system in existence will not bring complete success without secur-
ing the support of the foremen and workmen. If these points
are ignored, the tendency of the workers to gradually abandon
methods with which they are not altogether familiar will cause a
partial failure of the system.
The most arduous task, next to training the workmen, is that of
progressing along new lines and at the same time not interfering
with the regular output. This should be accomplished gradu-
ally as the old system may possess a momentum not easily over-
come. However, when once a general line of procedure is out-
lined and progress begun, there must be no lessening of effort.
Everyone must be impressed with the idea that every day must
show some progress, however slight.
The machine and the assembly departments are so closely con-
nected that the introduction of new methods of assembling must
begin with an investigation of the production conditions in the
machine departments. This investigation will include the qual-
ity and quantity of work, whether or not provisions are made
for inspection in the machine departments, methods of routing
the work, what delays are encountered in getting work to the
assemblers, whether the work is sent directly to the assembling
department or duplicated in large quantities and kept in a store,
etc. It is apparent that any defects in the processes just enum-
erated will have an immediate effect on the efficiency of the
assembling department.
In the assembling department may be found faulty judgment
regarding assembling methods, lost time in looking up work,
hunting for tools, and running after drawings, or to the stock-
room for screws and pins mistakes due to oversight, lack of
proper instructions to the workmen, etc. The faults in organi-
220 SHOP MANAGEMENT
zation and methods mentioned in this outline must be eradicated
before any effective improvement can result.
Stock-tracing System. Where there is constant trouble in
getting out machines or repairs in a reasonable time, it usually
will be found that some one or two departments are responsible
for practically all of it. The first step to remedy the trouble,
then, is to locate it. The assembling department is often blamed,
but an investigation will generally show that the difficulty lies in
not getting work promptly to the assemblers. Many manu-
facturers are so accustomed to delays in getting finished parts to
the assemblers that they regard the matter as unavoidable, even
though the consequent losses show clearly that a remedy is im-
perative. A well-organized stock- tracing system is an important
factor in overcoming this defect. Some of the more important
features of the assembling department of a large machine-tool
plant will be described.
The functions of the stock- tracing system are: Directing the
transportation of all parts in the factory; pushing the work
through the foundry and machine departments in such a manner
as to prevent delays to the assemblers; keeping up records that
will show the location of parts in the foundry and shop, the time
required by the various departments, the labor cost, and all losses,
with proper explanations. The sole authority and responsibility
for this work should be vested in the head of the stock-tracing
department. It is obvious to the experienced shop manager that
such duties cannot be left to the department foremen if the shop
is to be run advantageously. The foremen's attention should be
concentrated solely upon improving their methods and their out-
put, and their duties should be confined strictly to their own
departments.
Experience has demonstrated that it is necessary to give the
stock tracer absolute control of all parts in the process of manu-
facture; in addition, he should be given such authority that the
foremen will understand that his requests for stock must be com-
plied with under all circumstances, and he alone should have
authority to secure parts from any department in the fac-
tory, either for any foreman or for the assembling department.
ORGANIZATION OF ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT 221
Having under his charge all the records for stock in the course of
manufacture will enable him to locate all stock with certainty and
dispatch. Another advantage is that the superintendent always
knows where to get any information regarding the location of
work in the factory, and the time it may be expected to reach the
assembling department.
If the work is allowed to remain in any department after it is
finished, it is apt to be forgotten, and is difficult to find when
wanted. Therefore, the advantages of having the work placed
in central depots as soon as finished by each department will
amply compensate for the time consumed in hauling the work to
one of the depots, putting it on a platform, checking it up and
then taking it to the next department. This plan is especially
advantageous where any system of inspection is followed; no
stock can be lost; each foreman can see at a glance how much
work there is ahead of him; and it aids the superintendent in
getting a conception of the conditions of the work. The central
depots can be located at any number of points and should contain
suitable platforms for the storage of stock. These remarks apply
to the smaller parts; it would not be practicable to carry out this
plan in the case of large work.
Transfer cards showing delivery of work from one department
to another form a ready record which shows the date on which
the articles have been received, the length of time they were re-
tained, and the date they were passed on to the next department.
A glance over this record shows if the work is pushed through
with all the promptness possible. The question of giving certain
orders priority over others is one upon which the stock tracer will
need to exercise his best judgment. If any work is behind time,
the card made out when the order was first sent to the shop may
be replaced by a similar card of bright red color containing exactly
the same information, and also the required date of delivery. An
order with the red card always has precedence over those with
cards of the ordinary color. Care must be taken, however, not
to use these " rush " cards to such an extent that they become so
familiar as to be ignored. One form of transfer card is shown in
Fig. i.
222
SHOP MANAGEMENT
Instead of allowing each foreman to have his own gang of
truckers, the trucking force throughout the factory should be
centralized and placed under the supervision of the stock tracer.
This force of men should deliver work to all departments in the
factory as it is called for, and upon their returning to the respec-
tive depots they should bring in the work that is on the machine
room floors already finished. The fact that this work is finished
is indicated by " Move It " cards, which are placed in the boxes
by the workmen. These remarks apply to the handling of small
parts; in handling large work, cranes are almost universally used.
{
RECEIVED OF
Foreman.
Dn Machi
ne Lot S.O.
No. Pieces
Name of Piece
Piece No.
Sent to
Date
Punch Here
Insp.
Dept.
Machinery
Fig. i. Transfer Card
Inspection. The inspection of work in the machine depart-
ments is essential in order to secure economical assembling. This
is one of the essential preliminary steps in the revival of a run-
down assembling department. Two important advantages to be
gained by an efficient inspection department are as follows:
1 . Imperfect parts are eliminated before the work reaches the
assemblers. If the parts come to the assemblers properly in-
spected, so that they can be put together without unnecessary
filing and fitting, the saving of time in assembling may easily
reach from 60 to 75 per cent.
2. The fact that the parts are interchangeable will result not
only in ease of assembling, but in case of repairs the parts can be
ORGANIZATION OF ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT 223
sent out with the assurance that they will fit properly without
adjustment. The last-named feature is important in that it is a
good advertisement to any concern.
Any system of inspection must be thorough, and the limits
given to the work must be adhered to uncompromisingly. Weak-
ness on the part of the inspector will immediately be noted by
the workmen. The inspector's authority to reject work should
be unquestioned, and the superintendent should never, unless
when absolutely necessary, reverse his decision. An inspector
should be placed upon as high a plane as any of the foremen in
the factory, and to be successful, he should possess good judg-
ment, firmness of character, and familiarity with the business.
A thorough system of inspection effects large economics in
every direction, but principally in the assembling department.
The parts can be assembled more quickly and accurately, and the
saving in this department alone will pay for the cost of inspec-
tion; besides, the machines built will be much more accurate.
In many cases it is not necessary to establish an elaborate system.
There is another phase of this question which is important
from an economic standpoint; this relates to fair and consistent
inspection commercial inspection. Unless an inspector has
sufficient intelligence to discriminate between vital and unim-
portant dimensions, and unless he possesses enough judgment to
know when a job is commercially satisfactory, he causes a waste
of time and imposes unnecessary hardships upon the men who do
the work. Good judgment in inspection is a vital factor, and it
is advisable to employ first-class men on this work.
Reports should be made by the inspectors at least once a
month, showing the amount of work scrapped by each depart-
ment, together with the reasons. The effect of this upon the
foremen is marked; when they realize that they are liable to
censure for the excessive amount of scrap coming from their de-
partments, they will soon give the matter their personal attention.
Fig. 2 shows a blank report of this character, while Fig. 3 shows a
card or tag which is placed on all defective work by the inspector.
The inspectors' duties on the assembling and erecting floor
consist primarily in examining the fit and alignment of the
224 SHOP MANAGEMENT
various shafts, gears, slides, guiding surfaces, etc., and to see that
every part of the machine functions properly. This necessitates
the constant and watchful attention of the inspectors as the work
proceeds, so that faulty workmanship is discovered in its early
stages. Even the matter of looking after such seemingly unim-
portant details as the proper tightening of nuts and bolts should
receive attention. Steel stamps bearing a distinctive character
should be furnished the inspectors for marking all work passed
upon by them these stamps, under no circumstances, to be
INSPECTOR'S REP(
ON DEFECTIVE
Supplementary to Re
Quantify
DRT TO CHIEF INSPECTOR
WORK AND MATERIAL
port No. Dare 19
Inspector
Article
No.
Pattern or Forging No.
Dwg -No. & Part Mat'l
FrciTi
RecM on Req. No.
Location Dept.
For ^hip. on Req. No.
Defects, etc.
Oper. Done
Date Corrected 19
Fault of
FmployeH in Dept.
Machinery
Fig. 2. Inspector's Report from which the Monthly Report is made
out of their jurisdiction. This acts as a check upon the inspector,
for if any defective work passes his hands and bears his stamp, he
is responsible for any future trouble arising therefrom.
In connection with the question of determining just what
limits of error are allowable, in modern machine tool practice
the tendency is to allow greater limits in running fits than was
thought advisable a few years ago. Thus, for all rotating mem-
bers, except main spindles carrying the work or tools, the general
practice is to allow from 0.002 to 0.004 mcn f r running fits, for
diameters of from f to 3 inches, according to the requirements of
ORGANIZATION OF ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT 225
the case; to have a lateral clearance, or endwise motion, of 0.005
inch for shafts, gears, or pulleys, running between bearings,
sleeves carrying gears, etc.; and to cut the teeth of all gears
thinner than standard, so that two gears when in mesh will have
a slightly perceptible amount of backlash.
The advantages of this practice are at once apparent; it not
only results in ease and quickness of assembling, but the main
feature to be considered is the fact that, when the bed of a ma-
chine is under the severe strains of a heavy cut, the distortion
likely to occur may cause the rotating members to bind in their
bearings, if fitted too closely, and thereby consume an excessive
Q
(o)|
CU
tt
DEFECTIVE: This tag must not be re-
moved by any personbut the INSPECTOR,
nor should the articles mentioned hereon
be used for any purpose whatever.
Onnn, Artirlf TyppnrSirf
P. or R No. D^ 19
From Depf.
Remarks
Inspector
Machinery
Fig. 3. Card or Tag for Rejected Work or Material
amount of power, besides overheating in the case of high rotative
speeds; moreover, so much time will be saved in assembling these
parts, that an extra amount of time is allowable for obtaining
accuracy in the alignment and fit of vital members, such as main
spindles, slides, and guiding surfaces.
Men for Assembling Department. As a general proposition,
first-class, well paid machinists are the cheapest in the end on
assembling work. This is especially true where the work varies
in character. The amount of work that will be turned out by a
highly skilled assembler, when compared to that of a cheap man,
is astounding. An important feature to consider is also the fact
that the workmen's pay is only one part of the total cost, because
226 SHOP MANAGEMENT
a largely increased production per square foot of floor area .de-
creases the proportion of overhead cost per piece.
Where work is duplicated in large quantities, so that there are
constant repetitive processes, it is possible to so train the cheaper
and less experienced workmen that they in time become expert on
their particular class of work. It is advisable to provide for a
rigid subdivision of labor; thus, the more particular work at the
vise or bench is handled by special men who do no other class of
work. These high-priced mechanics perform no work that can
be done by cheaper men or apprentices, and, in this way, the
average rate is kept normal.
Arrangement and Equipment of an Assembling Room. A
large number of concerns machine a part of the work in the
assembling room, even though regular machine departments
have been established for the machining operations. This leads
to inefficient methods of machining in the assembling room, as the
machines can generally be used to better advantage if installed
in the proper machine department. The average assembling
room is small, and the space taken up by operating machinery is
generally needed for assembling work or for storage. In most
cases, the reason given for having machine work done in the
assembling room is that difficulties arise in getting the parts
promptly to the assemblers ; if the machines are in the assembling
department, delays will be avoided. While this may be true, yet,
with an efficient stock-tracing system, there should be no diffi-
culty in obtaining the work from the machine departments in
time. Occasions will also arise in the assembling when it is neces-
sary to adjust some of the parts, and it is then advantageous to
have machines convenient to the assembler. Upon investigation
it will generally be found, however, that much of this work is un-
necessary and can be eliminated by the employment of a few
simple gages.
In describing the arrangement and equipment of the machine
tool assembling department, assume that the operations involved
will include the cleaning and chipping; drilling; filling, rubbing
down, and painting; assembling the small units; scraping; and
erecting. As these operations differ widely, each being performed
ORGANIZATION OF ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT 227
by a different class of workmen, a proper system requires their
segregation. In large shops devoted exclusively to building one
article, these operations usually are carried on in separate depart-
ments, each under a different foreman. The usual plan where
the product is of a varying character is to have a separate assem-
bling department for each class of machines ; thus, in the machine
tool line, the lathes are erected in one department, the planers in
another, etc. The last-mentioned plan is the one that will now
be considered.
In some shops the cleaning and chipping is done in the as-
sembling room, although it is more economical to clean the cast-
ings in the foundry, owing to the cheaper class of labor employed
and the better facilities for this work. However, when this work
is done in the assembling department, a suitable space should be
provided. As all castings should be cleaned thoroughly before
any drilling or assembling operations are started, this work should
be located near the receiving depot and convenient to the drilling
machines, as nearly all castings require some drilling operation.
The filling, rubbing down, and painting can be done to ad-
vantage in the cleaning space; these operations should be com-
pleted immediately after the drilling, and before the assembling
operations are commenced. In many shops, however, the
painters are allowed to fill and rub the finished or partly finished
machines, to the annoyance of the assemblers, and with the cer-
tainty of getting dirt in the bearings. Of course, some of the
painting and touching up with filler must be done on the assem-
bling floor, but, in most cases, it can be confined to one place. If
special shop conditions render it advisable to have the drilling
machines in the assembling department, they should be located
near the place where the work is received.
Assembling. Even when the assembling and erecting proc-
esses are carried on in one department, it is best to provide a
separate location for each, because the equipment for each differs
widely. For assembling the small units, it is convenient to have
long benches on which to place the parts ; these benches are pro-
vided with vises, in addition to the regular wall benches, and
should be arranged convenient to the latter and with aisles be-
228 SHOP MANAGEMENT
tween them for trucking the work. These aisles should always
be kept clear. When the parts are made in large quantities,
fixtures should be provided for holding the parts that cannot be
conveniently clamped in the ordinary vises during the assembling
process. For holding the heavier pieces, as, for instance, lathe
headstocks, trestles or wooden horses are required, which may be
made of sufficient length to hold three or four headstocks. The
space under the trestles can be utilized for keeping the smaller
assembled units until needed.
The practice of allowing the benches to be littered up with
small parts and stock supplies, such as screws, pins, keys, etc.,
is a source of loss and waste. One difficulty is due to the fact
that the workman soon forgets what members the stock supplies
belong to, with the result that screws are used that are either too
long or too short, or not of the right type. This defect may be
overcome by providing boxes of uniform dimensions for keeping
the small parts. These boxes should be made with a partition
at one end for the stock supplies, and with a tin pocket on the
side in which to place cards giving the necessary information.
Much time will be saved in the assembling department by
having a specific place for such tools as wrenches, pneumatic
drills and hammers, clamps, etc. When there is a departmental
tool supply room, it is better to keep all tools there. Incidentally,
ratchet wrenches with removable sockets fitting different sized
nuts, bolts, and screw-drivers are most convenient for assembling
work.
All parts to be assembled should be arranged in logical order
and placed convenient to the workmen, so that their sole atten-
tion can be concentrated upon the assembling operations, thereby
making it unnecessary for them to waste time in searching
around the shop for parts. Every facility should be provided
for the quick handling of the work.
Scraping Operations. The work of scraping usually does
not receive the attention that its importance demands. It is
essential that a proper equipment of straightedges, surface plates,
test indicators, squares, etc., be provided for testing the truth and
alignment. Each individual member should be tested separately,
ORGANIZATION OF ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT 229
and it is often advisable to have special straightedges or surface
plates which can be used both for testing the planing and scrap-
ing. Then the planing is easily tested, and if not within the
allowable limits, the part can be sent back for replaning before
any scraping is done. This is an important feature, since it is far
more economical to plane work true than it is to scrape it.
Without the aid of such devices for gaging the work, errors
may exist in the machining that may necessitate the use of a
file before the scraping operation. These special straightedges
or surface plates are, however, not intended to make the parts
interchangeable in all respects. It is practicable only to carry
out this feature in the planing process and up to a certain point in
scraping, after which the pieces are scraped together and num-
bered accordingly.
In addition to trestles for the heavy parts, scraping trucks are
convenient for supporting the movable members during the
scraping. These trucks are portable benches mounted on castors,
so that they can easily be moved about and turned around to any
position that will secure good light on the work. Motor-driven,
rotary oilstones should be provided for sharpening the scrapers.
Simple and inexpensive pulling devices for moving heavy parts
when testing scraped surfaces will greatly facilitate this work and
enable the workmen to devote their energy to the actual opera-
tion of scraping.
Erecting. The arrangement of the erecting floor will vary
with the character of the work; however, a few general principles
may be stated. Where it is the practice to build machines in
large lots, the beds are placed in rows with aisles between.
Crowding should be avoided ; in case there is not sufficient room
to arrange all the beds in a lot on the erecting floor at one time,
fill the available space without crowding, and store the remaining
beds in some convenient place.
Suitable erecting pits are required for such machines as large
boring mills and planers, which have driving works reaching be-
low the floor line. The bottom of the pits is usually lined with
concrete, with sides of the same material or brick, while cast-iron
plates are placed all around the mouth. These pits are generally
230 SHOP MANAGEMENT
provided with movable girders or supports, to accommodate
various sizes of machines. When a pit is not in use, it is covered
with a plank floor made in sections, supported upon the girders
set in pockets in the sides of the pits.
Emery-wheel stands, speed lathes, small drill presses, and
portable vise stands should be located at convenient points on the
erecting floor. Chalk, emery cloth, machine oil, and all special
appliances used by the workmen should be handy so as to avoid
running to the tool-room. Many shops are now abandoning
waste for cleaning purposes and using raw silk towels which can
be washed in a machine, and, besides being cheaper in the end
than waste, are far more sanitary.
The relative importance of handling facilities, such as electric
cranes, hoists, etc., varies according to the character of the work.
What may be the most important feature for one class of work
may not be essential in another class. In some cases it pays to
have specially designed jib cranes with power hoists, so that the
workmen need not wait for the overhead crane after the work is
once placed within reach of the former.
In the handling of light work, there are several points of im-
portance that must be considered. Whenever possible the stock
should be carried in boxes. These boxes should be of some stand-
ard sizes. For very small work, it pays to arrange the boxes with
removable trays so that the stock can be easily handled and better
protected in carrying it through the shop. Erecting trucks with
one or more shelves and ordinary two-wheeled trucks are neces-
sary for moving the light pieces. The features mentioned in this