“MANUFACTURING COMPETENCE“ 1960S COLOR GENERAL ELECTRIC ERMA COMPUTERS PROMO PHOENIX, AZ XD66224

Join this channel to get access to perks: Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit Visit our website “Manufacturing Competence” (1960s) is a color, promo film presented by the General Electric (G.E.) Computer Department headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The film discusses the development, manufacture, and testing of computers. This film features copious scenes of women’s role on the assembly line, automatic production methods, and shots of the ERMA 100 Series and 200 Series machines. ERMA stood for Electronic Recording Machine, Accounting. This was a computer technology that automated bank bookkeeping and check processing. It was developed at the nonprofit research institution SRI International under contract from Bank of America starting in 1950. The first production ERMA system, known as the GE-100, was installed in 1959. Downtown Phoenix - commercial shops, Auto Lobby, mid-century modern skyscrapers, palm-tree lined roads (0:35). GE Computer Department HQ, Deer Valley Industrial Complex (1:12). GE logo on facade (1:43). Montage various work stations; interior factory (1:55). Women sitting at switchboards working on electrical connections (2:06). Office space, men at desks review product design plans (2:18). GE ERMA 100 Series machine components: Console, Flexowriter, document handler, high speed printer (2:28). Factory workers gather materials for frame of GE-225 computer (2:55). Computer rack on production line (3:09). Woman attaches modular card holder fixture (3:39). Women work on wire connections: close-up solderless wire wrapped connection (3:50). Punch paper tape machine for wire display data control, perhaps part of GE 200 Series (4:20). Close-up wire wrap gun (4:42). Other women work on direct connection of wires, tangle of thick gray wires run through large harness (4:58). Two women sit in front of console for wire testing - connectors plugged into wrack to check continuity of wires; red dots appear on console (5:27). Back panel wiring: Burgmaster Drill controlled by GE Mark II Controller drills precise holes on panel (6:21). Hole location, pattern seen on punched paper tape (6:41). Outrigger drill: two panels drilled automatically (7:04). Women work to apply printed transistorized wiring to back panels (7:11).Woman concentrates while operating trigger of insertion machine: applies individual connectors to printed wiring board; close-up wire insertion (7:32). Close-up hands move wood block in silk screen process applies solder resist, printing wiring boards (8:11). Finish printed wiring board (8:31). Diode reels fed into tester machine (8:47). Clevite semiconductors reel of approved diodes fed into cut and form device (9:15). Cut, formed diodes (9:40). Montage automatic machines used to cut, form leads used in printed boards (9:49). Transistor cutter (10:17). Close-up before, after cutter transistor against orange background (10:30). Women sit on progressive assembly line, operators insert pre-cut, formed components into board - close-up markings on board to direct operators (10:52). Computer boards pass along conveyor belt: fluxed, dried, then pass through mechanized soldering machine (11:33). Older female employee uses machine to trim excess leads and solder (12:16). Completed boards analytically tested, fed into machine that reads T1143 on facade (12:26). Male operator does functional testing by simulating operating conditions, close-up of board with attached diodes, conductors (12:45). Screen reads results of operation (12:59). Calibration lab:(13:17). C/u magnetic core rings; close-up vibrated into position (13:35). Woman threads wires through, after cores in place; c/u wiring passing through square (14:26). Automated testing of core memory jig (14:58). C/u hands stacking completed, tested memory cores (15:18). Camera pans completed memory (15:29). Woman sits under magnifying glass, threads small memory device buffer (15:40). Close-up matrix electrical wires of “command center” (16:37). Final installation steps: man and woman side-by-side installing completed parts (16:49). GE-225 Mainframe Computer tested by male operators (17:09). GE high speed printer, paper moves quickly (17:22). GE High speed document handler (17:41). Computer prepared for shipment, doors installed (17:58). Scientist at work in GE Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Laboratory developing techniques for automating production (18:24). Test of automated welding equipment (18:55). Chemicals in beaker (19:01). ERMA Ampex tape drive (19:49). This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit