b'Reducing time spent setting tools can increase profits.By Christopher Tate Reduce the CostStep one is to recognize that tool setting is non-value-L ean concepts have permeated organizations largeadding time. Changing shop culture can be difficult. and small, so it is hard to believe that anyone inEvery shop has a culture. Some shops are very receptive manufacturing has not heard of these ideas. Many peo- to change, and others are not. But getting employees ple think that lean is the practice of putting sticky notesat a shop to acknowledge tool setting as a non-value-on whiteboards, making spaghetti diagrams or sittingadding activity is the first step to success. Unfortunately, in numerous meetings with no outcomes. When donethere is not a formula for change that works at all shops. correctly, it is the art of finding and eliminating wasteOtherwise someone would have been at your door try-while maximizing the efficiencying to sell the practice. Convincing people to accept of value-adding activities. new ideas and methods is something that shop leaders A good way to see if some- must customize to fit their teams.thing is a value-adding activityThe second step is finding the waste. This is where is to ask whether it changes thelean tools can be employed. For large organizations shape of a workpiece. Milling,with deep pockets, a lean consultant may be the an-drilling, punching, bending andswer. For smaller shops, lean manufacturing might be-assembly all change the shapecome a do-it-yourself project. For those of you without and therefore add value. That isthe financial resources, do not worry, because this part why customers pay us for these activities. Customersis easy. Each time a machine stops so someone can set do not pay invoices for sweeping, going to a toolcriba tool, record the time that the machine does not make and setting tools. Yes, those costs are part of the over- chips. Even if you already have some automation like head in the shop rate and do not show up on a bill, butonboard tool setters, track the noncutting time dur-consider what happens to profitability when they areing the tool setting sequence. Record the data for a reduced or eliminated. significant amount of time to ensure accurate analysis. Tool setting is a necessary activity at machine shops. But it adds no value because it does not change the shape of a part, and many customers would not acceptabout the author it as a line on an invoice. Lots of shops continue to ac- Christopher Tate is facilities operation cept tool setting time as part of the process and ab- director at EthosEnergy in Houston. sorb this nonproductive time. So how do we reduceContact him at [email protected] cost of time spent setting tools?46JULY 2021 Presetting.indd 46 6/17/21 4:28 PM'