Need Continuous improvement Suggestions - Small (30 of us) all-CNC machine shop

[Golfman25]

Operators just go with the flow. Keeps the customer and management happy. Besides, some operators are little more that "button pushers" and not true machinists.

So what? Lots of opportunities for improved training to make them better.

 

[Eredhel]

I'm worried top management may want a certificate not an actual system. Could be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Golfman25]

Eredhel:

I've been letting the CB Auditor be the bad guy explaining that in-process needs to be done (an Observation during their initial certification audit), and parts/criticality/quantities vary so much that we've scrapped sampling. It wasn't happening according to the plan, so as long as we're doing SOMETHING, it's not a nonconformity. I explain what I need to have to show the auditor or "What will you tell the auditor when they ask about the low rejection rate? Nobody's THAT good."

Things are so loose here, I can't get operators to do PM on the machines (not that they knew what "PM" was before I got here), so it's being delegated to Lead/Setup people. I try to use the logic that it will prevent or at least lessen breakdowns and downtime.

Tracking out of tolerance acceptance occurrences can't happen if I don't know about it. Good thought, and I tried that but soon realized they're still in pre-ISO mode. Check with the boss and do what he says.

IMO, this is the wrong way to go about it. Your people will learn to "hate" ISO because it is making them do "all these useless things." Don't make the auditor or ISO the bad guy. Do what is good for the business. If you're having difficulty, you need to sit down with ownership (or whoever is running the place). Figure out what they are looking for. Trust me, he's looking to make money -- his house is probably on the line and his wife is threatening divorce. Take baby steps.

Take your PM. Do you need it? How do you know? What type of breakdowns/issues are you having? Is your PM program actually helping? Absolutely nothing wrong with having lead/setup people doing it, especially to start. Let them go with it and once established, then start training the operators to do it. Baby steps.

Good luck.

 

[bobdoering]

Typically, and technically, continuous improvement in precision machining comes from improved tooling. Finding a tool that wears longer (tool wear slope is shallower) reduces the amount of operator intervention in offsets, which reduces variation. Using correct X hi/lo-R SPC instead of "running to the mean" also reduces operator intervention and variation. Longer tool life is also a handy continuous improvement. Working with your tool vendors to keep on top of best tooling is a good practice!

On rare occasions you can gain improvement from restricting the chemistries in your raw materials to the more beneficial percentages of elements - but that is a much rarer opportunity.

 

[Miner]

Often we generate drawings from samples, and sketches/drawings often have missing/incorrect specifications.

I would start here. This is one major systemic problem that you mentioned in your overview.

 

[SpinDr99]

Let's just say they brought me in 2 months before the surveillance audit and during the audit, the auditor proceeded with a tongue lashing for waiting so long.

 

[SpinDr99]

Business is better than ever, the PM came up during a customer audit. In all my past shops, operators were responsible for PM but the GM wants to make 2-3 Leads responsible, says we'll have a meeting and they'll be announced then. That was 2 weeks ago.

As for us generating drawings from samples, our CB auditor said they're now under our control, thus we don't need written confirmation when making changes. (?)

The floor personnel don't "hate" ISO, but it'll be a cold day when their Foreman gets on board. Again, ISO was requested by one customer (not their largest) and have gotten two more customers because we have it.

As for improvement in tooling, that's not the case here. First time accept rate is not terrible for 1st Article. That's a setup issue, not tooling. SPC? Tough enough to get in-process forms filled out. SPC isn't happening here for a LONG time (especially since we're mostly a short-run job shop).

As for chemistries, we work with commercial grade materials.

Again, I greatly appreciate the thought that's obviously gone into your replies. And I'm sure it sound like some of my replies are "excuses" but I'm just giving you the hard facts.

Thanks so much.

 

[Eredhel]

IMO, this is the wrong way to go about it. Your people will learn to "hate" ISO because it is making them do "all these useless things." Don't make the auditor or ISO the bad guy. Do what is good for the business. If you're having difficulty, you need to sit down with ownership (or whoever is running the place). Figure out what they are looking for. Trust me, he's looking to make money -- his house is probably on the line and his wife is threatening divorce. Take baby steps.

Take your PM. Do you need it? How do you know? What type of breakdowns/issues are you having? Is your PM program actually helping? Absolutely nothing wrong with having lead/setup people doing it, especially to start. Let them go with it and once established, then start training the operators to do it. Baby steps.

Good luck.

I don't disagree with you. I just doubt the shop is in a situation that has that luxury. Although if able then definitely get them alongside the changes in a positive way. But if not? I'd rather they be made at the registrar than the Quality personnel. Of course every situation is different and there are a lot of levers to push and pull, so it definitely depends.

 

[howste]

This is SUCH a unique operation.

I hate to say it, but EVERY company thinks this. And it's almost always true. That doesn't mean that they can't learn and make improvements. To me it sounds like the company is run by strong-willed individuals who want to keep their eyes and hands in everything instead of implementing a system to help do it for them. They trust their instincts instead of using data to make decisions. I'll bet if they (& you) started collecting data to measure key aspects of the system they (& you) would recognize what needs to improve and might start changing the way things are done for the better.

 

[Eredhel]

I should also add that even for us things have changed quite a bit. Originally it was a lot of the typical push back from the production side. But now I've even had production leadership, and others in production, volunteer for AS 9100 Lead Auditor classes. Lots of "levers" along the way for sure.