How to manage loose Pin Gages without Identification on the machining floor

[pangchiaboon]

Hi all,
We have problem to manage loose pin gages at machining floor, especially for those fine pin gages that impossible to be laser etch.

For traceability, we have the practice to record the equipment / gage number in the inspection record. This is impossible for those fine gages because they do not carry any identification because the case with identification also not follow the gage ! Due to many machinists sharing the same gage, this make the situation more uncontrollable.

If we just verify the pin gage (without identification) by using another calibrated gage, e.g. micrometer which is traceable to internaltional standard and record the pin gage size in inspection report, do you think this is in noncompliance to ISO 13485 ? Please advise and share you experience. Thank you.

 

[harry]

Previous discussions that may give you some ideas:

Pin gage identification in a small CNC/Screw machine job shop

Gage Pin Dilemma - Is there an "easier" way to put our gage pins in our system?

 

[sitapaty]

Hi all,
We have problem to manage loose pin gages at machining floor, especially for those fine pin gages that impossible to be laser etch.

For traceability, we have the practice to record the equipment / gage number in the inspection record. This is impossible for those fine gages because they do not carry any identification because the case with identification also not follow the gage ! Due to many machinists sharing the same gage, this make the situation more uncontrollable.

If we just verify the pin gage (without identification) by using another calibrated gage, e.g. micrometer which is traceable to internaltional standard and record the pin gage size in inspection report, do you think this is in noncompliance to ISO 13485 ? Please advise and share you experience. Thank you.

Keep the pin in a small plastic or wooden box or a round capped box which is identified with a unique identification no. Print a stern waring that 'THE PIN SHOULD ALWAYS MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE ALONG WITH THE BOX.'
This should satisfy the auditor and serve the purpose too.

-Sitapaty

 

[tomvehoski]

I go with the "calibrate before use" - meaning check with a micrometer. If it is not etched, how else can you really be sure you have an .025 pin and not an .024 or .026?

 

[Jen Kirley]

Call me a purist, but if I couldn't identify gage pins I would discard them. Their users need to be careful with them.

We in the Cove have discussed calibrating gage pins - since their resolution is typically more than that of a hand held caliper or micrometer I don't usually recommend calibrating gage pins either.

That said, there are alternatives. If there aren't too many different sizes of these tiny gage pins, I would super clean them when new and dip the tip of one end into one of several bottles of brightly colored nail polish, which tends to resist breakdown in use with machine cutting oils. I would match that color on their boxes and/or holder.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Call me a purist, but if I couldn't identify gage pins I would discard them. Their users need to be careful with them.

We in the Cove have discussed calibrating gage pins - since their resolution is typically more than that of a hand held caliper or micrometer I don't usually recommend calibrating gage pins either.

That said, there are alternatives. If there aren't too many different sizes of these tiny gage pins, I would super clean them when new and dip the tip of one end into one of several bottles of brightly colored nail polish, which tends to resist breakdown in use with machine cutting oils. I would match that color on their boxes and/or holder.

Very clever mistake proofing! (simple, cheap, effective)

Added in edit: Being machinists, we sometimes etched ID lines on "shop floor" pins when several pins on a job were very close in size. We had sufficiently long runs that it made economic sense to buy specific pins for a job, periodically checked against our master set in the lab.

 

[sitapaty]

Measuring pin sizes are controlled in microns.Micrometers can not meet the tolerence limits.
-Sitapaty

 

[Jim Wynne]

Measuring pin sizes are controlled in microns.Micrometers can not meet the tolerence limits.
-Sitapaty

What matters is the tolerance limits of the things that the pins are used to verify, not the tolerance limits of the pins themselves, necessarily.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Measuring pin sizes are controlled in microns.Micrometers can not meet the tolerence limits.
-Sitapaty

What matters is the tolerance limits of the things that the pins are used to verify, not the tolerance limits of the pins themselves, necessarily.

Jim is correct, but I get a sense you were thinking about re-identifying the pins if they should "appear" to get mixed.

Most of us agree that trying to differentiate pins which may be "plus" or "minus" pins with any instrument other than a laser micrometer is a difficult task. It really is best to expend effort in keeping them from being mixed and thus confused to the point of creating nonconforming goods.

If your organization does not currently have the discipline to follow some good housekeeping rules in using the pins, it is adding risk and increasing the possibility of manufacturing nonconforming material. Jennifer has one simple mistake proofing idea for you. Do you have an objection to trying it?

 

[Jim Wynne]

Jim is correct, but I get a sense you were thinking about re-identifying the pins if they should "appear" to get mixed.

Most of us agree that trying to differentiate pins which may be "plus" or "minus" pins with any instrument other than a laser micrometer is a difficult task. It really is best to expend effort in keeping them from being mixed and thus confused to the point of creating nonconforming goods.

It's not a difficult task to "size" pins with an everyday 0-1" micrometer; it's done all the time. A person who can't differentiate between a .0102" pin and one that's .0098" probably shouldn't be trusted to use a micrometer.

If your organization does not currently have the discipline to follow some good housekeeping rules in using the pins, it is adding risk and increasing the possibility of manufacturing nonconforming material. Jennifer has one simple mistake proofing idea for you. Do you have an objection to trying it?

sitapaty isn't the OP.