In industrial manufacturing history, who is credited with introducing the moving assembly line concept that greatly increased the speed of mass production?

Introduction / Context:

The assembly line is a method of organising production in which a product moves step by step along a line while workers or machines perform specific tasks in sequence. This innovation dramatically increased manufacturing efficiency. This question asks you to identify the person often credited with introducing the moving assembly line concept in industrial practice, particularly in the automobile industry.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The invention in question is the moving assembly line for mass production.
• The focus is on early industrial use, especially in automobile manufacturing.
• The options list inventors from various domains such as plastics, seismology, games and automobiles.
• You are expected to know which name is linked with the assembly line concept before it was refined by others.

Concept / Approach:

Ransom Eli Olds, an American automobile manufacturer, is often credited with developing the first moving assembly line for mass producing cars around 1901 to 1902. At his company, Olds Motor Vehicle Company, workstations were arranged so that cars could be moved from one station to the next, allowing workers to perform repeated tasks. This system increased output and lowered costs. Henry Ford later improved and popularised the moving assembly line on a much larger scale, but Olds is recognised as the earlier pioneer. The other names in the options are linked to unrelated inventions and do not match the assembly line concept.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Industrial history sources explain that Olds used a progressive assembly method to build his Oldsmobile Curved Dash automobiles. While Ford later revolutionised production with more advanced conveyor based lines, Olds is still credited with the basic moving assembly line innovation. Some texts mention both names, pointing out that Olds came first and Ford expanded the concept, which confirms the choice of Ransom Eli Olds here.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Alexander Parkes invented Parkesine, an early plastic, not the assembly line.

Luigi Palmieri made contributions in seismology and physics, not in industrial production methods.

Alexey Pajitnov is known for creating the computer game Tetris, not for manufacturing innovations.

Henry Ford did refine and popularise assembly line production, but this specific question is about the earlier inventor, who is Ransom Eli Olds as listed in the options.

Common Pitfalls:

Many candidates instinctively think of Henry Ford when they see assembly line and may choose his name even if it is not the main focus of the question. To avoid this, read the wording carefully. If the question mentions who first introduced or invented the moving assembly line and includes the name Ransom Eli Olds, that is the answer you should select, while remembering that Ford later improved and scaled the method.

Final Answer:

The moving assembly line concept was introduced by Ransom Eli Olds.