SHIN UNVAV'T AVITIIn THESIS A STUDY IN WORKS - MANAGEMENT W.L. NIES 1913 THESIS This thesis was contributed by Vr. W. Le Nies under the date indicated by the department stamp, to replace the original which was de- stroyed in the fire of iwarch 5, 1916. FROPERTY OF “W. . Que SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL IN BACK OF BOOK , 7 oe e ave Fis J 4 i8ig DEPARTAVENT OF “yr Tee rN Nay -Vin PRO LEC RING, A STUDY IN WORKS-MANAGEKMENT THESIS Presented to the DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINERRING MeA Co In Partial Fulfiliment For The Degree Of BACHELOR OF sOl1ENCE By VW. Le NIES eee EAST LANSING, MICH. JUNE 1913. THESIS yy! 1. Qe an Se _ EXPLARATORY NOTE. The following thesis represents to a small degree the results of an investigation into the system of works-management as practiced in the plant of the Omega Separator Company of Lansing, Michigan. In this thesis, special attention has been given to the routing system employed in the machine shope The present plan is to limit discussion to the problem presented by the routing of the parts of Separator No. 14%, sinoe it is the most popular si ze made in the plant. The routing of the parts of the other sizes will be identicel with that estab- lished for the parts of Noe 14. FORE - WORD. In attempting a thesis of this sort, the writer has held two motives constantly in view. The first of these has been the desire to acquaint himself with average shop conditions and methods of manufacturing; and also to afford an opportunity for the exer-~ Cising of hia own ingenuity in detecting any faulte, and offering suggestions for the corrections of such faults that are easily dis- Gernible. The second motive has been a desire to offer some practical suggestions to the management; whereby the output may be inereased with no greater outlay of capital or overhead expense, Cr that the labor costs may be cut down for the same rate of pro- duction at which the plant is now operating. Either of these would be of tremendous value to the company in a financial wa. PARDO All suggestions contained herein are freely offered for the use ef the company. As preliminary reading, before doing any work in the shop, % referred to the following contemporary works: ‘Industrial Plaente*- Day; "Soientifie Management*— Evans; “Factory Organisation"-Diemer. I wish to teke this opportunity to thank Mr. Wilford and ir. Billings of the company for the very willing assistance they rend- ered mé@e : PROBLEM: Can a practise of systematic routing eliminate confusion to the extert of increasing the daily production-rate from its present ramber (35) to a much greater number, possibly fifty? METHOD OF ATTACKING THE PROBLEM. Since the principal problem concerned the routing of parts through the machine shop, the first sateps of the investigation were Concerned with drawing a plan of the machine-shop as it now is, and Wapping the machines and usual routes that the various separator parts now follow. ( Blue-print 1.) fhe machines were numbered and identified with their particular jobs in the following: Number of Mechines oan aw & WN 10 & MACHINE SHOP INVENTORY. Kind of Machine Mill ing-m Enge Lathe- Inge Lathe- Small drill presse Small Emery 2=-Spind. Drill-press Multi-spindle drili-press Drill-press Drili-press Small drill press Ing. Lathe ange Lathe Enge Lathe Arbor press Fng.e Lathe Inge Lathe Eng. Lathe Enge Lathe Eng. Lathe JODe Tool-room Too l-reom Too l-room Tool—room Tool-room 1.0p.3-Prame Jig-drill Jic-drilj] Cranks 7/8 *~hole-564 Rouse frames IZ .Op .3-Frame-Jig-dril: Small parts Small parts Smal) parts Press orank bushings Bore and Face Prames Srall parts Small parts s s w ® . o " " " a Humber of Kind of Job Machine Machine 23 Eng. Lathe Small perts 2a ® # e 8 25 " # « ® 26 e e a a 27 e @ ” 8 28 8 8 ® 8 29 " " Hob Bronze Hobbing attachment worm gears. 350 Enge Lathe Small parte Rl Small Drilipress Jig-drill tubd.—shaft 32 Shaper 53 4—Spindle dril] press 50 Hobbing Machine Hob pinion- helical & worm—-gearga 51 Milling-m. 3-cutter Op.2-Frame and mill oeranks 52 Milling-m Skim-milk and 6ream noles—565 53 Grinding Machine Worm-spindle 54 Mill ing-m Small parts 55 Hobbing Machine Hob- worm-spindle. 5<¢ Smal) mili Notch tub shaft 57 Turret- lathe Drill & ream tub shaft 58 Milling m OpeD., tub shaft 59 furret-lathe Op.3 on vbwl-shell. Turret-lathe Ope 4 on bowl-shell Number of Machine 61 62 63 6% 65 66 67 6¢ 69 70 Ti 72 73 7 6 76 7 78 Kiné of Machine Small turret lathe Bmall turret Small drili-preas Milling=-m Willing-m Straddle Drill-press Heavy milling-m Drill-press Drill-press Drill-press Turret-lathe Srall turret-lathe Heavy turret-lathe Turret lathe Grinding machines Turretelatne Hack Saw Job Turn Spindles Small parts Small parts Op.C. Tub.Shaft OpeA Tud.Shaft Op. 7-Frame Op. B-Tub Shaft Op. 3-Frame Tools Op oe 3-Frame Small—parts Bore, ream and turn worm g@ars Rough-turn tub. shaft Face and drill helical gears Pinion gear shafts Small parts Owing to the lack of time, attention will be paid oniy to the routing of the more important parts, as follows: frame, 616; tubular shaft, 58&; spindle, 645; bowl-shell, 56%; crank, 781; hel ical gear, 773; pinion gear, 789; and worm gear 809. Having drawh the present routing plan, the next step was to ascertain whether the machines now installed in the plant were used up to their full capacity in the manufacture of the various rartse To this end, the time slips made out for about a dozen different days were carefully studied and the important facts concerning the job, the time, the number of pieces made, and the machine used, were tabulated. By this means the detailed time and job sachediles of the various machines were eccurately determined. Having this information in hand, the time required for each machine to perform its operation upon fifty of the parts with which it is usually oacupied, was computed. The following route-schecule of parts was then made up: ROUTE SCHEDULE OF IMPORTANT PARTS PART OPERATIONS NUM.of TIME TO MACH INE MAKE 50 Spindle 645 Turn 61 ? Hob. 55 ? Grinde 53 4:30 Mii 56 1530 PART BOWL~SHELL 56% Helical Gear 113 Pinion Gear 189 de 2. 3. 4. Be 66 Te Ee Je 10. ile 12. 136 OPERATIONS Drill 7/8" hole Pace to Length Bore & Turn Finish out-side Inspect Jig-Drill holes Mi21 15/32" hole Mill 2/32° slot Ream Week Inspect Fit up on Bench Inspect Polish 14%.Tin 15 de 26 30 He 5. Ge inspest Grind Rough Turn ard Bore Fand Ream Finish Turn and Face Rob. Cut-Off Turn Rob Mill Spots NUM.OF MACHINE 8 59 59 60 10 52 52 ib) Lathe 50 Lathe Lathe 50 idle Mili TIME TO MAKE 50 2345 3:15 3300 32350 1°30 6 355 2 8 @ -«@ PART WORM GEAR } Tub Shaft 816 CRANK 182 , a. a. paren OPERATI ONS Driil & Ream Straighten Turn Bevel Hob Rough-Tusn outside Turning to Size #Mi11 OpeAe #Mi13 Op.B 2 Cutters #111 Ope #111 OpeD Mill Noteh Drill & Ream 1 eGrind 2 Mill-hubds 3 Jig-drill bearing holes 4% .Ream 5.Bere & Face {eJig-drill small holes Rouse boss SeMi11 Stop-screw bose Grind Mill Yaces Jig-drill & Ream Press in Bush HUM .OF MACHI NE 3 72 3 29 or 50 1 6 Eng -Lathes 65 67 6% 58 56 57 52 68 § 70 IeBe 15 67 6 & 10 9 56 51 14 10300 5300 8300 10300 12200 7330 6330 11200 %300 7200 5 300 10300 2:00 2300 1:85 6300 OPERATION AND SIACHINE a {Tn ee a Tai ee VAT ae ed = Mea ae A *, % Mi.civg OPC VOL dak Mitive OP.O edd } 10 This route-schedule suffices to show clearly that if the daily rate-produetion were increased to fifty, not more than one or two ef all the machines would be seriously erowded by the press of work. To still all doubt regarding the ability of the few multi-purpose machines to teke care of the various jobs thrust at them, a separate time schedule was made out for theme This schedule Glearly indi- Cates thet only two of the milti-purpose machines need be operated at their ten-hour-daey capacity. Kume of Machine 50 52. 56 67 TING SCHEDI'LE OF MULT I=-PURPOS? MACK INES Jobs Kod Gears: Helical Worm Pinion Op 2. Frame Mil] Cranks Notoh Tub-Snaft Op.8, Frame Will Spindle Op.e7, Frame OpeB, Tub Sheft Driil Cranks Opel, Bow)-Shell This schedule follows: Time to Make 50 6330 1245 M5 2:00 1330 § 300 5300 2 200 Idle time in 10hr.day Vone None ous! are rd ty Vy af Zaving thus clearly established that the present squipment ought to be capable of handling a daily production of fifty sep- arators, the next step was to arrange the machinery in its logidul erder. This new order is shown on Blue-Print 2. In laying out the plan ef re-errangement, a constant effort was directed toward & realisation of the following shop eonditions of indtstrial efficienoy. ide Accessability of machines, especially these at beginning and end of a route path. 2e Logical arrangement, consistent with capabilities of machines and the line of least resistance for the worke 3- Minimizing of trucking work. %. Maximum day—illumination. In the proposed plan, at least the first three of these have been realized. The route-lines show the uselessness of trucking; the work may be handed from one machine to the other. The work wil) need trucking only when it is brought into the shop and again when 4% leaves the shope It is estimated that this routing plan would enable the company to dispense with four of the present trucking foree consisting of five mene The saving thet would result in this department alone would amount to approximately $2000 per year, at ® conservative estimate. A logical arrangement of machinery would eliminate practically @ll of the operating confusion now existing in the shope The work would flow more smoothiy and quickly from one machine to the nexte 1Z The capabilities of the machines being known and accounted for in the new errengement, each maeshine would be taxed to its full capacity, deereasing overhead eosts and thereby lessening the sost of pro=} duction. Eaeh machine will be given its epecified work to do, and all congestion resulting from the present plan of sending work at a machine with no definite knowledge regarding the machineS capacity te handle the work will be relieved. In the new plan, the work | always flews in one direotion and no job is allowed to interfere with another, all of which tend to minimize disorder within the shope Under the new plan, vith the Kod, increase in production, there wil] be a few machines that will be used at their full capacity, which is the ideal way of using rachire-toolse The spindle hobbing machine will probably be used at its full capacity. The hobvbing machine will undoubtedly be kept busy all day by the hotbing work upon the three gear-wheels. The drill presses 68 and 70 will be kept busy 12 hours each day and to take care of the overtime drill Preas 69 (identical with 68 and 70) was placed adjacent to them in the new plane Lathe 57, borine and reaming tubular shafts will be required to work 12 hours a day at its present rate of operation. Investigation shows however, that the drilling operationm are not done at more than 15% ef the speed of which the drill is capable. The £* nole, %* deep, ought to be drilled at a feed of .01" per revolution and at 1]0 revolutions per mimte.# At thia rate, the hole should be drilled in 4 minutese The #* hole should be drilled in half of that time, since it is only half as deep. The combined 13 drilling operati one on the tubular shaft should not total more than 7 minutes, and allowing for chucking time, this machine should work at the rate of one every 10 minutes or 50 in a 9 hour daye in the new plan, the same number of machines will be available for other jobs, as the present plans provide. These are shown on both plans, and for the most part consist of engine lathes. in the re-arrangement, drill-press 66 and shaper 32 have been moved into the tool room, since they are used mainly for tool-room work. CONCLUSION. The plans clearly stow the defects of the exieting system and the advantages to be gained by a change of the interior shop arrange- ments. That the present equipment is capable of a 40%, increase in the producticn-rate, has been conclusively demonstrated by a close study of the capabilities of the machinese With the elimination of the existing confusion, and the substitution of systematia routing of parts, for the plan now followed, there can be no reasonable doubt that the plant producticn will be greatly increased with no further investment in machinery: ' 14% GENERAL SUGCESTIONS. gn the consideration of the routing system, the writer has insidentalily thought of other suggestions for chunges, which are here set forth in brief form. [t is thought that any of these suggestions might be investigated and found to yield very profit-— able possidvilities. INSPECTIONS. Whenever possible, it is advisable to perform inspections in the machine shop, since then there is no need for the maintenance of expensive trucking crews. To this end, inspee~ tion benches should be established at such points in the routes ef the various parts where inspections have been found necessary. Instead of the expense, inconvenience and confusion of having the work brought to the inspector and later trucked back into the machine shop, the inspector can visit the various inspection penches established in the shop itself, and thus eliminate much of the confusion and all of the trucking expense incidental with the present system. If, however, it is found inadvisable to alter the plan of inspection, the method of doing the necessary truck ean be easily and profitably changed. The parts of the sefarators, as they come from the various machines should be deposited in suitable boxes er frames, which ean in turn be easily loaded onto or taken off ef the trueka. The present practice of picking the prts from the Pleor and transferring them one—by-one to the truck and unloading them at the next machine in the same manner, is all tremendously wasteful ef time and money. 25 A very good system of trucking is exploited by the Oowan Truck Coe, of Holyoke, Mass. their edvertisement appears on page 55 of the May 22nd mamber of “American Machinist. The inepeotion system now in use, is very complete, - possibly toe much so. In many instances, the work is inspected two or three times in the very early processes of its manufacture. The purpose of these early inspeetions is to prevent any operations being done on unfit material, and tc secure the rejeetment of such material as early as possible. Manifestiy however, these eerly inspeetiona should not be done, unless the cost of the sudseqient operations on swh material would have been creater than the cost of inspection. Where spoiled work ocours only rarely, it is not economical to maintain a system of early inspections to eliminate such work. It would be more profitable to let such work go through to the final inspection for rejectment. In any Gase, the cost of early inspection should be less than the cost Of the damaged material rejected. In other words, early inspaetions should pay for themselves, or be discarded. The mechanical work of inspection could be more efficiently done ty means of an applicatim of the principles of motion study#,. WAGE SYSTEM. {In view of the thoroughness of the presuant system of inspeetions, it might be found advisable to Ghange the hour-wage system to a piece-rate or bomis-rate systeme With the # Gilbreth ~- "Motion Study. ® 16 hour wage, early and extensive inspeeticns ought to be unnecessary. With a piece or bonue-rate, greater production would be seoured, but the degree of inspection would need to be raised. TIME BLIPS. The time slips cought ociearly to give the foliowing very Valuable information: 1. Jobd and operation; 2-Pieces made; 3-Time consumed; %.The workman's number; and 5.The machine used. These items will furnish means cf comperison of abilities of men and of machines for dvuing a eertain piece of work. I¢ will then ve possibie to seleet the man and rachine best fitted for a certain jobve This specialization is advisable, because the time slips now show wide discrepencies in the abilities of two men to per- form the sume operation. Obviously, the best man should be chosen for any perticular job, and his fitness for a job ean be determined vy his records of productivity of unspoiled work. In furtheranee ef this idea , a record should be kept of the amount of work each man spoils, and more than a reasonable amount of spoiled work should De assessed against hime An hour-rate means leisurely work. There is no stimulua for getting the best results out of a mane The fact becomes especially apparent efter a short study of the time-cerds of the grinding room. Some jobs, notably rourh grinding, dnlling eto., sould be placed upon a piece-work besis very easily and with better results than are now achieved under the hour-rate system. SMALL PARTS. The small parts, such asscrews and dolts etce, Gan be bought of companies who made a specialty of such work, more cheaply than they can be made. Some perts, notably the spindle 17 bearings eould probably be die-eaat of white metal more cheaply then they ean be madee FINAL SUMMARY. The physical ehanges, such as the re-errangement of machines and the systemetizing of the trucking and inspeeting plans, sould be easily adopted with scaroely any friction veing evolved with the workmen. Chanres of wage and the like, would however require @ great deal of diplomacy and must of necessity be therefore made very slowly and tactfully. INDEX. SUBJECT CONVENTIONS OF ROUTES COWAN TRUGK CO. DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED PLA BXPLAMNATORY NOTE FINAL SUMMARY FORE~WORD INSPECTION METHODS INVENTORY OF MACHINES METHOD OF SOLUTION OF PROBLEM! HULTI-PURPOSE MACH INES WkW PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT OLD PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT OPERATIONS ON 588 PARTS ROUTED ROUTE~SCHEDULE OF PARTS SMALL PARTS STATEMENT OF ROUTING PROBLEM STATEMENT OF SOLUTION OF PROELIV TIME-SLIPS TRUCKING WAGE SYSTEX PAGE. 16 a4 dl 17 18 10 Back Oover Back Cover 9 6 6 16 2 23 16 a4 15 CONVENTIONS FoR ROUTES FRAME. PaRT 816. See TUB. SHAFT Parr S88. SaESeiEEEtametieeee — SPINDLE. FaRT 645 SeEESEEtienmenae CRANK FART 187. OY Pe — el RY 1) ae MM a et Yate MO) a ce AOR) SaRSo Wor17 GEAR. PARTEOD > en al DENOTE STARTING ANO FINISHING PONTS, RESPECTIVEL a a THE FATH OF A PART. —---—-0-—--~— OSSIALL CIRCLE ON ROUTE Of FART INDICATES THAT OP- ERATION WAS FERFORMED AT THAT POINT. Tia i (NOICATES INSPECTION GENCH. 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