Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-31
MUCH MACHINERY
IS BEHIND TIMES
Modernization of Equipment
Would Be Thrift Move,
New Survey Indicates.

Radio discussion of the general sub
ject of out-of-date equipment in Amer
lean factories by DR.. Julius Klein,
Assistant Secretary of Commerce, will
serve to focus public attention on OPP
portunities for reduction of manufac-
turing costs and elimination of waste
which exist in industry at the present
time, according to Kenneth H. Condit,
editor of American Machinist. SAM
marizing an industrial equipment sur
vey just completed by that publication,
he stated that 48 per cent of the
100000 machine tools in use in our
Woodworking plants today date back
to the war or pre-war period and have
been outmoded by advanced designs.
The machine tools in use represent an
investment of more than $4,000, 900, 900.
Studying equipment obSolescence by
regions, the editor said, it is found that
the Pacific Coast area, with 81 per cent
Of old equipment now in use, tops the
list for the whole country in industrial
moderniZation. Forty-one per cent OF
the machine tools now in use in the
Midwest area are more than 10 years
old. In New England, wherein are 10
Gated the oldest industrial centers, SO
per cent of equipment comes in the
"outmoded" classification. The New
York area, including Connecticut, scores
A per cent in total of equipment more
than a decade old, and the Ohio
Michigan region scores 81 per cent. The
Pennsylvania area, which includes West
Virginia, Delaware and Maryland for
survey purposes, scores 48 per cent. In
equipment SO per cent of which is more
than 10 years old. The score for the
South Central States is AZ per cent.
PERCENTAGES reckoned by industrial
divisions show that the automotive
plants hold the lead in modernization,
scoring but 28 per cent of old equip
ment for motor vehicles and % per
cent for bodies and parts. The newest
American industrial venture-aviation
manufacture-has only per cent of its
manufacturing equipment more than 10
years old. Two diSsimilar divisions
railroads and Office machinery manu-
facture-score 10 per cent each, the
largest proportion of old equipment in
use.
Percentages Of old machine tools in
plants making other metal products,
Mr.. Condit pointed out, include textile
machinery 81 per cent; hydraulic, min
ing and oil well, 40; agricultural imple-
ments, SIS per cent; iron and steel prod
ucts other than machinery, At; nom
ferrous metal products, A; pumps, fans
and compresSors, AZ; engine and water
wheels, ST. electrical equipment, 46;
foundries, So; paper and printing ma
chinery, AZ per cent; woodworking ma
chinery, ST; food machinery, As; con-
struction equipment, So; conveying and
transmission equipment, 81; jobs shops
and miscellaneous machinery, 43.
''Modernization of industrial equip
ment," said Mr.. Condit benefits both
the manufacturer and the ultimate
consumer, since it reduces production
costs and enables the finished product,
whether it be motor car or electric re-
frigerator or other product needed by
the consumer, to be delivered to him at
great savings in cost. determination of
equipment stimulates business through
greater economies and more intensive
marketing opportunities and reduces
unemployment. Through the elimina-
ton of obsolete equipment units in in
dustry waste is eliminated, with result
ant gain to the manufacturer and the
buyer"