Practical design for effective production and high quality

Every newly developed appliance must pass through three stages before finally reaching the home; namely, the laboratory model stage, the engineering model stage, and the mass production stage. The engineering model stage is really the "pilot plant" stage of production where the laboratory model is proved and the manufacturing "bugs" are worked out before placing the article in mass production. The engineering model stage of manufacture is controlled most effectively by the verification committee whose function it is to prove that component parts as well as the article itself can be, or cannot be, manufactured with the existing equipment and personnel. The verification committee proves that the engineering department has really come up with a good idea which is practical and which can be manufactured economically and in quantities. The verification committee also points out weaknesses in design. The verification committee is guided in its analyses and recommendations by the principles governing practical design for effective production and high quality, which are: (1) simplicity of design, (2) minimum number of component parts, (3) clearly defined and measurable quality standards, and (4) absolute interchangeability of parts.