Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 7

36 The rise of technological impact on our everyday lives over the last 25 years has not only changed our world, but it has also changed our workforce. Technology is progressing rapidly every day and the foundry industry has been challenged to keep pace with these changes. New technologies inevitably produce both opportunity and challenges in every industry. One of the greatest challenges for the foundry of today is finding and retaining staff for “low technology jobs” from a pool of candidates raised in a “high technology society.” A workforce that has been raised on video games, the internet and computer technology is not necessarily attracted to the labor intense, physically demanding and uncomfortable jobs available in the foundry. The foundry cleaning room is one of the tougher areas to staff because of the inherent working conditions and physical conditions, but many foundries are discovering that a technological rehab of the cleaning room can come to the rescue in this area and alleviate many of the staffing and production issues caused by this human resource problem. Just like any rehab program, the technological rehab of the cleaning room requires a 12 step program for the proper evaluation of the technology that best suits your particular operation. 1. Evaluate if the cleaning room issues can be corrected using Automatic Grinding. 2. Recognize the type of metal that you wish to grind. 3. Identify the casting size (weight & dimensions) of 60-80% of the work. 4. Determine what type of grinding is needed for your production. 5. Assess the level of internal expertise available. 6. Define the level of external expertise available in the local area. 7. Evaluate current cycle times versus desired cycle times. 8. Appraise the need for a pallet changer. 9. Assess the benefits of improved consistency and quality. 10. Calculate the number of tools necessary to provide a quality grind. 11. Estimate the total cost of ownership and the ROI. 12. Decide on a total productivity improvement or a phase-in strategy. Palmer Manufacturing PALMER MAUS NORTH AMERICA ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • A technological rehab of your cleaning room requires a process • First step: properly evaluate your grinding room ‘pain’ A 12 STEP PROGRAM FOR EVALUATING AUTOMATIC GRINDING