Robbins and Lawrence Armory and Machine Shop

In fulfilling a contract for 25,000 U.S. Army rifles (Model 1841) and a like quantity for the British government, Robbins and Lawrence was the first to achieve interchangeability of parts on a fully practical level, providing the basis for all subsequent mass production of machine products. This was made possible by the systematic improvement and refinement of existing standard and special-purpose machine tools, enabling them to perform with the precision essential for repeatability and thus interchangeability. At the same time, the firm introduced the milling machine and the turret lathe into routine commercial usage for production manufacturing, and the social implications of this technological revolution have been universal.

Windsor, Vermont · United States