Work Instructions for Assembly vs. Disassembly

If we have a work instruction for assembling a tooling part, in this case the screw(s) in a plastic extruder, do I need to write another instruction for re-assembly or can the assembly instruction be used with a 'disassemble in reverse order' line?

Re: Work instructions, assemble vs disassemble

thekellyg said:

If we have a work instruction for assembling a tooling part, in this case the screw(s) in a plastic extruder, do I need to write another instruction for re-assembly or can the assembly instruction be used with a 'disassemble in reverse order' line?

Click to expand...

... That would be most appropriate.
Ensure that the assembly sequence is very correct.
One explosion diagram can replace a thousand words.

Re: Work instructions, assemble vs disassemble

Ask the people who do the work.
Moreover, ask them how they would train someone using instructions. What they need is what you build for documentation.

Re: Work instructions, assemble vs disassemble

Thank you both for your input!

somashekar, we are a smaller company and don't have the assets to do a decent diagram but I plan on incorporating pictures where possible.

DC, there is a significant language barrier I am working with. All 'training' since the company started in 1958 is OJT and there is a great amount of resistance to documentation by the production employees. I've created a rapport with one of the younger guys and am working with him to begin the documentation process but it's slow... :

Of 29 employees, only two besides myself have ever worked in an ISO environment so each day is an 'opportunity'. I prefer that term to 'challenge'.

Thanks again!

Re: Work instructions, assemble vs disassemble

Do what's appropriate for your audience.
If a single line saying that "to reassemble, follow disassembly steps in reverse order" is effective for your organization than that's all you need.

An auditor might ask how you know it's effective though - that can be demonstrated by repair records (or lack of them).

I have worked for an automotive parts assembly plant way back and we have Assembly Instructions and Dis-assembly Instructions. They both have the exploded view as main reference but the detailed process of, say, Assembly is accompanied with pictures and is divided into sets similar to how they assemble the part in the manufacturing line(Process 1 - Gear assembly A, Process 2 Gear Assembly B, and so forth).

The dis-assembly instructions are a bit different in procedure as there are some parts that we remove that are not the reverse of the way we assembled it. Thus it is imperative for us to have both instructions at hand. The dis-assembly instructions are mainly used for "repair station" or maintenance and training. (Repair>Dis-assembly process 1 - External Housing A Dis-assembly, Dis-assembly process 2 - External Housing B and so forth).

Both detailed Assembly and Dis-assembly Instruction sets are accompanied with pictures.

DanteCaspian reminded me of an observation where we standardized the procedures first prior documentation. Some trainors have their own way of assembly and dis-assembly.

There is a shaft assembly station where each part (Shaft Plate) has 3 holes which will house 1 pc-ball bearing, 1 pc-compression spring for that ball bearing and 1 plug-screw to close that hole. Procedure was,

1) Hole 1 - (1)ball>(2)spring>(3)screw.
2) Hole 2 - (1)ball>(2)spring>(3)screw.
3) Hole 3 - (1)ball>(2)spring>(3)screw.

New member A was trained with procedure installing (1)ball>(2)spring>(3)screw on 3 hole shaft plate assembly.

New member B was trained using,

1) Hole 1 - (1)ball>(2)spring
2) Hole 2 - (1)ball>(2)spring
3) Hole 3 - (1)ball>(2)spring
4) Screw all 3 plug-screws.

Reason was given as the impact wrench will be handled only once and can be relocated at the end of the station and not within. Whereas in the normal procedure you will ahve to hold/use the impact wrench 3x.

So do gather data first and check what is the best way of assembly / dis-assembly that your trainors are/will be using effectively, standardize that and do the documentation. Next step is making them follow it as SOP.

Re: Work instructions, assemble vs disassemble

thekellyg said:

Thank you both for your input!

somashekar, we are a smaller company and don't have the assets to do a decent diagram but I plan on incorporating pictures where possible.

DC, there is a significant language barrier I am working with. All 'training' since the company started in 1958 is OJT and there is a great amount of resistance to documentation by the production employees. I've created a rapport with one of the younger guys and am working with him to begin the documentation process but it's slow... :

Of 29 employees, only two besides myself have ever worked in an ISO environment so each day is an 'opportunity'. I prefer that term to 'challenge'.

Thanks again!

Click to expand...

thekellyg: I feel your pain and you have a great attitude!

"Resistance to change" we get a lot of that..some hard-heads really don't wanna lift a finger to help huh....maybe try to get them involved through a suggestion scheme with incentives. Our Kaizen Suggestion Scheme was successful of getting the people involved in submitting their ideas because those that where chosen got some incentives for it.

Hang-in there brother it may be a long weary road but there is hope!

thekellyg said:

If we have a work instruction for assembling a tooling part, in this case the screw(s) in a plastic extruder, do I need to write another instruction for re-assembly or can the assembly instruction be used with a 'disassemble in reverse order' line?

Click to expand...

While this is probably true +90% of the time, I know from experience that sometimes reassembly is quite different and sometimes much more complicated (though sometimes easier). As several suggested, talk to the people that do the work and see.

Thanks to all of your for your input! I'm working with one of the guys from the production floor who speaks and writes decent english on the actual procedures. I'm also meeting with the supervisor out there on what is coming and asking for his input. I want him to feel he is part of the process even though he has been solely in charge out there for 35 years or so and is very resistant to change.