The Analisys Of Two Historical Engineers
There are two historical engineers that particularly interest me and for me stand out far from the rest; Henry ford and Nikola Tesla. Both of these engineer’s paths to success and impact their products and methods have had on the world even these many years on are breath taking. In this essay I will be comparing the twos engineering greatest achievements and their continuous impact on the world; due to their revelations.
Background/family
Henry Ford was born July 30th in 1863, was born on a farm in Michigan. His mother was from Belgian descent, born and raised in Michigan, where as his father was raised in Ireland, with British parents. Ford married Clara Jane Bryant on April 11th 1888; they had a child, Edsel Ford. Ford supported his family via farming and running a sawmill. They had a child, Edsel Ford.
Nikola Tesla was born July 10th in 1856 in Croatia. Tesla was never married, and did not have any children. Despite having many sexual partners in his popular years, it’s said he decided to remain a bachelor. It’s believed Tesla had a phobia of being touched, given the apparent severity of the condition it’s not surprising he never married.
Achievements
Ford initially became an engineer with Edison illuminating company of Detroit. He was promoted to chief engineer, by this point he had enough time and money to devote to his personal experiments with petrol engines. This resulted in the invention of the Ford Quadricycle.
In 1896, Ford met a man named Thomas Edison. Edison was very interested in Fords designs and invention, encouraged by Edison; Ford progressed to build a second vehicle. Detroit Automobile Company backed his second project 1899. However, the products produced were of lower quality and higher price than ford had in mind. Ultimately the venture did not progress and dissolved in 1901.
After this, alongside Harold Wills, Ford designed, built and successfully raced a 26hp automobile in 1901, which was a huge achievement at that time. With that success, various members of the Henry Ford Company came together in 1901, introduced Henry M. Leland as a consultant, Ford then left the business bearing his name. Once Ford had left Murphy renamed the business the ‘Cadillac Automobile Company’.
Ford partnered up with famous former racer Top Cooper, producing 80Hp racer “999” that Barney Oldfield drove to victory in 1902. Ford then received back from Alexander Y. Malcomson a Detroit coal dealer. Ford got to work on an affordable automobile, the Model T.
By 1926, Ford had embarked on a mission to create a new model. He undertook great technical expertise to re design all aspects of the automobile, while leaving the body design to his son. He created a sliding shift transmission, which his father objected to. The final result was the |Ford Model A, December 1927 produced through 1931, outputting more than 4 million vehicles. Ford then proceeded to introduce a car financing operation, which he initially had not been interested in; Ford owned, universal credit corporation.
Tesla is deemed a one of the greatest scientists and engineers worldwide to ever live. Tesla's inventions and revelations were far beyond his time, resulting in a high percentage of his work being unappreciated until many years after his death. Tesla earned himself the nickname ‘mad scientist’
Tesla alongside a colleague created the world’s first hydroelectric power plant, located in Niagara Falls. The power plant to this day is still there, but now resides as a museum. It was one of the first locations producing electricity at the beginning of lighting the world.
Tesla studied radiation and electromagnetism heavily. in the days of his early career, his early experimentation with x-ray imaging lead to its use in the medical field. Tesla discovered X-ray, when he spent his time trying to understand the unseen forces around him. This thinking outside of the box is what made tesla a famous inventor.
Tesla's induction motor, is seen as one of the greatest inventions of all time. The induction motor he created revolutionized the appliance industry. He created a way to sustainably convert electrical energy to mechanical energy. To put this into context, all modern electronics that utilize electrical motors use Tesla's induction motor invention.
The most iconic and genius inventions by Tesla, was that of wireless data and energy transmission. He had an idea of wireless transmission, which could find frequencies which date could be emitted through. Tesla built the world's first tower, which was a wireless transmission system. The groundwork of this invention is the backbone of modern wireless we have today.
On-going impact.
Ford wasn't the creator of neither automobiles nor the assembly line; Ford developed these ideas and progressed these ideas in created affordable automobiles, which middle class people could afford. Doing this, ford changed the concept and allowed automobiles to be assessable to the general population and would extremely affect the 20th century. Ford was credited with ‘Fordism’, the mass production on cheaper goods alongside increased wages for workers. Ford saw the world differently, his focal point was consumerism. Fords high level of commitment to costa being lowered, resulted in business innovations, such include franchising.
In 1914 Ford surprised the world, by offering $5 per day wage, which at the time was more than double the minimum wage. this impacted his business massively more than doubling his workers output. this move by Ford was so profitable. Rather than a high turnover of staff, he would attract the best employees, adding to Fords human capital and expertise and resulting saving money in training costs.
In 1926 alongside raising his employee’s wages, Ford introduced a new reduced workweek. The decision was made in 1922, Ford changed the traditional six-8 hour days, to 5-8 hour days giving a 40-hour week rather than a 48. Giving his workers the weekend off, Ford realised this would boost mural and productivity and was highly profitable. The theories being his employees were expected to increase effort in exchange for more leisure time. Ford was a great believer in leisure time being a mural booster. A famous quote of Fords was, 'It is high time to rid ourselves of the notion that leisure for workmen is either 'lost time' or a class privilege.'
Ford not only had a massive impact on the world when he was alive, he revolutionised the way we work and the strategy of employment and mural until this day. He showed the world how important working class people are, and they make the world go round. He liberated a high percentage of people. Most households own cars today, due to Fords methods he made this possible. Ford raised the living of million of people, and cut the gap between working class and rich.
Nikola Tesla used allot of his time and money in the 1890s on projects relating to the transmission of electrical power without wires. This was then an expansion of wireless lighting at which he has previously performed, not only was he sure he could amit power internationally, but focused on transmitting worldwide communication. At that date, there was no way to wirelessly transmit communication over long distances.
Another one of Teslas great achievements was the introduction of X-Ray called at the time shadowgraph. Tesla also experimented with reflective X-Rays. Tesla soon realised the biological hazards of working with X-Ray.
Nikola Tesla is the inventor behind allot of the things this modern day world works today. Two in particular is the transmission of power wirelessly. Almost everything we do is based on wireless technology; despite his work being modified he was the idea behind wireless technology. Without wireless technology today, we would be nowhere near the level we are at now as we rely so heavily on it.
Every home around the world has appliances. Every homes appliance has an induction motor. This is millions, and millions of induction motors. Tesla created the induction motor, without tesla we would have no washing machines, dryers and microwaves etc. This is something so large, out day to day lives would be nothing without these seemingly small items, yet making out life’s that much simpler.
Strengths/weaknesses
Fords strengths were in abundance. He was a master at automobiles, he was able to think outside the box and think about the future. Rather than being caught up by his social situation of class, he was able to put himself in the shoes of the employees, which ultimately benefited Fords Empire and made him allot more money. Fords weaknesses
Ages 23, Ford was a machinist apprentice with big goals. A few years later he was deemed an intelligent, but failed to produce. His addiction to perfection led to late deliverance to his customers that demolished his early reputation. Despite this, his early lessons taught him very valuable lessons as he progressed in life.
Fords version of dictatorship, was and still is deemed one of his greatest weakness. Its said he was stubborn and doctorial ways, was close to bringing his company to the ground when he rejected the introduction of his prized Model-T.
Tesla’s strengths were also huge, but they did not come with out the huge weaknesses especially of the social aspect of his life. Its said Tesla was terrible with money, and although he had his fair few investments and pay days he died broke and in debt. His love for the high life caught up with him.
Tesla, tend to live in dreamland. Although he was a very accomplished inventor and engineer, he also made wild claims; especially at times to discredit other engineers.
One of Teslas greatest advantages that also seem to be one of his weaknesses is how ahead of his time he was. Its believed Tesla had a photographic memory so he actually never wrote anything down. There are many people out there that believe Tesla is nothing he portrays himself to be.
Conclusion
Through there engineering Nikola Tesla and Henry Ford have impacted the world greatly. Between them they have revolutionised mankind. Despite their personal difficulties, they were both ahead of their time. My personal favourite out of the two engineers is Henry Ford. Not only is it because of his genius inventions, or changing the world; it’s the thought and process at which he done so. Having an idea or creating a solution is impressive by any degree, but changing the way people work and increasing the worlds level of living I feel is admirable.
