3-Almost Done June 15, 2023

If you had followed my old blog, you know that I have been working on reorganizing the assembly area. When I went back to check, I started 6 years ago. I know I am slow but that is a little ridiculous. It began with moving the assembly tables. Instead of having them all in one spot, I divided them for reel grinders and bed knife grinders. The tables were covered in a thin layer of bamboo which is soft, durable and easily replaced. I added LED lights directly over the work area and bought four new toolboxes, one each for the subassembly area and one each for the final assembly area.

Next, I added bar code labels to all the bins and put all of the parts in sealed bags to help keep them clean.I also added an alpha numeric shelf numbering system Parts were reorganized by subassembly rather than part number. I upgraded the location system in our inventory database to be more robust and allow for multiple locations.

Then I added two rolling assembly tables and rolling subassembly shelves so they could be moved to the grinders in final assembly. I also made a rolling rack for all of our fastener hardware including bar code labels. I began making subassembly kits which included all of the small part for a particular sub assembly. I updated our software again so that we can scan the bar code labels with our iPhones to easily add the item to the shortage list.

I learned a lot from doing all of this, mostly that I did it wrong. So I started redoing a lot of it. We found that the tables that were for the reel grinder subassemblies were better suited for the bed knife grinders and visa versa so we switched them. This made the rolling assembly tables less functional so they were converted to more subassembly storage. We then added additional pallet racking so we could store more finished tables.

The big change was the storage bins. The plastic bags just were not working, so I began buying different size bins with lids. As I started replacing the bins, I realized that the shelf numbering system was awkward to use. You had to look at the top of the shelf to see the rack letter then look down for the shelf number. The labels I had used were paper and were not holding up well. I replaced them with plastic labels that used a straight numerical system. The hundreds position indicates the room, the tens and ones indicates the rack and the tenths indicates the shelf. Every shelf now has the complete location number on it so you only have to look at one place.

I was originally going to add photos of every part to our data base and include that photo on the bin label but this proved too daunting. I realized that almost every part already had a 3D model in its engineering drawing which included a color rendering of it. I developed an easy procedure for transferring that rendering to the data base. I would reorganize one rack at a time and locating the bins for maximum ease. I would then print the label for each bin which included the part number, bar code, picture and bin location so if the bin is removed from the shelf, it can be put back in the right place.

The reason I called the project done is that I replaced the last bin and organized the last shelf. The reason I said almost is now I can see other improvements I need to make. We are doubling or tripling our batch sizes and some parts locations can not accommodate the added volume. I am also planning on finally moving the press brake out of the assembly area and adding a third pallet rack for miscellaneous storage. Yeah, this might be a while.

I originally posted this to Facebook last year. What I did not mention was that I had to take 5 months off in the middle of reorganizing the shelves to take care of Michele and then myself. When I returned to work, I wanted to finish reorganizing the shelves and get all of the parts into sealed bins. I couldn’t do it. At least not very well. I had to climb a stool to get materials off the top shelf and also get down on my knees to access the bottom shelf. I couldn’t stand up without grabbing on to something and pulling myself up and I was unstable on the stool. I decided to go to the YMCA and get a personal trainer. We worked mostly on leg strength and balance and although it is expensive, it is some of the best money spent. I hate exercising so spending the money forces me to go. I am now in the best shape I have been in in decades and ready and raring to go on new projects.