The term ‘production engineering’ came into use to describe the management of factory production techniques first developed by Henry Ford, which had expanded greatly during the First World War. The IProdE was incorporated in 1931 and was granted its armorial bearings in 1937. From the outset the Institution operated through decentralised branches called local sections wherever a sufficient number of members existed. These local sections were self-governing and elected their own officers. Local sections held monthly meetings at which papers were read and discussed. Outstanding papers were published in the Institution's journal. Named papers commemorating the work of the following eminent production engineers were read at national meetings: Viscount Nuffield, Sir Alfred Herbert, Colonel George Bray, Lord Sempill, E. H. Hancock, and J. N. Kirby. National and regional conferences were also arranged dealing with specific industrial problems. Active councils were gradually established worldwide including in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. The Institution's education committee established a graduate examination which all junior entrants undertook from 1932 onwards. An examination for Associate Membership was introduced in 1951. The Second World War further accelerated developments in production engineering and by 1945 membership of the IProdE stood at 5,000. The 1950s and 1960s were perhaps the most fruitful period for the Institution. Major conferences such as ‘The Automatic Factory’ in 1955 ensured that the Institution held a place at the forefront of production technology. A Royal Charter was granted in 1964 and membership stood at over 17,000 by 1969. In 1981 the IProdE instituted four medals as part of its Diamond Jubilee celebrations comprising; the International Award, the Mensforth Gold Medal, the Nuffield Award and the Silver Medal. The Mensforth Gold Medal was named after Sir Eric Mensforth, founder and chairman of Westland Helicopters and a former IProdE President. The medal was awarded to British recipients who had made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of production engineering technology. Today the Mensforth Manufacturing Gold Medal is the IET's premier manufacturing award. Financial constraints, a slowing in membership and a blurring of distinctions between the various branches of engineering led the IProdE to merger proposals in the late 1980s. The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) had interests very close to those of the IProdE. The IEE was a much larger organisation than the IProdE and the proposal was that the IProdE should be represented as a specialist division within the IEE.