Text c Rise of u.S. Automaking

To meet the growing demand for automobiles of all types, Ford greatly speeded up production by introducing, in 1913, the conveyor belt to carry automobile parts on assembly lines. Another important influence in the subsequent growth of the automobile industry was the formation at this time of the organization then known as the Automobile Board of Trade and now named the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association. Members of the organization, which today embraces all automobile manufacturers in the United States, made a cross-licensing agreement whereby any member company might use the patents controlled by any other member, without the payment of royalties. The virtue of the agreement was that it established a custom of “patents for use,” instead of patents as advantages to be monopolized and exploited. Under the agreement, patent rights were shared so that better automobiles might be made, no matter who might make them.

Many early U.S. manufacturers located their plants in and about Detroit. This is where the home establishments of the manufacturers of all the passenger-car and most of the motor-truck vehicles produced in the United States are now located.

While Ford was perfecting his Model T, the General Motors Corporation (GM) was established in 1908 by William C. Durant, who combined the Buick, Oldsmobile, and Oakland companies and, later, Cadillac, to form GM. General Motors weathered numerous financial crises in its early years, finally gaining stability when the Du Pont family bought much GM stock (since divested) in 1920. The invention by Charles F. Kettering of the electric self-starter in 1912 was a benchmark in U.S. automotive development, but others quickly followed, including balloon tires in 1921. Among other U.S. automotive pioneers were the brothers John Dodge and Horace Dodge, machinists and bicycle builders, for whom the Dodge car is named; Walter P. Chrysler, a railroad worker who later formed Chrysler Corporation; and John N. Willys, whose company won worldwide fame during World War II as a manufacturer of military Jeeps. Since its inception, the automotive industry has shown a steady expansion, with the exception of the years during World War II when its plants were converted to the production of war materials. In 1978 motor-vehicle production reached an all-time high of 12,878,000 units, including about 9.2 million cars. In the aftermath of the fuel shortages of 1973-74, U.S. motor-vehicle production was less than 9 million units by 1975. In the late 1970s, however, production had recovered to about 11 million units.

Words and expressions

assembly - 1) сборка, монтаж. 2) агрегат, узел, комплект.

cross-licensing agreement - перекрестное лицензионное

соглашение

royalty - 1) a sum paid to the owner of copyright

or patent; 2) a sum paid to a land owner

for the right to extract oil, coal, etc.

Exercise 1

Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What unit was introduced by Gerald Ford in 1913 to speed up production of automobiles?

2. Formation of what organization had an important influence to growth of the automobile industry in the beginning of 19^th century?

3. How do you understand the cross - licensing agreement manufacturers?

4. What city in the USA is known as home for most manufacturers of passenger-cars and motor-truck vehicles?

5. What part of an automobile was invented by Charles F. Kettering in 1912?

6. When and where balloon tires were invented and how they influenced the automobile industry in general?

7. What american automotive pioneers do you know?

8. Has automotive industry shown a steady expansion during World War II?

9. What was the figure of motor-vehicle produced in the USA in late 1970s?

Exercise 2

Заполните пропуски недостающими по смыслу словами, используя текст:

1. Ford greatly speeded up … by introducing the conveyor belt to carry automobile parts on assembly lines.

2. An important influence in the growth of the … was the formation of the Automobile Board of Trade.

3. A cross-licensing agreement were made by … .

4. Under the …, patent rights were shared so that better automobiles might be made, no matter who might make them.

5. The capital of many early U.S. manufacturers was located in … .

6. The invention of … by Charles F. Kettering was a benchmark in U.S. automotive development?

7. John N. Willys was famous as a manufacturer of … during the World War II.

8. The automotive industry plants were converted to the production of … during the World War II.

9. An all-time high in US motor-vehicle production was reached in … .

Exercise 3

Соответствуют ли данные предложения содержанию текста:

1. Ford greatly speeded up production of cars by introducing in 1913 an electric engine instead of internal-combustion engine.

2. The conveyor belt was invented by Ford to carry automobile parts on assembly lines.

3. Automobile Board of Trade influenced greatly the subsequent growth of the automobile industry in the United States.

4. Automobile Board of Trade today embraces all automobile manufacturers in the United States.

5. Anti-trust laws established a custom of “patents for use,” instead of patents as advantages to be monopolized and exploited.

6. Under the cross – licensing agreement, patent rights were shared so that better automobiles might be made, no matter who might make them.

7. Many early U.S. manufacturers located their plants in and about New York City.

8. Charles F. Kettering invented balloon tires in 1912.

9. During 1941-1946 the automotive industry has shown a steady expansion.

10. 12,878,000 motor vehicles were produced in the United States.

Exercise 4

Используя текст, составьте высказывания с данными словами и выражениями:

Conveyor belt - automobile parts - assembly line - important influence - member of the organization - cross-licensing agreement - member company - payment of royalties - to be monopolized and exploited - patent right – to be established - to gain stability - electric self-starter - to win worldwide fame - to be converted - fuel shortage.

Exercise 5

Кратко передайте содержание каждого абзаца.

Exercise 6

Выделите пять основных идей текста.

Exercise 7

Составьте предложения, используя данные выражения:

• Conveyer belt (ленточный конвейер); chain conveyer (цепной конвейер); cable conveyer (канатный конвейер); shuttle conveyer (реверсивный конвейер).

• Assembly line (сборочная линия); brake assembly (тормозная система); control assembly (узел управления); terminal assembly (контактное поле); improper assembly (неправильная сборка).

• Export license (экспортная лицензия); general license (генеральная лицензия); cross-licensing agreement (перекрестное лицензионное соглашение); import license лицензия на импорт); individual license (индивидуальная лицензия); license agreement (лицензионное соглашение); license system (лицензионная система); patent license (лицензия на пользование патентом, патентная лицензия).

• Electric self-starter (электрический стартер); series-parallel starter (последовательно-параллельный пусковой стартер); stator starter пускатель; реостат в цепи статора); switch starter (пусковой переключатель).

Exercise 8

Переведите на русский язык следующие предложения:

1. The novelist received a royalty of 8% from the sales of her book.

2. The oil royalties were higher than expected.

3. During the last years the growing demand for automobiles of all types was observed in Russia.

4. Our company greatly speeded up production of semi-finished parts for furniture industry by introducing in 1999 the computer aided machines.

5. The conveyor belt is used to carry automobile parts on assembly lines.

6. Another important influence in oil-prices preservation was formation at that time of the Organization of petroleum exporting countries.

7. It is considered illegal to extract oil without the payment of royalties to landowner or the state.

8. Most of huge industrial complexes locate their plants in and about big cities.

9. During the years of the USSR the defense industry has shown a steady expansion.

Exercise 9

Переведите на английский язык:

1. Растущий спрос на автомобили всех марок, вынудил правительство России увеличить размер ввозных таможенных пошлин на импортные автомобили в 2004 году.

2. Конвейерные линии широко используются на сборочных линиях автомобильных заводов.

3. Значительным событием, повлиявшим на рост производства в России, было уменьшение налога на прибыль.

4. Создание независимой ассоциации производителей товаров повседневного спроса, дала толчок росту пищевой промышленности.

5. Ученые университета запатентовали свое последнее изобретение и получили на него патентную лицензию.

6. В современном мире многие производители компьютеров заключают перекрестные лицензионные соглашения.

7. Оплата лицензионных платежей является обязательной для всех нефтяных компаний.

8. Патентные права на производство высокотехнологичного авиационного оборудования были разделены между двумя государственными предприятиями.

9. Автозавод КАМАЗ является крупнейшим производителем грузового автотранспорта в Российской федерации.

10. В первые годы распада СССР, крупнейшие российские автомобильные заводы выдержали многочисленные финансовые кризисы.

Exercise 10

Текст на самостоятельный перевод:

The mass production of automobiles

The traditional example of mass production is the automobile industry, which has continued to refine the basic principles originally laid down by Henry Ford and other pioneers of mass production techniques. Today's automobile is the result of a large number of mass production lines established in a multitude of manufacturing and assembly facilities throughout the world. The assembly plant from which the finished automobile emerges is only the final element of a mass production operation that, for many companies, includes plants in several different countries. Into the final assembly plant flow large subassemblies such as the automobile chassis, the engine, major body components such as doors, panels, upholstered seats, and many electronic, electrical, and hydraulic systems such as brakes, lighting systems, and sound systems. Each of these, in turn, is usually the product of a mass production line in another factory. Stamping plants specialize in producing the formed metal parts that constitute the body of the automobile. Radio assembly plants, in turn, depend upon other assembly plants for components such as transistors and integrated circuits. There are glass plants for windows, transmission plants, tire plants, and many others, each specializing in the mass production of its own product, which is, in turn, fed into the final assembly plant. The control of the flow of material into and out of final assembly plants, including the scheduling of production from feeder plants and the timing of rail and truck shipments, is among the major engineering tasks that make the total mass production system for automobiles work.

In the final assembly line one can see clearly how machinery and human effort in assembly are divided into many specialized skills. The special tooling and machinery developed to handle assembly parts and to aid operators in their tasks can also be observed. At a given point on the line a robot welder—unaided by a human operator—may weld body parts together. At another position the motor is mounted on the chassis by a large machine guided by an operator. In other places body panels and doors are assembled to the chassis, and dashboard instruments and wiring are added by hand with simple tools. Each operator learns his task in detail and uses tools specialized for that task. The total operation is paced by the speed of movement of the conveyor that carries the partially assembled automobiles. The number of operators, machine stations, and flow of materials to the conveyor have all been planned so that the conveyor can maintain an essentially constant speed with each operator and machine functioning near optimum effectiveness.

In Ford's early lines, parts and product were precisely standardized. Only one car model was manufactured, and each unit was identical to every other unit in all aspects, including colour—black. Today's automotive manufacturing engineers have learned to mass produce a highly customized product. The same assembly line may turn out a variety of models with many colours and options. This is achieved by continued insistence on standardization of critical elements such as the methods by which parts are held together internally. Thus, the operator who specializes in assembling doors can handle a variety of models and colours equally well. In addition, the flow of materials to the various line positions is carefully scheduled and controlled so that the specific part required for a given model, colour, oroption list arrives at the line at the precise moment that the partially assembled unit requiring the part has arrived along the conveyor. The exquisitely designed production-control systems operating in the automotive and other industries make it possible for the consumer to obtain a greatly enhanced variety of product without sacrificing the cost advantages of mass production techniques.