Part 7

The Shaper. On the shaper the work can be divided into roughing out and following an irregular line. Let us take a blanking die for an example. The diemaker (who works at the bench) lays out the die on rough stock. Then it is roughed out to this layout. Next the tap-holes and swivel pins are drilled, tapped and reamed. Now the diemaker can set his die up and lay it out more accurately to his turnplate. The better shaper hand now machines the pieces to his lines and all the diemaker has to do is file the clearance on the cutting edge and remove tool marks. In a sectional die he frequently leaves this for the grinder to do. Now the punch, which has been roughed out, is “sheared” and the machine hand machines the surplus stock from it to make it easier for the diemaker. The head block, shoe, knockout plate, sub-press pins, and stripper have been machined and are ready for him. The drill press hand does the drilling and reaming for the pins and springs, also the tapping. By this method of using the semi-skilled machine hands the skilled man can carry on five and more dies at the same time and not lose any time waiting for machines.

The Miller. The milling machine work can be divided into flat work, cutting teeth in cutters, reamers, gears, etc., spiral cutting, boring jigs and special outline work.,

Take the first two groups. The semi-skilled operator can be easily trained for this work, as it does not call for more difficult work than the use of the dividing head, and there is always a chart for that. Spiral cutting can be taught, as there is a chart for that. Cutting cams is more difficult but if there is enough of it the operators can be taught to do it.

The boring of drill jigs, and similar work, can be done by an operator because it is laid out beforehand by the toolmaker, or diemaker in case it is a die.

The Drill Press. The drill press work presents the same solution. The skilled tool or diemaker makes the layout and then drills the holes to the layout. Why use the skilled man’s time when a lower-priced, and less valued, operator can be used to drill to this same layout?

Grinders. The horizontal, the plain (or flat) and the universal grinding machines have always had specially trained men so we need not consider them here.

Special Machines. The remaining machines in the toolroom are generally special machines with men to operate them. The toolmaker uses, for the most part, only the machines considered in this article.

Training. The question now arises, “Where will these men be trained and who will train them?” I offer this answer. Men on these machines throughout the factory are semi-skilled in their use and are mostly on repetition work. Take the best of them and train them in the Training Department, or in the tool room, and replace them by new men in the factory.

Results. This method results in: First, enabling the skilled tool or diemaker to handle more work than if he had to do all the machine and layout work; second, increasing the output per machine, for it stops the time lost through the machine’s being idle and the tools being separated from the machine. In this matter alone it presents a saving, as it calls for only one set of tools per machine, against a set for every man in the room who keeps them in his bench drawer most of the time; third, it eliminates the time lost by the skilled man’s waiting around for a particular machine. He is now able to plan one job after another and turn it over to the machine operator and thus devote all his time to work that an unskilled man cannot do.

(Signed) WALTER F. MADDISON, Director of Industrial Training.

THE BLANCHARD MACHINE COMPANY

64 State Street, Cambridge, Mass.

As you know, we have been running our Training Department for about five weeks only, hence we are not in position to give you any definite information as to the value of it, etc., but from what we can see it will be undoubtedly a great help to us, because all the unskilled help go to the instructor before being put into the shop. Those who have had some experience are put into the shop, with the instructor to give them detailed information for as long a time as is necessary, and to teach them the important parts of the work in hand. This, as you can imagine, is more difficult in this shop where we do not manufacture large quantities than it would be in a shop where there was a uniform operation, such as there would be on shells, and work of that kind.

We have taken cabinetmakers and taught them to run boring mills; blank book salesmen to assemble units for our SURFACE GRINDERS; shoemakers to assemble units for SURFACE GRINDERS; carpenters to run turret lathes, and plain helpers or sweepers to break in on Surface and Floor Motor Grinders.

We also have a number of women in the shop whom we have taken in without their having any previous experience in machine work, and taught them various operations, such as broaching, bench work, drilling, turning bevel gears, vise work, cutting long threads, and work of a similar nature, and have found them very satisfactory on this class of work.

We have endeavored to teach them the rudiments of this work before putting them on to regular production work, but after they master the first part of it, all the work that is done is on a regular production basis, and we have found in a great many cases that they have been able to reduce the time taken per piece to a very marked degree over what has formerly been taken by men.

I send herewith eight photographs of our operatives that have been broken into skilled work of various kinds throughout our shop, that has previously been done by men skilled in the particular line involved.

We think that some of these are almost remarkable, when we consider what our attitude was two years ago on work of this kind, refusing absolutely to put anyone on who had not been skilled in the particular line involved.

(Signed) WINFIELD W. BLAKEMAN, Superintendent.

Done by “a man 63 years old, a shoemaker by trade, who has been on this work since June 27, 1918, and has learned in that time to completely assemble these delicate instruments, making the proper adjustments, lapping and doing a quality of work that passes a rigid inspection.” Blanchard Machine Co.]

Done by “a young lady, who has been on this class of work since May 9, 1918, has been able to take these screws from the rough stock, turn them to grinding size and finally finish cutting the thread in a time that is less than was formerly taken by skilled machinists. We think that this is one of the most remarkable jobs done by the women in our shop, as this work requires very careful attention and unusual skill.” Blanchard Machine Co.]

Done by “a young girl of twenty years, who has been assistant inspector since April 29, 1918, and while she does not understand all the technical phrases used in connection with, work of this sort, there is a very large percentage which is merely routine, and if it does not pass the gauges provided she refers it to another man to put on production work.”]

Done by “a woman who had no previous experience on lathes and came to work in June of this year.” Blanchard Machine Co.]

DONE BY “a young lady who had a small amount of experience assembling on automobile starters before she came to work for us on June 24, 1918. By setting up the machine and not giving her too difficult jobs, she is able to about equal the time taken by the average man.”]

DONE BY “women operatives who are usually able to practically reach the time taken by the men on this work. In a few cases where the men have had a longer period of experience they have been able to improve on the time taken by the women. A great deal of this work calls for drilling and tapping, as well as counterboring and spot facing.”]

THE AMERICAN SHELL COMPANY

Paterson, N. J.

In reference to our method of producing toolroom outfits most economically and with a large output: