tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35359679418849713682024-02-19T07:51:51.259-08:00Maker To ManufacturerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-70290464330371297282020-01-08T12:36:00.002-08:002020-01-08T12:36:54.735-08:00fixtures for quick measuring: premeasured spacerDo you have to adjust a machine or tool to a certain distance? You might struggle doing this with a ruler every time you set up your machine.<br />
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If you have a standard distance, you can use a premeasured, off-the-shelf item to do this, such as a dowel rod.<br />
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You can also create a set of items to use for spacing.<br />
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This set of spacers was created to make it easy to change the setup from anywhere from 1/8" to 4"<br />
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To set up the machine for a 0.75" cut, I take the appropriate item and move both parts of the machine until they touch the spacer. then I tighten it down. No more rulers during setup!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-8597646366931911372019-12-11T10:36:00.000-08:002019-12-11T10:36:11.610-08:00Make City Labs talkThis week I spent a few hours after work going through Lean tools for small manufacturers at the Make City incubator in Chicago.<br />
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We reviewed the basics of how to look for waste in a small manufacturing space and what useful tools are available to keep a production space in order. We spent some time walking through the Meliora Cleaning Products manufacturing space to answer questions about whether and how anyone "actually uses this stuff for real" (we do!)<br />
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If you'd like to set up a similar class or event at our location or yours, contact us!<br />
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<a href="https://www.blog.makertomanufacturer.com/p/about.html">https://www.blog.makertomanufacturer.com/p/about.html</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-9719293759952933762019-12-09T11:44:00.001-08:002019-12-09T11:44:27.519-08:00Water TowersSeth Godin's blog likes to hate on factories and physical spaces, but he still uses analogies from manufacturing and infrastructure. I enjoyed this one.<br />
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<a href="https://seths.blog/2019/12/water-towers/">https://seths.blog/2019/12/water-towers/</a><br />
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The text:<br />
<h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 2.2em; letter-spacing: -0.02em; line-height: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 5px; word-spacing: 0.05em;">
<a href="https://seths.blog/2019/12/water-towers/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Water towers</a></h2>
<div class="has-content-area" data-title="Water towers" data-url="https://wp.me/p9XDcM-7rk" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "PT Serif", serif; font-size: 16px;">
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On the top of many apartment buildings (and on a hill in many towns) you’ll find a water tower, a large wooden or metal container holding tons of water.</div>
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Why bother?</div>
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It turns out that a pump that slowly and consistently pumps water uphill is way more efficient than the high-powered, high-capacity pump you’d need to meet spikes in demand. By using gravity to assist during times of heavy load, the consistent and more efficient pump gets the job done by planning ahead.</div>
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We all need a water tower somewhere in our work</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-56567996808097713452019-11-21T02:58:00.001-08:002019-11-21T02:58:08.873-08:00Lean vs WasteLean Manufacturing, Lean Ops, Lean Whatever....many people haven't heard of it, have heard of it but don't know anything about it, have heard of it but only know a little about it...and so on.<br />
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"Reducing waste" - almost everyone understands what this means, right away, without further explanation for context about what certifications the person holds to help reduce waste or why reducing waste might be a good thing.<br />
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Why don't we speak more plainly about Lean and about what we do?<br />
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Let's reduce waste. In manufacturing, in service, in everyday lives. We can call out waste, in whatever form and location we find it, and work to reduce it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-64584445849366115012019-11-17T21:15:00.002-08:002019-11-17T21:15:30.269-08:00Benchmarking a hemisphere awayI'm currently traveling in Phnom Penh, Cambodia doing multiple things, but one of them is always keeping an eye out for lateral benchmarks. <div>
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Cambodia has a large manufacturing industry, with garment production being a large part of that. I'll be visiting several factories this week. </div>
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Benchmarking can be done close to home or far away. I hope to have some good best practices to share from factories and operations here that can travel back with me to Chicago.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-54317826681100132252019-11-06T07:03:00.000-08:002019-11-06T07:03:00.041-08:00Right side RedSailors use red to mark the starboard side of the boat and guide into port with the red lights on that side.<br />
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"red to the right" is easy to remember and makes it simple when deciding how to mark a set of cables or other connectors. Here is a piece of equipment with two sides, that's likely going to be taken apart several times.<br />
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I've added a small piece of red marking tape to the right side, so whenever I pull the pieces apart in a hurry, I don't need to worry about remembering which side is which.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-60070514857103590582019-11-01T11:00:00.001-07:002019-11-01T11:31:30.113-07:00Ode to a Siphon PumpSiphon pumps! What a wonderful tool. They:<br />
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-are inexpensive<br />
-work without electricity<br />
-take up very little space<br />
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They are a great way to move liquids around without needing to lift a heavy container. Here are some ways we use them:<br />
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1. transferring water between full 5-gallon buckets for cleaning up, rather than needing to lift one full bucket<br />
2. emergency backup pump for any container size. We use lovely, convenient, <a href="https://amzn.to/327wNHi" target="_blank">electrical gas-station-style pumps</a> for our 55-gallon containers, but the motors can wear out or the pumps can get clogged. Rather than stare at the full 55-gallon drums wishing we could get the liquid out, we've got a few extra siphon pumps around: a few-dollar insurance policy to give us a manual option until a new pump can arrive and get us back to normal.<br />
3. Final emptying of containers that are an odd size for our standard electrical pumps.<br />
4. Regular use for any liquid ingredients when we only need a little at a time, as an inexpensive start before getting a higher-flow rate electrical pump.<br />
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Here are some options:<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2r4qbgg" target="_blank">5 gallon siphon pump on Amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2C91elT" target="_blank">55 gallon siphon pump on Amazon</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-51730342903213559912019-10-23T11:22:00.000-07:002019-10-23T11:22:01.191-07:00Are You Messy?Keeping things in order comes naturally to many people. For the rest of us, this is baffling. I'm naturally an extremely messy person. Here is my desk at the end of a long week of work:<br />
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But here is part of our production floor, taken at the same time. Note the production area is organized, but my desk area in the background is....not.<br />
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How do you keep your studio clean when you personally are fighting towards entropy? One way most of the studio stays clean is that I have a limited amount of space I allow myself to work. The Red Tag area, (aka my Zone of Disarray) is the formal spot that items go when they aren't needed in their particular space. My own desk is not quite so straightforward to organize since my normal rule of "will you use this item in the next month?" means I would answer YES to everything that's sitting on my desk. Keeping all these items in some kind of order is a challenge for a naturally messy person. That's one reason 5S and other Lean Manufacturing tools are all about continuous improvement, not immediate perfection.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-5965573412199670242019-10-16T09:30:00.000-07:002019-10-16T09:30:07.531-07:00What's your inventory style? JIT vs Doomsday PrepperLean Manufacturing consultants talk about "Just in Time" inventory but never define what that is. If you push for a definition they will say "all inventory is bad". I like to call this Abstinence-Only inventory education.<br />
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Doomsday Preppers have enough items on hand so they can start a new life without any input from others. This might mean food stores, or equipment to rebuild a whole society.<br />
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Which of these suits you more closely? The best answer is probably somewhere in the middle.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-13349605705189137712019-10-09T07:56:00.000-07:002019-10-09T07:56:00.346-07:00Short Runs and Low InventorySometimes you'll notice breweries using plastic can wraps, or stickers/labels around an aluminum can. This seems silly at first - there doesn't seem to be any reasonable explanation; a can plus a sticker is surely massively more expensive than just a can.<br />
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Using a stock item (a plain can) plus a short-run custom item (stickers or shrink wrap) is a quick way to get product out and see whether investing in fully custom packaging makes sense. Custom packaging is a way to tie up tons of cash and is risky if you aren't sure a product will sell. Keep an eye out for this type of packaging: it's a pretty reliable way to tell which brands and products are new to the market.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-54204606202943337702019-10-02T07:51:00.000-07:002019-10-02T07:51:01.995-07:00What haven't you cleaned in a year?When your 5S walk gets stale, this is a fun challenge: what's something in your studio you haven't cleaned in the past entire year? Clean it today.<br />
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Today, mine was the wheels of our pallet jack.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-73653257323076502012019-09-25T07:49:00.000-07:002019-09-25T07:49:03.075-07:00Pallet Jack Pen PouchProblem: getting all the way to the loading dock and neither you, nor the delivery/pickup driver, is holding a pen to sign the paperwork for the shipment you're receiving or shipping.<br />
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5-minute fix: duct tape folded into a pouch on the jack itself. Now a pen and a Sharpie both live on the pallet jack!<br />
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What annoying thing can you fix in five minutes?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-89934164014162807312019-09-18T07:36:00.000-07:002019-09-18T07:36:04.957-07:00Last One TagsHow do you avoid running out of items? Especially lower cost, consumable items like shipping boxes?<br />
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1. Order three year's worth of these at a time. Find a place to store them, then realize a few month's in that they aren't really the right size for what you need.<br />
2. Track inventory meticulously. Do a physical count daily, or require employees to scan them in and out so you can view the count from your computer at any moment.<br />
3. Create a reasonable warning system so you know before you run out with enough time to avoid disrupting regular operations.<br />
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Here's one way to implement #3: print out a bunch of labels like the ones in the photo. We print the words "Don't Use Without Reordering - No Usar Sin Reordenar" on the label. The item to be reordered can be written down as well, so you can remove the label when you get to it and use that as your reminder to order the items.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHvzrUBMXkjXOTOsZ4k_suUANtqBfaRDdab1Y8YZWK6IFVvzHaJ6cOTOMbe2e-xbOTIevayQxzGnAg7ENM31MBn0tLvvcUpRSx1xx7Tsf-u-gMNxq2J5kU2Ah-aXA8mcdraCKfw0iZTk/s1600/IMG_20190821_091156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHvzrUBMXkjXOTOsZ4k_suUANtqBfaRDdab1Y8YZWK6IFVvzHaJ6cOTOMbe2e-xbOTIevayQxzGnAg7ENM31MBn0tLvvcUpRSx1xx7Tsf-u-gMNxq2J5kU2Ah-aXA8mcdraCKfw0iZTk/s320/IMG_20190821_091156.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG29Na8Gd8k4tceMrBdq315jgtt2ZCD-vmdlghGnz2-WKKv6lKwuvMgLYUGZZNFcGuIEe8_AzO13M_4CX5mtB_6DE_XH3KKKzcZmR0T1rEfEcRDJlagmwD7KS3rrKTMihD-qnroQhLZM/s1600/IMG_20190821_091659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG29Na8Gd8k4tceMrBdq315jgtt2ZCD-vmdlghGnz2-WKKv6lKwuvMgLYUGZZNFcGuIEe8_AzO13M_4CX5mtB_6DE_XH3KKKzcZmR0T1rEfEcRDJlagmwD7KS3rrKTMihD-qnroQhLZM/s320/IMG_20190821_091659.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMR6roQqSKnls1w3t14pMOPgrcphQmEMsnIkn8GOqRnBaJkEmOG_Apvi4i6ZpW9Ak5ODIggXfRMU4hdmLcdmrR4JGoohIkwpA6cG0TTfe4t0Bs_GYx9yZ053m7OxTg-3phc4pvSu-aAA8/s1600/IMG_20190821_091331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMR6roQqSKnls1w3t14pMOPgrcphQmEMsnIkn8GOqRnBaJkEmOG_Apvi4i6ZpW9Ak5ODIggXfRMU4hdmLcdmrR4JGoohIkwpA6cG0TTfe4t0Bs_GYx9yZ053m7OxTg-3phc4pvSu-aAA8/s320/IMG_20190821_091331.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-22789865633506125302019-09-11T14:43:00.000-07:002019-09-11T14:43:02.305-07:00What's #1?The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is a massive hotel. 43 kitchens, 450 chefs, serving tens of thousands of meals a day. Chef Christie, who oversees the food operations, has a lot of individual processes, materials, and people to consider. There are a mind-boggling number of things happening at any time, including ordering, receiving ingredents, storage, prep, and serving.<br />
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So, with all that to oversee, what is the first thing he looks for to see whether things are running smoothly? How clean the kitchens are.<br />
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"I'm looking at general cleanliness, first thing. I'm looking at the floors...if it's total chaos or if things are really under control."<br />
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A good reminder that following the Shine step in 5S is both style and substance.<br />
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The full episode can be viewed on Netflix in the Mega Food series, or on Youtube here:<br />
https://youtu.be/Nif0uFutv_w<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-57659853824435453702019-09-09T06:41:00.000-07:002019-09-09T06:41:00.347-07:00Go/No-Go Gauge for Cave Tours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You don't want to get halfway into a tour for a cave and then find out the passageways are too small for your comfort. This entrance (at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO) puts a cutout of the smallest passageway right at the entrance to the line for the tour. If you, your stroller, or your family members can't make it through this cutout, the tour is not for you. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMso79MWTCFficPaAS6MkmHazyngIvQ9_dtKuN0ebXkV_eH2lNkRQN9Ajq6xubkRdKDaXVUXkkP78bxcXUmWoi24uh-KRoxYR1DROcm8t0rjZyQgc5Tuh0LDB0EQEWwN6pBTGC9JKTCgk/s1600/IMG_20190729_192652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMso79MWTCFficPaAS6MkmHazyngIvQ9_dtKuN0ebXkV_eH2lNkRQN9Ajq6xubkRdKDaXVUXkkP78bxcXUmWoi24uh-KRoxYR1DROcm8t0rjZyQgc5Tuh0LDB0EQEWwN6pBTGC9JKTCgk/s320/IMG_20190729_192652.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This type of gauge is useful in both manufacturing and in real life!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-52685137975175328272019-09-03T11:35:00.000-07:002019-09-03T11:35:08.617-07:00Pallets 101: Pallet vs Parcel<div>
Parcel to Pallet - should you ship boxes individually or together?</div>
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A "parcel" is a general term for an item that can be picked up by hand. This might be a box, bag, or other container. Parcels are shipped using a parcel carrier like the United States Postal Service (USPS) or the United Parcel Service (UPS). <div>
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A "pallet", also known as a skid, is a flat item used to secure and transport larger items or multiple parcels. Pallets are shipped using a truck, also sometimes called a freight carrier. If you're shipping one or more pallets, you might use an LTL ("Less Than Truckload") service provider to pick up the items and deliver to your destination. </div>
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If you are regularly shipping many parcels to the same location, using pallets might make more sense. </div>
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Some great things about shipping pallets: cheaper per-unit cost than shipping multiple boxes, the individual items are handled less and stay upright, minimizing damage compared to parcel services</div>
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You might not be ready for pallets if: you don't have infrastructure to handle pallets (such as a loading dock, forklift, etc) or if your customer does not have the ability to receive pallet shipments due to size or handling contraints. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-50013786191421407362019-08-28T12:35:00.000-07:002019-08-28T12:35:02.546-07:00Daily 5S Walk: Weeding the Gardenthe daily 5S walk is a lot like weeding a garden.<br />
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There is no expectation that suddenly one day you'll go out and there will be nothing to do. Weeds always grow and your studio will tend towards disarray.<br />
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Keeping up with it every day is easier than letting things get out of control.<br />
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It can be a soothing moment in the day when you check in with your studio and take care of your space.<br />
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You can consider the items you find to be just like weeds. "a weed is a plant out of place" - you're looking for items that are in the wrong place.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-83956290989318675072019-08-21T05:51:00.000-07:002019-08-21T05:51:04.492-07:00Daily 5S Walk: Kill Your DarlingsSorting and Setting in Order doesn't always happen easily the first time. During the daily 5S walk today I noticed that our "red and white sides of clothespins" flag system wasn't working the way I had imagined, even though I'm a [sarcasm font] complete genius and it's almost inconceivable that one of my ideas didn't immediately cause the whole production team to jump for joy.<br />
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It's okay to try something you think MIGHT work. Around here we are used to "this might work, and if not, we'll change it" as the default for making improvements. It's an everyday part of our operations and lets us try things, which sometimes work out really well!<br />
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This clothespin system wasn't useful, so rather than leaving it up and working around it, we're scrapping it. The clothespins are currently sitting in the Zone of Disarray awaiting my next genius idea for how to use them somewhere else, or perhaps another use entirely. They weren't useful on the production floor, so they had to go.<br />
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<span id="goog_48884655"></span><span id="goog_48884656"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-49269698167467296792019-08-14T10:08:00.000-07:002019-08-14T10:08:03.302-07:00Daily 5S Walk: Set in Order: Label it!!On your regular walk, one of the easiest things to spot is under-labeled items. Today I walked right past this set of jugs.<br />
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The one on the left was labeled properly before going out onto the studio floor. The other two were rushed into service one day and need to be labeled to match.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnU1Mla3dKTWQWpoW4KHADJJDaZRKq0HYBp6bgXbWXFio06acTwZ7kmruXbKHEoaRdNfoWQmqBYhwWL6KDO_5XSsxAzAU4IByEU5DAgCieHDrp9tDeO2xxNpS37ayf_ps2DSued96VRBk/s1600/IMG_20190716_120252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnU1Mla3dKTWQWpoW4KHADJJDaZRKq0HYBp6bgXbWXFio06acTwZ7kmruXbKHEoaRdNfoWQmqBYhwWL6KDO_5XSsxAzAU4IByEU5DAgCieHDrp9tDeO2xxNpS37ayf_ps2DSued96VRBk/s320/IMG_20190716_120252.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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A few minutes later, done!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-23284670022112880752019-08-07T09:56:00.000-07:002019-08-07T09:56:06.560-07:00Daily 5S Walk: Sort: Look In the Corners!Corners are infamous crud-collection areas in your studio. Here, we have 'intentional' storage of a canopy tent for outdoor events (the black bag), and then a stack of buckets right in front. These buckets haven't been touched in months. They should be moved to the red tag area (aka the <a href="https://www.blog.makertomanufacturer.com/2019/07/zone-of-disarray-aka-red-tag-area.html" target="_blank">Zone of Disarray</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0AYDervUK3OnhM-y5wYHHunPsO5H_Wi6BfMz0FhCXYsAKqJ5Gxnl9yWu9uK6A6Q743dMwxOODtPQ4-VWOFcq8fzW7WxvDonTdsqiGwvuREuSFLlBaLuAJbXWp12B2vuHvvPMToq3XVg/s1600/IMG_20190716_114516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0AYDervUK3OnhM-y5wYHHunPsO5H_Wi6BfMz0FhCXYsAKqJ5Gxnl9yWu9uK6A6Q743dMwxOODtPQ4-VWOFcq8fzW7WxvDonTdsqiGwvuREuSFLlBaLuAJbXWp12B2vuHvvPMToq3XVg/s320/IMG_20190716_114516.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-43156980577567532942019-08-05T13:09:00.002-07:002019-08-05T13:09:14.950-07:00Ohaus scale reviewIn our shop we recently started using an Ohaus dual-display portion scale and I'm in love!<br />
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This scale can be bought online, including at Amazon here: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://amzn.to/2SbGxgy&source=gmail&ust=1565113863953000&usg=AFQjCNHRBX-gaQ13WN5HamKDjVl-VtsIMg" href="https://amzn.to/2SbGxgy" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/2SbGxgy</a><br />
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Here are my favorite features, compared to the discontinued KG-20 from AWS, which we use already and which I originally intended to buy for this purpose.<br />
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1. Dual display. Two people standing on opposite sides of a table can both read the scale's output - this makes it much easier to spot-check employee's portioning without peering over their shoulder. Even better, whenever we have two employees working, they can both see the scale, putting an extra set of eyeballs on the task to make it more likely we catch simple mistakes.<br />
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2. Small and light. The footprint is smaller and the scale can be moved more easily that others.<br />
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3. Check-weight feature. This can light up and beep when you get either in range or out of range. This is really helpful when weighing many of the same items - saves worker fatigue and attention for other tasks.<br />
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The scale's capacity is slightly lower than our previous model, at 33 pounds instead of 40, but it was also about 1/3 the cost. The resolution is 0.01 lb (metric capacity: 15000g with readability 2g). this is slightly lower readability than the more expensive scale, but still suits our everyday needs within a very small (less than 1%) tolerance.<br />
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this blog post contains affiliate links. When purchasing using affiliate links, there is no additional fee, the destination website pays me a small commission on any sales, which helps keep the blog running.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-4000728519173139172019-07-31T09:50:00.000-07:002019-07-31T09:50:05.782-07:00Daily 5S WalkYour daily walk should take less than 10 minutes. Walk around your studio space and check quickly for:<br />
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SORT: items that can be moved to the red tag area<br />
SET IN ORDER: items that are out of place and can be returned to their homes<br />
SHINE: grab a rag and wipe something down<br />
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The daily walk is part of your STANDARDIZE and SUSTAIN efforts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-39816341128953236322019-07-24T06:31:00.000-07:002019-07-24T06:31:08.222-07:00Zone of Disarray, aka The Red Tag AreaIn the first step of 5S - Sort - we remove items from an area when we realize they are not used there frequently. This is usually done first as a one-time effort, but it should become an ongoing activity. Unneeded items are removed to make room for useful items and to keep production areas clear of clutter.<br />
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Where do these items end up? Quality professionals like to call it a Red Tag Area and label it with red markings. I call mine the Zone of Disarray, and it's a standard size pallet off the main production floor and near my desk. Here's a photo of the Zone today:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLCJWbvIBLWlhvVuAhAGLCMcAGsHnROITui9_0uiUCl9RS9ZGRFR_LjB0IBagXm4minGc8tuYuygtuTlpeu-o3B75ZcezuVj14W_q1Hc4MexGJuh21Uj51rv3pskhP_CRLjVVVSKYVFE/s1600/IMG_20190715_073910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLCJWbvIBLWlhvVuAhAGLCMcAGsHnROITui9_0uiUCl9RS9ZGRFR_LjB0IBagXm4minGc8tuYuygtuTlpeu-o3B75ZcezuVj14W_q1Hc4MexGJuh21Uj51rv3pskhP_CRLjVVVSKYVFE/s320/IMG_20190715_073910.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here are some things that are in the zone right now:<br />
-a brochure from a supplier that I wasn't sure I wanted to read<br />
-some soap I made as an experiment that did not turn out how I wanted<br />
-lab coats that were hanging on our coat rack; I realized no one had worn one in months<br />
-a mesh bag with rags in it. These were consistently the last rags used when cleaning because they weren't absorbent, were too small to be useful, etc.<br />
-a bocce ball set (?)<br />
-I could go on, but it's starting to get embarrassing<br />
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So, what happens to items in the zone? Whenever I have a spare moment or motivation (afternoon slump is a good time), I pick up items and decide what to do with them. They might get donated to our local crafting reuse store <a href="https://www.thewasteshed.com/" target="_blank">The Waste Shed</a>, thrown out, recycled, or offered to friends and family. The zone gets quickly filled back up again as we keep discovering items on the production floor that don't quite belong. I also have an hour scheduled each week to dedicate to this task, to keep the zone from getting totally out of control.<br />
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Having the zone keeps the rest of the production floor clean of clutter. Instead of agonizing over what exactly should happen to an item that doesn't belong, it gets put in this purgatory-like area and awaits a time when I'm able to make a decision about what should happen to it. Production continues smoothly and isn't slowed down by me needing to decide right then and there where something belongs.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-67410367713581180792019-07-17T05:00:00.000-07:002019-07-17T05:54:22.331-07:00Unitaskers Hall Of Shame: Candle Wick HoldersDo you buy industry-specific items to make your products?<br />
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Let's talk candle-making. You need to hold the wick in place while the candle solidifies. You can buy wick holders to do this! They are only $0.50 each. Do you use them?<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=makertomanufa-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0186WTWXY&asins=B0186WTWXY&linkId=e3395f4d6cf2305165bc52c4cb42a58a&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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You can also use wooden clothespins. They are $0.10 each (one-fifth the cost) and can be used for lots of other things as well.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=makertomanufa-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B073X1VMMD&asins=B073X1VMMD&linkId=3dbf642f701dc519e219bef6c170699f&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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Which do you pick?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3535967941884971368.post-20342710447252251572019-07-11T05:51:00.002-07:002019-07-11T05:51:46.206-07:00Hardware Kit for assembling a concrete mixer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-gd8UgaeaNK0CDU9KVlfs09AUbKVy1EHhZg2ibyAW75S3NELzA6IwNCqj_85mez2AqN_ULFSelcx4Oy8hXQj_2dM9Fzv4TT_brruj3cl8NuiXTBFjuSxxnVBZDGaPErs0O7NQ2DHfwY/s1600/hardware+kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the kit has multiple nuts and bolts organized by when they will be used in assembly" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-gd8UgaeaNK0CDU9KVlfs09AUbKVy1EHhZg2ibyAW75S3NELzA6IwNCqj_85mez2AqN_ULFSelcx4Oy8hXQj_2dM9Fzv4TT_brruj3cl8NuiXTBFjuSxxnVBZDGaPErs0O7NQ2DHfwY/s320/hardware+kit.jpg" title="hardware kit " width="320" /></a></div>
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This week we assembled a mixer (it's called a concrete mixer, but we'll be using it to mix other things!)<br />
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I'm in love with this hardware kit. Instead of a giant bag of nuts and bolts for you to pick through, each of the assembly steps has its own cell with the items you'll need. The cells are labeled and a thin sheet of plastic contains the cells, with a cardboard backing, It even has outlines in case you want to cut them apart!<br />
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How many times have you tried to use the wrong piece of hardware during assembly? This method helps. How many times have you ended up with not enough hardware or too much, unclear which step you did wrong or if you didn't have the right pieces to start with? This method helps.<br />
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How can you make it more clear what items get used during what step? Can you create kits like this one for your own assembly operations?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0