Teaching Motion Efficiency to Machine Operators

[qcman]

Hope this is the right place. Is there anything out there that will help us teach a machine operator how to make more efficient movements while running machines? Most are brake presses,saws and manually loaded automatic machines. I was watching this newer associate run a press today and he was making 7 or 8 unnecessary movements in his task. Poor guy looked beat and sweating like crazy and it was only 8am. With just a little help he picked right up on the meaning of work smarter not harder. I don't know why it never dawned on me before that we do not teach our people how to work smarter.

[Stijloor]

Originally Posted by qcman

Hope this is the right place. Is there anything out there that will help us teach a machine operator how to make more efficient movements while running machines? Most are brake presses,saws and manually loaded automatic machines. I was watching this newer associate run a press today and he was making 7 or 8 unnecessary movements in his task. Poor guy looked beat and sweating like crazy and it was only 8am. With just a little help he picked right up on the meaning of work smarter not harder. I don't know why it never dawned on me before that we do not teach our people how to work smarter.

Hello qcman,

The science you're referring to is "ergonomics." The man-machine interface.

I did a quick search. You may find something of use. I will search further for you.

Stijloor.

[Randy]

There's a movie that can help to understand some of the "why". "Cheaper by the dozen" with Clifton Webb. It's about the Gilbreath family and they did "a small bit" towards the study of time motion.

[Stijloor]

Originally Posted by Randy

There's a movie that can help to understand some of the "why". "Cheaper by the dozen" with Clifton Webb. It's about the Gilbreath family and they did "a small bit" towards the study of time motion.

You're right Randy! I found this reference.

Thanks.

Stijloor.

[Jennifer Kirley]

An inexperienced, but talented technician will often design his/her own work staging methods so as to improve his/her life while at work. Less damage to parts, faster work due to less time needed to search for stuff, less effort and physical strain, etc.

There are also people who will never, ever grasp this concept's value to the extent of doing it. Such a person will use a 5-gallon bucket for sockets and pipe pieces, and just dump it out and sift through it when needing a part. Ugh!

So you can help this guy to figure out staging his area, and then ask him later how it went: was he less fatigued, did he have any trouble finding things? Reinforcement of this kind is important to changing behavior.

In the process, you would also be learning if there could be a more efficient way to position machinery and tools, metal racks and parts shelves, and if things ought to be cleaned, sorted or labeled. How is the plant's flow set up? Racks, then shear, then puncher, then notcher, then press brake, and finally hand brake?

It is also important to handle material properly. I could carry a 4x8 sheet by myself if I bore the weight in the right manner with my limbs, while positioning the material for the right balance of weight. I wonder if that guy knows how to do that. It can really take the strain off.

I hope this helps!

[Helmut Jilling]

Originally Posted by qcman

Hope this is the right place. Is there anything out there that will help us teach a machine operator how to make more efficient movements while running machines? Most are brake presses,saws and manually loaded automatic machines. I was watching this newer associate run a press today and he was making 7 or 8 unnecessary movements in his task. Poor guy looked beat and sweating like crazy and it was only 8am. With just a little help he picked right up on the meaning of work smarter not harder. I don't know why it never dawned on me before that we do not teach our people how to work smarter.

Good replies so far. I would add, try a short video clip of activities that are clearly inefficient. A bird's eye view often helps. The video can show frequent steps, or long dead pauses where nothing happens.

Be aware, people frequently act differently when a camera is pointed at them. Factor that into how you go about this.

[Stijloor]

Friends,

I found this clip on YouTube about a time-motion study (ergonomics) on bricklaying.

Quote from YouTube: "This is an excerpt from a half hour documentary on the life and work of Frank Gilbreth. Gilbreth lived at the turn of the last century and was a student of Frederick Taylor. He studied work to make it more efficient. This excerpt is about his work to improve bricklaying and find the "one best way" to lay bricks. In doing so he made bricklaying more efficient but also safer."

Stijloor.

[qcman]

A video clip is what I was thinking. Was even thinking about making one of my own on the machines in question. There are 4 identical next to each other so I could put one smooth operator on one and I'll play the hap hazard operator killing myself next to him. I did find this animated sample of Frank Gilbreth work.
http://www.ct-yankee.com/lean/motion.html