tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572205562498024454.post1991005794751503208..comments2024-02-12T23:56:11.051-05:00Comments on Daytonology: "Precision City" : Dayton and the Tool & Die IndustryJeffereyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01294969786619943530noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572205562498024454.post-1725539036192699742012-09-24T20:13:16.829-04:002012-09-24T20:13:16.829-04:00gauravengineeringworks
Organized content is the b...<a href="http://gauravengineeringworks.com" rel="nofollow">gauravengineeringworks</a><br /><br />Organized content is the best way to display or post an article, thank you for making it easy to digest your post.Gouravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12938108369196952467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572205562498024454.post-27344660131745396832007-09-09T19:41:00.000-04:002007-09-09T19:41:00.000-04:00Mike, that was an enlightening bit of info on the ...Mike, that was an enlightening bit of info on the social context of the Wright Brothers. <BR/><BR/>Also, I wasn't aware that census records are still availble at that level of geographical and social detail going that far back.<BR/> <BR/>For the early history of machine shops in Dayton, one thing I found out is that the very first ones, from the 1830s, were associated with other industry. For example some of the first true factorys in Dayton were cotton mills(!) and a gun barrel factory. These enterprises had machine shops associated with them to build, repair and fabricate parts for their production machinery. <BR/><BR/>Although cotton spinning and firearms making soon disappeared from Dayton I suspect the early mechanics, and their skill in metalwork, remained. Perhaps this was one of foundations for the move into ag implements, engine & boiler making and other metalworking trades in the 1840s and 50s.Jeffereyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01294969786619943530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572205562498024454.post-35550210884721919602007-09-09T12:05:00.000-04:002007-09-09T12:05:00.000-04:00I'm often asked at the park why is it Dayton has b...I'm often asked at the park why is it Dayton has been a center of creativity and innovation. There's no one magic answer to this question, but one of Dayton's strengths has been its tool and die tradition. Dayton started out in the early to mid-nineteenth century as a manufacturer of farming implements and railroad cars (even before the rails actually reached Dayton!)These industries helped spawn the community of tool and die makers. As Jeffrey mentioned, this group has always been independent and entrepreneurial, always looking for a way to build a better mousetrap. A look at the census and property records on Dayton's west side reveal that the Wright Brothers' neighbors were mostly small shopkeepers, employees of tool and die firms, and small-time inventors. I think an argument can be made that the Wrights received much of their intellectual and emotional support from their neighbors as well as from their family. And these people are survivors. Being usually small firms, they can adapt to changing conditions fairly easily. They saw the writing on the wall in the early 90s concerning the automotive industry in this country and adapted by shifting the percentage of their business from primarily automotive to a more diverse group of customers. I also have friends and family in the business, and they're not sweating the downturn in the American automobile industry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572205562498024454.post-57082842647774703152007-09-07T23:04:00.000-04:002007-09-07T23:04:00.000-04:00I recall reading in the buisiness press that eithe...I recall reading in the buisiness press that either Taiwan or PRC (or both) were targeting the tool & die industry in the mid to late 1990s. So I think some buisiness has been lost to there, but, as you note, there are barriers to offshoring.<BR/><BR/>One of the reasons behind the local T&D buisness group partnering with Sinclair to se up these training programs was to improve skills so they can beat the Chinese on quality and skill. I think there was some buisness skills training involved, too.<BR/><BR/>One thing I like about this industry is that it seems to be fairly entrepeneurial and small, which means it could be pretty flexible, too. <BR/><BR/>I'll be posting more on Dayton manufacturing later on. There's some interesting things going on in that sector.<BR/><BR/>#####<BR/><BR/>Thanks, Foreverglow. I have some machinists and tool & die makers in my family, hence a bit of personal interest in the industry.Jeffereyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01294969786619943530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572205562498024454.post-85197585590223898032007-09-07T14:17:00.000-04:002007-09-07T14:17:00.000-04:00Definitely an interesting read. I know a handful o...Definitely an interesting read. I know a handful of machinists myself. Thanks Jeff.Foreverglowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13501132044674022107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572205562498024454.post-22957392137258555752007-09-06T19:29:00.000-04:002007-09-06T19:29:00.000-04:00Great write-up. I think one of the reasons industr...Great write-up. I think one of the reasons industry like this has not been completely outsourced is because the specialty nature of the industry. Very specific requirements are best communicated to people that work in the same language as you, who are right next door. This reduces shipping time, quality control, and communication issues dramatically. When quick turnaround is needed, you can have something delivered that day instead of waiting for it to arrive via a plane or boat. To bolster the point it is worth noting that in Hillsdale County, Michigan, the poorest county in the state with the most stagnant economy and highest unemployment, the tool and die industry has held on even there.<BR/><BR/>Besides the ones I already mentioned, there are other incentives to keep manufacturing in the USA <BR/><BR/>Texas Instruments, for example, built a new factory in Texas on green technology that saves millions a year in energy expenses to make up for the costs they would have saved by outsourcing. The benefit is their corporate HQ is a hop away, and so the engineers can communicate with the manufacturing arm instantly.<BR/><BR/>Another thing to note is that <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/09/03/GR2007090300004.html" REL="nofollow">U.S. manufacturing output as a percentage of global production</A> has held steady for the past ten years at around 25%. Even though manufacturing employment has dropped dramatically, thanks (or no thanks) to automation and robotics, actual output has stayed level.<BR/><BR/>I was also reading in the Economist (print edition, I have no link) that outsourcing to India is on the downtick. This is partly because of political problems in the re-development of Mumbai and other municipalities, but also because real wages in India are rising, making outsourcing less affordable.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787181232127818507noreply@blogger.com