PIctures for process improvement

Set up supports

There is no doubt that humans are visual creatures therefore any where you can implement pictures in operating procedures can make improvements in the occurrence of errors, save time and ease the understanding of any document. Images are worth a thousand words and they can be read in seconds. Any document, no matter how technical or informative can be improved upon by incorporating pictures.

Time reduction on repeated set ups is a common focal point for improving efficiency. Effective and well-worded router operations remind an operator what was used for tooling and fixtures: in the case that it has been months since that set up was ran and in the case that it is a new operator unaware of process obstacles. Imagine now that your router has pictures and effective wording. No type of explanation or technical description can take the place of a well-shot photograph showing all the clamping, parallels and jack stands.

Tooling identification is another area where pictures can quickly used to identify the right tool. Who is going to remember or quickly finds a tool with the designation CXR5500-ABC3 but an image of this tool is almost instantly identified. 

Inserted milling cutters

One Christmas, I bought my wife a vacuum cleaner. I know, a household appliance for a present. Anyways, back to the story. Excited, she began to assemble the toy. I asked her if she needed the assembly instructions but she replied, “No”. After the construction process everything looked kosher but when she went to use it she realized the handle was on backwards. We all had a good laugh and then I began to look at the instructions. It was an exploded view with numbers and a corresponding explanation written in reference to the numbers. A light bulb went off and I realized this is the perfect way to describe the set up for complex parts. The machining cookbook was born and now individual recipes are written for parts in a family of sizes complete with pictures, process map and well-written descriptions.

These are just a few examples where pictures can be used as reminders, set up time reducers and the just plain old Ooops! I forgot to do that “stopper”. Use images anywhere you can!