A N A L Y T I C A L CH E M I S T R Y SEPTEMBER 1956
The Economics of Analysis E have just completed a series of articles written by people in "various industrial positions as to the place and importance of analysis in modern industry. The authors seem to be unanimous with respect to the need for the large expenditures required to maintain quality control in present-day manufacturing operations. We do not have to go back many years to find that manufacturing gave little heed to analysis or quality control as we know it today The plant manager and his staff, steeped in the tradition of secrecy, knew by intuition when production \I as satisfactory. With scientific study of processes over the years, n-e nontake for granted the fact that careful scientific control is necessary and that a control laboratory, backed up by a research group on methods, is part of every manufacturing operation. Even with expanded analytical staffs and increased precision and speed in chemical methods, analytical laboratories can seldom turn out the work fast enough. Management, therefore, is beginning to question the high cost and efficiency of analytical operations. The change from batch to continuous process operations in industry has created a need for continuous analysis. The oldfashioned chemical n-et methods, while useful and relatively fast, have been outmoded. I n their place we have expensive automatic equipment. .4lthough i t cannot do without them, the high cost of these instrummts disturbs management. Also disturbing is the fact that analytical staffs, instead of decreasing with automation, seem t o increase Changes authorized in a manufacturing process aie usually made with the idea of lowering costs. If this goal is not achieved, someone generally has failed in his assignment. RIounting costs of quality control plus the analytical research necessary to develop and maintain a high standard are beginning to be studied in more detail to see if the best use of talent and equipment is being achieved in the llght of manufacturing ohjectives. We think it pertinent, therefore, to discuss some of the background against nhich analysis has developed over the past few years. hnalysis is actually part of research, and so its contribution to the profit picture a t any one time is difficult to assess. If, howver, over a period of time definite progress and contribution t o efficiency cannot be shown, this position is hard to justify. As we have noted, in earlier days the production man used the chemist, with his analytical methods and quality control tests, to prove what he already knew-namely, that the product was satisfactory. With more rigid specifications and speed-up of process, the production man mas proved in error far too often
and so, reluctantly, he welcomed the help of the chemist. The chemist soon found his methods too slow to keep up with production. This led to expanded analytical research staffs to speed up procedures. During this period all samples were brought to a central laboratory for analysis and the results relayed to the production department for its guidance. It is to the credit of the control laboratory that it met the challenge of production and did a commendable job during this period. However, the pressure of work mounted and demand for increased speed saw the introduction of such instruments as faster balances, spectrophotometers, and automatic burets. Pneumatic tube systems for sending samples and information were introduced a t the same time. The next development was the introduction of physical methods to meet demands of production. These methods permitted production operations to follow and adjust conditions so that a final product meeting rigid specifications was produced. FTe are presently in the stage where these instruments are being moved from the laboratory t o the production department where they are locked into the production machinery. They can actually monitor and automatically change conditions so that a final acceptable product is produced continuously. Because such systems are extremely expensive and lead to increased personnel, management will be forced t o take a sharp look at all aspects of analysis. I n studying this problem, management should keep in mind that it is demanding far more information about its products than ever before. ?;ewer instruments, even though expensive, do give more information and permit faster and more precise control of production. Management should also keep in mind that the quality of analytical personnel must be higher than ever before in order to carry out analytical research and maintenance on these newer instruments. Those responsible for analysis should remember that they should question whether the analyses they are requested to do are necessary. They should be sufficiently qualified about analysis and processes that they are in a position to suggest the most economical and expedient means of controlling process and product. They should use the simplest instrument or method to achieve their goal, and they should study all methods which are applicable so that the least expensive one is used. Lastly, they should be sure that they have not fallen into that easy habit of hiring more analysts to solve their problems when a critical survey might show they have the wrong type of personnel, or that further instrumentation or research on methods might solve their problems better and more cheaply.
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