John Sargrove - the Father of Modern Electronic Manufacturing Automation

You've probably never heard the name John Sargrove before, but we've all benefited from the electronic manufacturing revolution he tried to start in the middle of the 20th century.    He knew that for radios and other electronic devices to become cheap enough for even the poorest countries to afford, the manufacturing cost - both components and labor - would have to be dramatically reduced.   While his peers in the large radio manufacturing companies were busy hand-wiring radios with rooms packed with production workers,  Sargrove came up with a nearly fully automated process that would predate printed circuit boards, thick film hybrid circuits, and even surface mount assembly and 3D printing by decades.    He called his integrated automated radio-building machines E.C.M.E - "Electronic Circuit Manufacturing Equipment", and even developed a unique tube that could be used in all stages of an AM broadcast receiver to further simplify the design.

What was John Sargroves Big Idea?    Molded circuit assembiles with integral wiring and components.   In 1947!

Watch the video below, then come back to THIS LINK to see the E.C.M.E. in action!