Erica M. Mentone
Industrial engineering is one of the top four branches of engineering. (2) Industrial engineers are problem-solvers and leaders. These are two qualities that we are constantly striving to develop in our young students, which is one of the reasons I chose industrial engineering as the central focus of this unit. "Industrial engineering involves design, organization, and implementation of integrated systems using people, materials, and equipment." (2) Simply put, industrial engineers study the systems of a company or organization and make decisions about how the systems could be more efficient and more effective.
One of the most famous industrial engineers is Henry Ford, well known for his work in the automotive industry. Henry Ford optimized the assembly process of building automobiles. With the ability to produce cars quickly and efficiently, it became more affordable for people to own cars. This changed society as we know it. Henry Ford was granted time at work while employed by the Edison Illumination Company to spend exploring his own personal interests. His independent work lead to the development of the quadricycle, a self propelled vehicle, and a predecessor to the automobile.(3) In 1903, Henry Ford was the vice-president and chief engineer of Ford Motor Company, where he helped to develop the Model T. This car was reliable and not too costly for the customer. Because of the great demand for the Model T, Ford had to open a new factory in 1918. He was instrumental in introducing the moving assembly line. The Model T would move on a conveyor belt, and each person on the line would be responsible for adding another part to the vehicle. This made the manufacturing of automobiles more efficient and cost effective so that more people cold afford, the Model T.(6) More stories of famous engineers can be found at the following website: http://www.engineeringk12.org/getinvolved/ASEE_Workshop_On_K12_Engineering_Education/Past_ASEE_K12_Workshops/documents_2006/StandardsBasedLearningmanual.pdf More information and pictures of Henry Ford and his inventions can be found at http://www.hfmgv.org/EXHIBITS/HF/
Within industrial engineering, the focus for this unit is process engineering. Process engineers develop processes to make products. They research and develop the most efficient methods, and monitor the effectiveness of the process. This branch of engineering, although specific, encompasses many different products from airplanes to electronics, and in our case - chocolate chip cookies.