What Is A Machine Shop

A machine shop (also known as a "Back shop") is a facility where machines are used to create or fabricate devices or parts from stock raw materials. These machines cut and shape metal into the desired forms. When machine shops were invented, that led to an increased production of tools that could mass produce other tools, parts and products. Machine shops were an integral part of the industrial revolution, perhaps the main and driving force behind it.

Machine shops started in the late 1700s and early 1800s. At that time, John Stevens and his family pioneered techonologies that would lead to many great achievements including steamboats, locomotives, naval construction, firearms and much more.

Eli Whitney was another pioneer of machining and was an early proponent of standardization and interchangeable parts. Eli Whitney was one of the first manufacturers to successfully standardize parts. He made parts that were interchangeable; the theory being that you could create parts that would fit in many different things or be used for many different applications.

In Whitney's case, it was for firearms. The story holds that he went to Washington D.C. with ten pieces of different types of firearms. Each part's pieces were in different piles. In a demonstration to the Secretary of War, he picked a piece for each pile and constructed a musket right there in front of him. Needless to say, the Secretary of War was amazed.

Interchangeable parts was one huge part of the industrial revolution, but the other was standardization. Standardization is the other, perhaps more important reason that machine tooling thrived. This allowed the Ohio machine shop and machine shops across the country and around the world to all make the same parts, to exacting standards. These parts could then be used in all sorts of different products.

These machines, or machine tools could be used by relatively unskilled labor. Not everyone had to know how to make a gun, just how to use a specific machine. You didn't have to be an engineer, you just had to be able to pull a lever or otherwise operate a machine.

As the creativity of the time came up with new inventions, Ohio machine shops could quickly adapt to make whatever parts were required. It turned out that the machine tools could do almost any operation as they were very versatile. Different sets of cutting edges could be added, or the machines could otherwise be adjusted to make the needed parts.

If you're looking for an Ohio machine shop, look no further. We do it all! Call us today to see how we can assist you.