Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-04-24
OSTE0WER
THRU AUTOMATIC
MACHINERY USE
CHALMERS OFFICIAL TELLS HOW IT
IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE 5000
CAR FOR $1,000 NOW.
INTRODUCTION or AUTOMATIC MA
CHlMERv PERMITTED INCREASE
or OUTPUT BY FACTORIES.

tBy e. A. Plclfcr. Vice President and A.
Si~iant General Manager Of the Chalmers
Motor Car Company
In measuring the tremendous strides
past ten years, | know Of no more graphic
gauge than the automobile catalogues is
sued even . recently a. 1910 and those "a
the present day.
We find the motorist of that date pay
Ing 5000 and more for a motor ear. and
then making an additional outlay of sew
eral hundred dollar for accessories. Look
iIg back at the cars of that date. il would
seem n though the automobile buyer had
been w~oefnlly ovcrchargcd. And YET. such
wa> not the ease. Motor ear makers were
not nearly - prosperous then n they are
today. mainly because waS:eful ~manufac-
turing methods cut deeply into the annual
dividends.
Standing out IA the one big miracle Of
the industry, has been the constant me
chanical and artistic Improvement Of The
mcdcrn ear and the simultaneous rcdnc.
tion in price all along the line. Without
quantity production, made possible by au-
tomato machinery, this miracle could never
have taken place. Automatic machinery
has done more toward lowering costs IA
automobile factories than any other single
factor. Systematic methods Of production
came later, and were almost an outgrowth
Of the automatic idea.
To the great number of visitors who an
nually inspect the Chalmers factory. the
most interesting departments ~ the entire
plant, are those employing machines of the
labor saving and self operating type. Chief
among the wonders Of production are
automatic machines which seem 10 pos
sess IN uncanny power, coupled with abso-
lutte accuracy. Into the automatic screw
machines j. fed bar steel; out Of them
comes the finished product-mugneto
couplings, springs, bolts, rocker arms,
screws and similar parts; IN fact, one
fourth Of all tho small parts which 80 into
m automobile. As many a. thirteen
operations are performed by these ma
chimes on a single part. The machines are
self operating 10 the extent that one man
can divide his attention among six ma
chimes. II is difficult to estimate inst how
many men would be necessary under old
fashioned methods, 10 keep up with The
daily production Of a battery OF auto
mates.
Machinery Of this type J. now beng u-cd
by the big munitions factories IN the manu-
%facture Of shrapnel proving that the high
cost of killing a. also being reduced.
la milling and lathe work. the mutorlst
again witnesses methods whereof, the first
cost of his car IL les~cncd. Several Of tho
largest Ingcrsoll milling machines IA the
Chalmers factory have a capacity 81 100
complete cylinder blocks per day. These
ma chimes carry ten blocks Of cylinders,
performing three operations nt the sumo
time. A .pindlc drill just installed. bores
furty-four holes IN the aluminium flange
for the runnin. board IN one operation. All
Of these machines are built IN u standard
of accuracy which renders their work cor
rect 10 the 1000 of an inch.
To obtain the best results in fender work
the Chalmers Company haS Installed q
fender press which cost 500 900. Formerly
to secure the handsome curved tenders now
ia vogue. IL was necessary 10 have skilled
artisans hammcrine away at sheet metal
for hours nj o time.
Without exaggcrating. ! can say that inc
average Xix cylinder ear, selling today for
$1,000. would have cost five times that
amount only xix year back. the prospcc-
live buyer III today has many reasons 10
bc thankful that he J. cxpcnding his money
at "a time when il will bring him the biggest
possible return in value received.