Talk:Interchangeable parts

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[edit] Merge

Should this article cover standardized parts, too? I have redirected the various spellings of term here because it is similar. The difference, as far as I can tell, is that standardized parts are essentially identical and interchangeable parts are made to be compatible whether or not they are completely identical. Here is some content from a page that is now redirected here that could be merged into the article:

Standardised parts are used within the manufacturing industry to cut the costs within the production of products. This enables manufacturers to either increase their profit margins because of decreased production costs or decrease the prices of their product, therefore increasing the amount of sales.

Using standardised parts is a manufacturing method of using universal parts within the construction of a number of different products. This means that manufacturing and set-ups costs for a product can be spread over a range of different products, reducing production costs for each product and also increasing overall profit margins. This method reduces the costs involved in designing and constructing brand new parts for every new product that is released onto the market. Therefore, this method normally dictates the competitive price of a product. This can be viewed within the car market, as the cheapest or most buyer friendly cars use the most standardised parts. For example, a large amount of different cars use the same chassis, wheels and engine to reduce costs. However, towards the higher end of the market, most of the parts within those cars are created specifically for that particular car and therefore increase the productions costs and the total price of that car.

An example of standardised parts within the industry is nuts and bolts. Nuts and bolts are made in certain sizes and shapes that are then used within a large amount of different products. As well as increased profit margins due to this specific manufacturing process, times from conception to production of products can also be decreased due to the utility of these parts. -- Kjkolb 06:04, 9 July 2006 (UTC)