Author: Joe Jackson
February 2014 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #18
An improperly defined Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) program can drain a company of resources and reduce the effectiveness of the shop. ISO/TS16949:2009 states that variation studies “shall apply to measurement systems referenced in the control plan.” Here is a suggested approach to applying logic to the requirement.
January 2014 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #16
Here are four steps to help you organize, define, simplify and improve your quality system. These steps apply whether you are developing a new system or just going through the process of review and revision.
December 2013 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #16
The National Safety Council recently released a preliminary compilation of OSHA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards in the 2013 fiscal year:
November 2013 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #15
There are two kinds of distortion that can result from a heat-treating process in steel: dimensional distortion and shape distortion.
October 2013 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #14
The parts that we produce in our precision machining shops are usually embedded into other products
which are sold. Seldom are the products of our shops sold as a final product. Typically we look at
markets (automotive, aerospace, fluid power, off road) when we think about where our products are
used. While this marketing focus has its commercial merit, a look at the forces driving demand can
help us all better understand our role in the evolving world and what demands for our products and
processes are likely to look like in the years ahead.
September 2013 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #13
Employees do not work with a copy of a work instruction in hand. So why do we have them? Here are ideas on how to get the most value out of these
documents.
August 2013 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #12
As a manufacturing guy, I have spent a lot of time in shops in many industries. So what do I look at when I first visit a shop like yours? My list may surprise you.
Below is the Form for submitting a print for the National Technical Conference. Complete and return to Carli Kistler-Miller at gro.apmp@rellimc or via FAX: 440-526-5803.
DOWNLOAD NTC Print Submission Form
July 2013 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #11
Problems with drills and hole-making are getting even more frequent as more jobs are being run in non-free-machining steels. Here is a drilling checklist to aid in your problem solving:
June 2013 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #10
Brainstorming sessions are very ineffective in their use of time. Assembling a number of people, letting
them speak (produce) only one at a time, and the pressure to not offend others and avoid organizational taboos reduce the effectiveness of small group brainstorming.
Powerhouse Brainstorming is a method that unleashes the power of all attendees in a short amount of time, and produces output that can then be immediately analyzed by the group.