THE P R O F E S S I O N A L SIDE
FRENCH LOW COST · EFFICIENT · SAFE SOLVENT EXTRACTION EQUIPMENT IDEAL FOR EXTRACTION OF SOLIDS TOP PRODUCTION HIGHEST QUALITY PRODUCTS LOW OPERATING COSTS M I N I M U M MAINTENANCE OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECORD
Let French help you solve ex traction
problems
involving
solids. Write today to French, Extraction
Division,
Piqua,
Ohio—for over 50 years de signers and builders of pendable,
profitable
de
extrac
tion equipment.
THE FRENCH OIL MILL MACHINERY CO. EXTRACTION DIVISION PIQUA
OHIO
ω Ο
various products made by the com pany? Most so-called well-trained chemists either do not believe in or understand the law of diminishing returns or diminishing productivity. To restate it simply—the amount of material produced varies greatly ac cording to the way in which the vari ous factors of production are com bined. If all factors are held con stant except one, which is allowed to increase, the average product per unit of this particular factor may in crease to a maximum point, but thereafter will diminish. Obviously, if all factors are held constant except one, and this is allowed or caused to decrease—as when a serious produc tion emergency develops—average production falls rapidly and may, in extreme cases, result in complete pro duction stoppage. The secret prin ciple of mass production is simplicity coupled with planned, orderly, con tinuous flow of materials through the manufacturing plant. The most important point of sim plicity is all too often overlooked by the chemist. Time is also important in mass production for the orderly flow of materials through the plant. You can bet the engineer knows and realizes exactly what an interruption in a production line can mean, but does the average chemist? Every effort should be made to learn as much as possible about the over-all operations of the company. All too often, little is known about company history, the financial struc ture, the traffic department, ac counting and purchasing practices, labor and personnel management, public relations, sales and advertis ing policies, to say nothing of the in tricacies of various processes and operations employed in production. The art of blending and maintaining the delicate balance between these factors so necessary for a smoothly operating successful business need not be mastered, yet the more nearly it is, the better will be the chemist's position when he is called upon to help in a production emergency. Information on these points is best obtained by direct inquiry of those individuals possessing it. The traffic department should be consulted re garding transportation angles, for in stance. Naturally, most information should be accumulated on the proc esses and operations used in produc
Circle No. 84 A on Readers' Service Card, page 117 A 84 A
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
tion. Discussions with production personnel on plant operations and especially experiences with previous problems can be most helpful to the inexperienced chemist. Chemical supervisors and operators serve as the first line for real information, but accountants, purchasing agents, and maintenance men also can supply several different and worth-while angles on a certain subject. Always remember, something of importance can be learned from anyone no matter what his position in the company. To one, a certain production delay might seem rela tively unimportant, but the ac counting department may have di rect information to the contrary. To another, what appears as a seri ous chemical defect may have ab solutely no effect on quality or pro duction cost. To still another, a technical or engineering inefficiency might be unduly alarming but its economic effect may be very minor. Experimental Investigations
If needed information cannot be obtained from firsthand sources, and if time and budget limitations are not too restricting, experimental investigations can and should be made. Production men readily ac cept experimentally determined data. The research laboratory contributes much to efficient production by antic ipating difficulties and thus having the necessary facts on hand when trouble arises. Close cooperation between research and production pays off handsomely. Research on product and process improvement should not be confused with that de signed to forestall or eliminate possi ble future difficulties arising as emer gencies. Research projects should be set up to deal with constantly re curring production problems, for they are not only costly to the company, but greatly affect employee morale. Authoritative technical literature, of course, affords the best source of information on basic processes and operations in the plant. Trade jour nals cannot be overlooked as a source of more general information, es pecially where a competitor's busi ness or operations are concerned. Annual reports of the company, sales brochures and price lists, and other public releases such as those
