engine block

The move from extensive use of discrete elements (via separate castings) to extensive integration of elements (such as in most modern engine blocks) was a gradual progression that passed through various phases of monobloc engine development, wherein certain elements were integrated while others remained discrete. This evolution has occurred throughout the history of reciprocating engines, with various instances of every conceptual variation coexisting here and there. (This is an example of how the history of technology is a profusion of scattered data points with the waxing and waning of themes and trends, as opposed to any simplistic linear progression from "bad" to "good".) The increase in prevalence of ever-more-integrated designs relied on the gradual development of foundry and machining practice for mass production. For example, a practical low-cost V8 engine was not feasible until Ford developed the techniques used to build the Ford flathead V8 engine, which soon also disseminated to the larger society. (Such techological dissemination tends to happen via a zeitgeist of independent, competitive development just as much as via technology transfer or reverse engineering). Today the foundry and machining processes for manufacturing engines are usually highly automated, with a few skilled workers to manage the making of thousands of parts.