual engineering the changes."
No records were kept this vital work.L. These
were the men who actually made the changes design and
manufacturing processes. There was no
. The tools used production
were designed and made Otto Weber "largely saw fit. These small design changes were
often made streamline production; but their number, and the
number people making them, led more problems in
54
manufacture.VIII-36
on the production engineering the phonograph. Weber and his
assistants, especially E
