M*A*T*H Colloquium

Precision Engineering and Statistical Process Control | Susan Herring, Sonoma State University

In modern society, we all count on the ability to go to the store and purchase a replacement piece when something breaks. However, this was not always the case. Precision engineering and statistical process control have affected modern society from the ability to replace a broken piece to the ability to insert a battery and know it will fit. In this talk, we will discuss the development of interchangeable parts starting in the late 1700's when Eli Whitney developed musket pieces so precisely that the pieces were interchangeable—thus ushering in the Industrial Revolution.