Society- Driving Technical Innovation in Precision Machining

June 19, 2013

It is not just demographics of our workforce that drives our industry. It is also the demands of society that provides us with the opportunity to innovate.

I was on a panel at IMTS last year on workforce issues.

I shared the following information regarding our workforce demographics in 2020 according to BLS

Major changes ahead for our shops.

Major changes ahead for our shops.

You can read my post here Skilled Workforce Demographics 2020

I was interested to see a presentation from Paul Horn GmbH. entitled Society- Driver of Technical Innovation at HORN Technology Days last week. Their approach was workforce agnostic- it was based on a look at the  demands from society, rather than focus on how industry will supply that demand.

My economics professor would be so proud.

in 2008-2009 we learned that it is Demand, and Not supply, that drives the economy.

in 2008-2009 we learned that it is Demand, and not Supply, that drives the economy.

So how does Horn see societal demand driving innovation in the precision machining space?

7 Megatrends to Impact our Industry

  • Mobility
  • Population Growth
  • Globalization
  • Communication
  • Health
  • Aging Society
  • Urbanization

Changes in each of these areas requires technical innovation in Production Technology, Materials, Processes, Electronics, and Software, to make new technologies economically adoptable “Just in Time.”

Pillars of technical innovation

Pillars of technical innovation

Interestingly, Precision Machining “owns” all five of the “columns” in this model as we grow into our future state.

Which of these  are your particular “sweet spot?” What is your plan to gain competence in the others?

Who would argue that we are not facing new challenges in production technology, materials, processes, or increased use of electronics and software to make tomorrow’s more challenging parts?

We will revisit some of these megatrends in coming blogs.

Do you have a process for identifying “over the horizon” issues that will affect your shop?

Which megatrends are opportunities more so than challenges for your shop and team?

Thanks to  PMPA Technical Member Horn USA for sharing the materials from Technology Days

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Exit Routes- Adequate? Open? Unobstructed?

June 18, 2013

OSHA is reminding compliance officers to check for adequate means of egress at all workplaces. This follows the recent disastrous fire and explosion that killed at least 119 workers on June 4, 2013, at a poultry processing plant in China.

Over 120 fatalities; Exits blocked.

Over 120 fatalities; Exits blocked.

The standard for exit routes is called   Fire Protection; Means of Egress; Hazardous Materials; 1910.33  you can find information at   Egress

OSHA has an “Emergency Exit Routes Fact Sheet” which provides information on employers’ responsibilities to ensure that their workers are able to exit the workplace quickly and safely.

OSHA Exit Fact Sheet

A memorandum sent to the agency’s regional administrators and state plan designees directs field inspectors, when conducting inspections, to be mindful of whether employers have provided and maintained adequate means of egress from work areas. This includes checking that an adequate number of exit routes are provided, that the exit routes are free and unobstructed, and that exit doors are not locked.

I advise using the fact sheet for supervisor’s weekly meeting and inspection, then for safety training crews on safe egress.

How would you escape?

China Rescue Photo

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Shop Best Practice- Housekeeping and Lean

June 13, 2013

You can tell a lot about a shop by what you don’t see…

I had the privilege to attend Technology Days  at Paul Horn GmbH in Tubingen, Germany.

Horn USA is a PMPA Technical Member.

ADJ Sign IMG_0545

While we know this company as a supplier of tools to the precision machining industry, what many of us did not know is that over half of their revenues are for “specials-” custom engineered tools not carried in their general catalog.

So with over half their production classified as “specials” their shop faces many of the same demands as we do in our make to order shops.

Here are some views I saw in my 10 hours of shop touring;  what don’t you see here that you see in your shops?

(Click on the photos to see full size.)

ADJ Fisheye shop IMG_0438

OK, I’ll give you a more literal view.

ADJ Shop IMG_0435

What do you not see here, that you see in your own shop?

ADJ Grinder IMG_0684

Tool coating

Tool coating

ADJ Tools Jewels IMG_0677

Tools as Jewels…

In my extensive time on the shop floor I didn’t see any clutter, rags, materials or spills on the floor, dunnage, used inserts.

The difference between what we see in our shops and what we don’t see in this make to order shop is our opportunity to improve.

I saw best practices- at work!

Thanks to the team at Paul Horn GmbH for sharing a glimpse of what best practice in custom manufacturing can look like.

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Multiple Solutions, Custom Tooling, And Your Precision Machining Shop

June 12, 2013

I remember the first time that I sat down to work on quadratic equations and discovered that there was more than one possible solution to the equation …

Yep Two solutions! Which one is right?

Yep! Two solutions! Which one is right?

How many of us realize that every day in our businesses, we are solving equations that have more than one solution?

How many of us realize that we have a choice between solutions, and that lowest price doesn’t necessarily mean lowest cost to us?

At Horn Technology Days, I attended a session on Customer Specific Tool Solutions presented by Todd Hayes.

Todd started his presentation with a challenge to the assumption that ROI is just about dollars.

As Todd put it:

“ROI is not just about dollars. Increase my tool life. Increase my machine operating time, increase my accuracy (especially on features tied to another!) reduce my time in cut by simultaneous machining. Give me my weekend back. Let me run lights out.”

This rang true with me.

When I produced  steel for machine shops, the purchasing agent was always looking at lowest price per pound- for the steel.

I told him that what he should be looking at is the lowest cost to produce the part. Steel price was just one part of that cost. The cost to machine it was another.

Todd was talking about creating special tools to solve problems in production

  • Maybe to make another tool position or two  available in an already crowded machine.
  • Or to get better control of the chip and finish.
  • Better accuracy, especially between different features.
  • Less time to setup or replace the tool.  
Yes the tool is more expensive but...

Yes the tool is more expensive but…

(click on photo to enlarge in separate window)

For short runs, the cost of a special tool is prohibitive. But not all of us are quoting short runs. But how many of us are still using short run thinking?

How many of us are solving for lowest tool price rather than optimum output?

  • What if the custom tool (or special steel grade) saved me several changes per day on several machines?
  • How much more machine operating time will I gain?
  • How much utilities will I save by not needing all the CFM of compressed air that we all over use when we change a tool?
  • How much  will I save because I have eliminated variability and or better controlled the chip so I do not have to inspect for chip weld and out of spec surface finishes?

I am not exhorting you to go out and buy specialist tools for every job. Just like I was not asking my customers to buy the premium machining grades of steel for every job.

I am asking you to recognize and challenge your assumptions about how you decide to purchase, just as I had to recognize and challenge my assumptions that there was only a single “solution” to those equations I faced in class that day.

Lowest price on purchases, or lowest cost of production?

Two solutions- you get to choose one.

Quadratic equation courtesy mathwarehouse.com

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Free Forms Available For Download Here

June 11, 2013

Tools You Can Use Tuesday-  free graph paper, and forms of all types.

Over 1000 different types of papers as free pdf's

Over 1000 different types of papers as free pdf’s

You pay your engineers and talent for their skills - why not use them at their highest and best use?

Give them this link to free paper and business templates  and let them do actual engineering instead of wasting time trying to create the paper they  need.

Printable Paper offers all kinds of graph papers including:

  • Isometric (10 different styles)
  • Logarithmic (106 different styles)
  • Quadrille (181 different styles
  • Polar (22 different styles)
  • Cartesian grid

In addition, they list a variety of other papers for business (think accounting columnar paper, budget paper, check registers, etc.) and personal use like score sheets, music paper- about  1,031 papers you can download and print for free.

These are .pdf’s you can download.

Why spend valuable engineering time recreating  the obvious? Grab the pdf’s you want  here.

Do you have any favorite sites that provide Free Tools You Can Use in our  precision machining, advanced manufacturing businesses? Comment below to share your favorites.

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Preparation is Anticipation- Joe Montana on Achieving Perfection

June 10, 2013

In my experience, the ability to anticipate is the mark of a great manager.

At the Epicor Insights 2013 Conference, some guy named Joe Montana helped me expand my idea about what “anticipation” means…

Ok. I admit that I do really know that Joe Montana was a professional football player. (U.S. Football)

Ok. I admit that I do really know that Joe Montana was a professional football player. (American Football)

Forgive me but I’m going to mention some professional football stuff here.

It’s a subject I know virtually nothing about.  (I’m from Cleveland, Ohio.) But I had the chance to listen to Joe Montana speak about perfection  and everyone around me was cheering and oohing and ahhhing so I took some photos and I took some good notes.

Joe Montana made the point that “How we prepare”-(how we show up)  has more to do with our success than our talent.

He convinced me to add ‘Preparation’ to ‘Anticipation’ as the sign of a great professional. That preparation and work ethic build trust.

Ok. You can stop rolling your eyes now. Pretty simple stuff. Pretty obvious. How come these famous guys always say these kinds of things?

Joe Montana’s  points for perfection

  • What can I do every day to make me better to make my team better? (I guess there really is an I in Team…)
  • Master the fundamentals. You can’t acheive perfection with out them.
  • Get the little details right. They will come back to help you.
  • Live your work ethic. Having a work ethic builds trust. there can be no success without trust.

I think that he has these right.

If we model a work ethic, we will not only build trust but lead by example.

Mastering our craft- all of it, not just the big ideas- of course that will make us better craftsmen.

His question “What can I do every day to make me better to make my team better?” is astonishingly close to the one I learned from a turnaround expert many years ago  “What can I do today to make my company the most money?”

I thought that these points from this winning football guy were certainly worth reflecting upon.

And ultimately worth sharing with you.

If we aren’t working on getting better every day?

If we don’t master the fundamentals?

If we don’t get the details right?

If we don’t live our work ethic?

Well?

The Catch.

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Posted by speakingofprecision

Grill Safely- So you Can Enjoy That Great Food

June 6, 2013

Summer is around the corner, and for many of us that means great food hot off the grill.

Grilling season is here. IS your grilling safety here as well?

Grilling season is here. Is your grilling safety here as well?

Some shops have occasional grilled cookouts too, in their honor here is an infographic highlighting grilling safety.

Infographic courtesy of The Allstate Blog.
Now where did I put those steaks…

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