How to write Visual Inspection Work Instructions

I've been browsing the site (and the attached files) and have come across some very well written work instructions, though I'm curious as to how ya'll would write/present a work instruction for a visual inspection. I've always felt that written work instructions/standards were nice to fall back on (having the inspection criteria on a print so you have something objective to argue, excuse me, discuss with a customer), but don't translate well to the shop floor. I've been in a few shops and have noticed they have very bright visual work instructions (lots of pictures) and I was curious if anyone out there had examples or ideas on how to implement this.

My idea was to have the instructions in some sort of three ring binder and post them at the work station (processing multiple parts at one station). The operator would flip to the appropriate page, clipping the previous pages in an up position. My thought was to have some sort of written instruction/standard on the back of the top page and the visual instruction on the front of the bottom page (when they flip pages the written instructions for the next part would be on the back of the previous visual page). Any thoughts or ideas?

Toefuzz said:

I've been browsing the site (and the attached files) and have come across some very well written work instructions, though I'm curious as to how ya'll would write/present a work instruction for a visual inspection. I've always felt that written work instructions/standards were nice to fall back on (having the inspection criteria on a print so you have something objective to argue, excuse me, discuss with a customer), but don't translate well to the shop floor. I've been in a few shops and have noticed they have very bright visual work instructions (lots of pictures) and I was curious if anyone out there had examples or ideas on how to implement this.

My idea was to have the instructions in some sort of three ring binder and post them at the work station (processing multiple parts at one station). The operator would flip to the appropriate page, clipping the previous pages in an up position. My thought was to have some sort of written instruction/standard on the back of the top page and the visual instruction on the front of the bottom page (when they flip pages the written instructions for the next part would be on the back of the previous visual page). Any thoughts or ideas?

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The visual inspection standard conundrum has been explored in applications involving paint and wood products manufacturing. Did you find those threads? If not, maybe I can get the links for you.

Overall I quite agree with the binder full of visuals. The acceptance standards must of course be set with customer agreement and personnel must be trained to the point of a kind of human calibration; they must be trained to recognize limits of physical features or indicators.

I've seen the training work in surface mount technology--SMT--(electronic soldering) manufacturing, honed finish (there are surface comparators we can buy for that) and in ultrasonic "reading" of copper nickel soldered pipe fittings. Thorough start-up and sufficient periodic refresher training to the standards is the part that, in my view, most often gets missed in the inspection processes. When training, it's helpful to have actual examples of pass and fail articles. In SMT inspection training, oversized Play-Doh props were fashioned to show adequate, and improper solder fill.

It's fine to have the visuals, but one must ensure they are used to their best effectiveness and that inspections remain accurate over time. It is human nature to tend to creep one way or the other, toward more or less stringent pass/fail judgements unless the standards are continuously used and personnel are periodically checked for adherence to them and consistency in the group. I believe that, the human element, provides the greatest challenge.

workmanship standards

Visual Inspection Criteria or Workmanship Standards are either in a three ring binder or a specific specification. How many covers remember the Martin Marietta Workmanship Standard? It was a 3 ring binder, sold by Martin Marietta, full of accept/reject photos for soldering and mechanical attachments (circa 1980).
Other government soldering specifications also contained photos and/or drawings of accept/reject criteria. Some shops put their workmanship standards and even safety standards into the same form and yes they are usually at each work station or at least at each inspection station depending on cost, etc.
I see no reason that these standards could not be placed on some sort of computer screens located at various locations in the plant.

Jennifer Kirley said:

I believe that, the human element, provides the greatest challenge.

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Having worked in different industries where visual standards were used extensively (automotive, electroplating, electronics, e.g.) I agree about the human element, but I'll take it one step further; there are some people who just seem to be congenitally better than others at close visual inspection. I've seen circuit board inspectors who could spot a cold solder joint or a backwards diode from across the street, and others who just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. There are definitely differences between individuals when it comes to color acuity; some people are much better than others at detecting subtle differences.

So while it's important to have good visual standards, it's also important to have people who are good at discerning the types of conditions that are considered important.

We have been using an inexpensive digital camera to capture pictures of "golden" product in various stages of assembly (the way it's supposed to look at the completion of each operation). We then upload those pics, add text (where necessary), and print onto 11" x 17" paper. These pages are then laminated and threaded onto 3 "stand-alone" rings, which are then clipped around a bar at each work station. The circular ring around the bar allows the operator to "flip" pages as needed.

ddhartma said:

We have been using an inexpensive digital camera to capture pictures of "golden" product in various stages of assembly (the way it's supposed to look at the completion of each operation). We then upload those pics, add text (where necessary), and print onto 11" x 17" paper. These pages are then laminated and threaded onto 3 "stand-alone" rings, which are then clipped around a bar at each work station. The circular ring around the bar allows the operator to "flip" pages as needed.

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The advent of relatively inexpensive digital cameras has made the task of documenting visual criteria a lot easier, but there's no substitute for an actual real example when it's possible to have one.

File from Kedar attached.

Inspection Spec and Photographs

If you would like to give me your inspection specifications, your working drg. and some photographs of your product to be inspected, I will create a visual document for inspection purposes and post it back for you.