A retired toolmaker in Dearborn told me my setup sheets were costing me money

I was at a supply house in Dearborn picking up inserts when an old toolmaker started chatting with me about my setup. He asked how long a typical changeover takes me, and I said about 45 minutes on the VF-2. He laughed and said most guys lose 10 minutes a job just walking back to the computer to check notes that should be at the machine. He told me he kept a laminated card taped inside the door of every machine with feeds, speeds, and offsets for the top 5 jobs. I tried it on two mills and my changeover dropped to about 30 minutes in the first week. Now I am wondering how many other small habits are quietly eating my day. Does anyone else keep job notes right at the machine, or am I late to this?

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angelab622d ago

Keeping notes at the machine is a game changer and you are not late, plenty of guys still walk to the office every time. I did the same thing with laminated cards on my lathes and mills, feeds and speeds and tool offsets for the repeat jobs, plus a dry erase board for whatever job is running that day. The bigger one for me was pre staging tools and holders the night before, that alone saved me a solid 15 minutes every morning. Also started keeping a notepad right at the bench so I stop losing the little scraps of paper with dimensions scribbled on them. Small stuff adds up fast, you just do not notice it until you time yourself.

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