The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Magoo541 on September 27, 2011, 09:46:06 AM
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I have to do a survey for school, online degree completion at George Fox, and I've been leaning toward Lean Manufacturing because that is what I do, Manufacturing Engineer. BUT, I will be spending a significant amount of time on this over the next couple of months and don't feel like working at work and then working at home. I need a research problem, an identified area that needs research. From that I need to develope a research question, one that is specific enough to give me useable data when answered.
Gun related suggestions?
Thanks in advance...
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How about how "lean manufacturing falls apart under "disaster" type conditions, such has North Eastern blizzards .
A "just in time" supply chain works fine until a major road is closed due to accident, ice, and/or snow, then it becomes a "just a little late" supply chain that halts production due to lack of components.
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How about how "lean manufacturing falls apart under "disaster" type conditions, such has North Eastern blizzards .
A "just in time" supply chain works fine until a major road is closed due to accident, ice, and/or snow, then it becomes a "just a little late" supply chain that halts production due to lack of components.
Not a fan of "Just too late", Toyota has been successful with this but they make variations of the same thing. I am in the custom automation business and we have few standard items we make. I am learning Lean is more a philosophy than a mechanism for manufacturing. Eliminating waste is my focus in the form of movement, rework, cumbersome processes, waiting (like your example), excessive material handling and defective work.
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Oh, more on the level of setting up a "cell" to run one particular job, but having the flexibility to finish that job, then reconfigure for the next one.
Since it's non repeating things like "KanBan" systems are no use to you.
How about addressing machine portability ?
Being able to move machines around into the needed configurations cuts down on movement, time, cost producing more parts faster, therefore at lower cost.
This requires a certain amount of preplanning in regards to air and electrical connections, other wise you wind up with a web of hoses and extension cords all over the floor that leads to its own safety issues.
Another consideration is the "self checking quality system" where the person at the next operation is responsible for checking that the previous operation has been performed, is correct, and has been properly documented.
In this system first piece inspections are handled with in the cell, again minimizing movement and taking work load off of the QA dept. who can then concentrate strictly on final batch inspections per the QA spec on that particular job.
Hope this triggers an idea, good luck.
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Oh, more on the level of setting up a "cell" to run one particular job, but having the flexibility to finish that job, then reconfigure for the next one.
Since it's non repeating things like "KanBan" systems are no use to you.
We use enough standard items, bolts, pneumatic fittings and hose, ferrules, etc, that we have a Kanban system in place.
How about addressing machine portability ?
Being able to move machines around into the needed configurations cuts down on movement, time, cost producing more parts faster, therefore at lower cost.
We don't machine many parts anymore, part of the reason I'm in my new position, some small production to keep our Quick Turn utilized but mostly modifying parts for our machines.
This requires a certain amount of preplanning in regards to air and electrical connections, other wise you wind up with a web of hoses and extension cords all over the floor that leads to its own safety issues.
Our building was custom built for this type of work and we have 110v outlets, 1" airlines and vacuum on every support column as well as BUS bars for everything from 208v to 480v.
Another consideration is the "self checking quality system" where the person at the next operation is responsible for checking that the previous operation has been performed, is correct, and has been properly documented.
Our Quality department doesn't get involved until our validation tests, prior to that we have subassembly check lists the Lead Tech fills out.
In this system first piece inspections are handled with in the cell, again minimizing movement and taking work load off of the QA dept. who can then concentrate strictly on final batch inspections per the QA spec on that particular job.
Hope this triggers an idea, good luck.
I have worked in 15 machine shops from aero-space (stirling engines for sattelites and hub assemblies for AH-64s) to lumber mill equipment and the system you refer to has been one of the better performers.
Besides, I don't want to do a survey on Lean I want to do it on a Shooting Industry related topic. (But I will end up doing it on Lean-DAMIT!)
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From Magoo's post :
"Besides, I don't want to do a survey on Lean I want to do it on a Shooting Industry related topic. (But I will end up doing it on Lean-DAMIT!)"
Yes, Commercial gunsmithing might be a subject for you to look into since the owner of each gun will want different things,for example you might go from mounting a scope on a Rem 700, to doing a trigger job on a 1911.
But in manufacturing it is high volume repetitious production, for example in my last 3 years at T/A I probably machined 15,000 Omega breeches and drilled and tapped another 15,000 Encore barrels.
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I submitted my research problem and proposed research question last night on attitudes towards introducing Lean company wide, a Kaikaku (radical change) event. I guess I'll save the gun stuff until I finish my degree and work in the industry and for the range :P
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I hope you can get into the industry, but I have to warn you.
Unless you are in design, or the repair/custom department it's just another factory job.
In production parts are parts, it doesn't matter if it's nuke triggers or machining azzholes into animal crackers, it's just a matter of making the numbers on the inspection gauges match the numbers on the print.
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I hope you can get into the industry, but I have to warn you.
Unless you are in design, or the repair/custom department it's just another factory job.
In production parts are parts, it doesn't matter if it's nuke triggers or machining azzholes into animal crackers, it's just a matter of making the numbers on the inspection gauges match the numbers on the print.
I know that from my years of machining, I used to say "parts are parts", but I've found a way (usually good attitude combined with abilities) to stay out of production and do the fun stuff. Going back to school for MGOL (Management and Organizaional Leadership) so I won't be working directly in production either way.
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Having a production background working in managment is becoming a liability.
I've been working for the last fifteen years for folks who have no clue how to make anything, yet, they will not take any advice from those of us that have. Just got layed off and the owner was clueless, absolutely clueless but would not llisten to anyone. He thought he had all the answers allready.
Actually glad to have a chance of walking away from manufacturing entirely after nearly 30 years.
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Having a production background working in managment is becoming a liability.
Can you explain this statement? I'm not quite sure how its a liabilty or to whom.
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Companies want to hire college kids for office positions, many do not want some one who has come from a shop floor.
Mostly it's becuase they don't want the hassle of some one telling them they can not put holes 7 inches apart on a 6 inch part.
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I've been working for the last fifteen years for folks who have no clue how to make anything, yet, they will not take any advice from those of us that have. Just got layed off and the owner was clueless, absolutely clueless but would not listen to anyone. He thought he had all the answers already.
Can you explain this statement? I'm not quite sure how its a liabilty or to whom.
I thought I had but I'll try again.
This guy I mentioned WAS a purchasing agent who had a wealthy father in law that gave him a pile of cash to start a company. He got lucky out of the gate and now thinks he knows the industry backwards and forwards. It was a constant argument with this asshat because he thought he could WILL the business to succeed when in fact, it takes hard work and talent!
Two things that this lazy POS didn't have or want to posses.
I see this more and more in the industry, college boys with no experience trying to manage more talented and experienced people because "I have a diploma on my wall!"
Shop people and office people speak a different language, sometimes it's hard to translate!
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BTW, I've been through several LEAN training programs and Kaisan events or whatever you call them. A few companies took them seriously and one just did it to earn a state grant of $30K or something.
I find that Lean Manufacturing for the most part is just common sense.
The 5S or 6S (add safety) that they're using now is a philosophy that needs 100% involvement from manufacturing AND management or it will fail. For the four companies I've worked with it, it has failed, miserably and at considerable cost to the company!
Common sense cannot be taught IMO, you either have it or you don't! It's like leadership, some are born to lead and most are not, it's that simple. Unfortunately, the guy that gets promoted these days is not the best candidate for the position, he's just the best ass kisser at the time!
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....needs 100% involvement from manufacturing AND management or it will fail.
I agree and I am attempting to get managements buy-in because without it I am doing nothing ambitious.
Unfortunately, the guy that gets promoted these days is not the best candidate for the position, he's just the best ass kisser at the time!
I disagree. I came to work here 5 years ago as a manual machinist to work swing shift. Kept my head down making chips and never did make it to swing shift. I had my run in with my supervisor, got wrote up for scrapping 25 parts in second op (BTW M6x1 and 14-20 taps look a lot alike when TiN coated and your pushing to get stuff done :) ) and was accused of having poor quality. Might as well of accused me of cheating on my wife, because it wasn't the case then, nor is it the case now and I proved it over the next 6 months (didn't do anything different, they were just watching me). Anyway I had an opportunity to work on a F'ed up job and was a key player to its success ($3 million job). The new GM, bean counter, shut down the machine shop, fab shop, plastic shop and sheet metal shop and let all but 4 machinist go. 3 ended up in our Quick Turn Shop and I ended up on the Assembly Floor as a Lead Tech. I applied for this Manufacturing Engineer position a year and a half ago and was denied. Went back to school this spring and ask to be reconsidered for the position and got it in August. No job description, that means anything, or guidance, just a title and a desk (ever feel like your being set-up for failure :) ). So I am running with it to see how much I can change before they let me go 8)
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I agree and I am attempting to get managements buy-in because without it I am doing nothing ambitious.
I disagree. I came to work here 5 years ago as a manual machinist to work swing shift. Kept my head down making chips and never did make it to swing shift. I had my run in with my supervisor, got wrote up for scrapping 25 parts in second op (BTW M6x1 and 1/4-20 taps look a lot alike when TiN coated and your pushing to get stuff done :) ) and was accused of having poor quality. Might as well of accused me of cheating on my wife, because it wasn't the case then, nor is it the case now and I proved it over the next 6 months (didn't do anything different, they were just watching me). Anyway I had an opportunity to work on a F'ed up job and was a key player to its success ($3 million job). The new GM, bean counter, shut down the machine shop, fab shop, plastic shop and sheet metal shop and let all but 4 machinist go. 3 ended up in our Quick Turn Shop and I ended up on the Assembly Floor as a Lead Tech. I applied for this Manufacturing Engineer position a year and a half ago and was denied. Went back to school this spring and ask to be reconsidered for the position and got it in August. No job description, that means anything, or guidance, just a title and a desk (ever feel like your being set-up for failure :) ). So I am running with it to see how much I can change before they let me go 8)
Yes, watch your back and keep your head down.
My problem lately is though I know enough to keep my mouth shut when I see a problem, I don't have the inclination!
Your GM sounds a lot like one I worked for a few years ago! He had a Masters in Mech Engineering but never used it so he was essentially a bean counter!
I did the Manufacturing Engineer thing for several years and liked it because in order to do your job, you have to interface with the shop floor. I had the respect of those men so they helped me succeed as I helped them to improve their processes. My colleague, OTOH, had an ME degree and they hated him. He failed so badly that they promoted him to Manager!
I'm not kidding....this guy was dangerous and he deserved to get fired but had an accomplice in the Plant Manager who also lied, swindled and pushed his was to the top from NDT inspector in QA...
Good luck....
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Yes, watch your back and keep your head down.
My problem lately is though I know enough to keep my mouth shut when I see a problem, I don't have the inclination!
Your GM sounds a lot like one I worked for a few years ago! He had a Masters in Mech Engineering but never used it so he was essentially a bean counter!
I did the Manufacturing Engineer thing for several years and liked it because in order to do your job, you have to interface with the shop floor. I had the respect of those men so they helped me succeed as I helped them to improve their processes. My colleague, OTOH, had an ME degree and they hated him. He failed so badly that they promoted him to Manager!
I'm not kidding....this guy was dangerous and he deserved to get fired but had an accomplice in the Plant Manager who also lied, swindled and pushed his was to the top from NDT inspector in QA...
Good luck....
Thanks, I'm sure I'll need it!
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Have you ever noticed that companies never seem to go out of business because they make crap ?
It's always because the management screwed up somehow.
I've worked for 2 companies that both treated their employees as respected members of the team, both had acceptance and on time delivery rates over 99%, both had huge contracts with major computer hardware firms, (Cabletron, and Lucent)
Both are gone.
However, 2 companies that treated the workers like sh!t, had so - so quality, and OTD rates between 40 - 80 % are still in business.
I have a theory about why, I want to see if you guys come up with the same one. ;D
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Companies want to hire college kids for office positions, many do not want some one who has come from a shop floor.
Mostly it's becuase they don't want the hassle of some one telling them they can not put holes 7 inches apart on a 6 inch part.
It isn't just in manufacturing. I'm 3/4 throughthe design and test of a refit of an airplane right now and I have a guy that is fairly new out of college telling the guy that designed the original system that major components aren't necessary. It will cost $5k per plane to remove the gear, $50-60K per plane to integrate the original gear with the new system, and $400k+ if they remove them and find they still need them. Because of time and budget restraints we can't do a valid test to prove the system will work with or without the gear so it's coming out because "It works on paper."
Same guy showed up last week while I was doing a mod to a Fleet plane. He had a "possible" solution to an existing problem. He couldn't do the work (not allowed, pllus didn't know how to use the tools) so a guy from teh shop had to do it. Told my counterpart that it was not going to go well for them, first thing in the morning, especially hearing "Oh, it's only a couple wires and jumpers. Couldn't take THAT long." 12 hrs and 4 techs later they were still trying to straighten out the mess.
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It isn't just in manufacturing. I'm 3/4 throughthe design and test of a refit of an airplane right now and I have a guy that is fairly new out of college telling the guy that designed the original system that major components aren't necessary. It will cost $5k per plane to remove the gear, $50-60K per plane to integrate the original gear with the new system, and $400k+ if they remove them and find they still need them. Because of time and budget restraints we can't do a valid test to prove the system will work with or without the gear so it's coming out because "It works on paper."
Same guy showed up last week while I was doing a mod to a Fleet plane. He had a "possible" solution to an existing problem. He couldn't do the work (not allowed, pllus didn't know how to use the tools) so a guy from teh shop had to do it. Told my counterpart that it was not going to go well for them, first thing in the morning, especially hearing "Oh, it's only a couple wires and jumpers. Couldn't take THAT long." 12 hrs and 4 techs later they were still trying to straighten out the mess.
Computer modeling won't work ?
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It isn't just in manufacturing. I'm 3/4 throughthe design and test of a refit of an airplane right now and I have a guy that is fairly new out of college telling the guy that designed the original system that major components aren't necessary. It will cost $5k per plane to remove the gear, $50-60K per plane to integrate the original gear with the new system, and $400k+ if they remove them and find they still need them. Because of time and budget restraints we can't do a valid test to prove the system will work with or without the gear so it's coming out because "It works on paper."
I don't suppose he had that peer reviewed did he?
Same guy showed up last week while I was doing a mod to a Fleet plane. He had a "possible" solution to an existing problem. He couldn't do the work (not allowed, pllus didn't know how to use the tools) so a guy from teh shop had to do it. Told my counterpart that it was not going to go well for them, first thing in the morning, especially hearing "Oh, it's only a couple wires and jumpers. Couldn't take THAT long." 12 hrs and 4 techs later they were still trying to straighten out the mess.
I've heard that one, or a version of it, WAY too many times. "Oh, its just a simple mod you can do in the field." BRAVO SIERRA! I now have the joy of working with these same engineers on "manufacturability"- which means I show them how to make the parts and let them put it together ;D ....I wish..... ::)
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... No job description, that means anything, or guidance, just a title and a desk (ever feel like your being set-up for failure :) ). So I am running with it to see how much I can change before they let me go 8)
Had my first "course correction" Friday, apparently they don't like to be flipped-off in front of others. It wasn't directed at my PM but she didn't seem to care, or want to talk to me alone, so we had a meeting that was suppose to address the issue at hand, sending people out on "workshare" in the middle of a build, and it was "Pile-on time". When I hear references to "ATS mercenary" from over a year ago I know they are digging deep. ::) So here we go ;D
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Get ready for job loss.
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Get ready for job loss.
I've already been looking. Fortunately for me a lot of guys went to work about a mile from my house and I work out with one of the guys that has been there for a long time. I also see the President of another automation company at the gym on a regular basis and they have hired a few people from our company.
I am in pretty tight with the HR Manager, who was out Friday (hmm...), so I will seek her advice tomorrow. Part of my problem was going to the GM with a proposal my boss wanted me to sit on but I had already committed to presenting. Like I said, just running with it. ;D