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Appreciating Other Job Functions…

I recently encountered this common issue…

Tooling Manager
The techs don’t seem to appreciate the effort the tooling department makes to keep the molds operating. They don’t take good care of the tools.
My Suggestion
It would be beneficial to have the technicians and die setters participate in a few mold PMs. This would give them a first-hand view of the maintenance required and an appreciation of how much effort is required to care for the tools.
Additional Thoughts
We recommend a small amount of cross training for most of your employees in the roles of those around them including quality, material handling, and even maintenance. This will give them an appreciation of the roles of those working around them.
-Andy

Put the Tonnage on the Mold Base…

I was at a molder the other week who had this common issue…

Engineer
Our technicians always change the clamp tonnage and it seems to cause problems with venting, actions, and wear. Even the setup guys mess it up.

My Response
Once you have determined the tonnage that should be used on a tool, I recommend you put a plaque on the side of the mold stating the tonnage to be used. If the recommended tonnage is stamped right on each tool, it is hard for a technician or setup person to miss it.
Additional Thoughts
If you are having a problem with a specific issue, such as tonnage, always look for a simplistic way to draw attention to it.
-Andy

Don’t Forget the Fundamentals…

I received this comment the other day…

Manager
I understand my technicians have not had any formal process training, but what they really need is advanced training.

My Thoughts
It is common to believe that advanced training will automatically cause your employees to function at a higher level. Unfortunately, advanced training does little to change behavior if your employees lack a good understanding of the fundamentals. A great example of this is the decoupling of 1st stage filling from 2nd stage packing.
Let’s presume you have a technician who has been filling the mold completely during 1st stage fill for the past 15 years. Now you send this  person to a class focused on the finer points of optimizing filling and packing based on the foundation of a short shot during first stage fill. This employee would learn very little which is directly applicable to his job since he still believes filing the mold completely during 1st stage fill is the best way to process.
-Andy

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