Tips and tricks
Installing management in woodworking plants
INSTALLING MANAGEMENT IN WOODWORKING PLANTS
BY CARLE M. BIGELOW
NEW YORK; THE ENGINEERING MAGAZINE COMPANY; 1920
DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK:
Installing management in woodworking plants
PREFACE
Teh author's purpose in preparing this book has been two-fold ; first, to express in a general way his ideas as to the application of the principles of scientific management to industry in general, and second, to outline in some detail the application of these principles to the specific problems of the woodworking industry.
As outlined in the first chapter, the woodworking industry is peculiar in many ways and as a result demands an entirely different application of the principles of scientific management than metalworking. The industry as a whole is decidedly non-technical and unstandardized. The equipment is undeveloped and in the average plant maintenance receives comparatively little attention. Any very highly developed scientific mechanism is therefore inapplicable to the industry, and for the same reason, in applying the functional type of organization, the application must be considerably modified and simplified. During the several years of experience of the author and his associates in applying scientific management to this industry, it has been his purpose to confine his recommendations and installations largely to fundamentals, hoping that after these have operated for some time that refinements of management and operation similar to those usually applied in the metalworking industry may be ultimately developed.
Considerable space is devoted to the standardization of the product itself, as the utility of interchangeable parts and of design which will assist manufacturing conditions has been little considered in this industry in the past.
The selection, handling, storing, drying, and utilization of lumber is practically as important to the woodworking industry as is the control of labor, and in the chapters devoted to these subjects description is given of the layout of the physical requirements in the way of trackage and truck facilities for storing and transporting it. Short descriptions are also given of the principal types of kilns commonly used for the drying of lumber, together with the theory of wood drying. Two common methods for controlling the movement of the lumber and the maintenance of dryness standards are likewise described and illustrative bonus rates shown for the manual handling of the lumber.
Purchasing and storing of material in general are treated rather briefly, as aside from lumber the volume of material used in a woodworking plant is not large.
The type of planning department required for a typical furniture industry is also described in detail, with particular reference to the stationery and forms required, the control boards, and the general method of procedure. Simplification of clerical methods by the means of graphic charts is suggested. The fundamental theory upon which this planning department is devised is based upon the ordering of the product through the plant to meet the requirements of "shaped parts" and "machined parts." Many a woodworking plant suffers from the impossibility of controlling its product simply because the method of ordering the manufacture creates a large job shop in place of a manufacturing plant. By the use of interchangeable parts wherever possible and the manufacture of these in large quantities through cutting and shaping operations, their storage in what is known as a “shaped-stock” storeroom, their withdrawal from this stock for tile individual fitting or machining operations required by the different units of product, the storage of these machined parts in a “machined-stock” storeroom from which they are withdrawn for the assembly or driving up operations, the advantage of gross manufacture may be realized, if the planning mechanism is properly devised, without danger of overstocking obsolete parts or units of the product. The author has applied this method of woodworking control to the manufacture of chairs, tables and miscellaneous furniture, and going to a far extreme, boxes.
The physical reorganization of a plant consisting of the rerouting and relocation of the equipment is also discussed. In this connection not only are the principles outlined upon which the reorganization is based, but the method and the routine for putting the changes through efficiently are also presented.
The author has likewise endeavored to outline his recommendations as to the standardization of shop practice in sufficient detail to enable the management of a small shop to install the methods suggested. Charts and tables of operation standards and time allowances are included wherever operations are common enough to apply in the average factory. Details of machine design and location are given for major operations, such as cutting-off, ripping, seat making, etc.
The fundamental lack of data as to the proper cutting of wood is discussed, together with the elements of a theory for the cutting of lumber evolved during several years of observation of cutting times for major operations.
The subjects of tool and fixture control, repair control, waste control, and the power problem in the average woodworking plant are discussed in short chapters.
The handling of the labor problem in a woodworking plant is discussed from the function of employment and certain practical applications of social service, and other general considerations, through to the remuneration of the labor by a special plan of wage payment. The establishment of the labor standards as a basis for this wage payment is covered by a brief description of simple time-study methods such as may be applied by a member of the local personnel of a woodworking plant.
Finally, the subject of cost acounting is presented in considerable detail. The accumulation of material and labor costs in the plant, the handling of indirect or overhead costs by means of a reserve or burden account, and the statistical details necessary to apply the figures to the various units of product are each discussed at some length. Charts of accounts and a general description of the uses of inter-controlled works and private ledgers are presented to illustrate the control and proving of costs by their absorption into the general accounting. The conclusion outlines the results which may be anticipated from installation of the methods described.
As outlined in the first chapter, the woodworking industry is peculiar in many ways and as a result demands an entirely different application of the principles of scientific management than metalworking. The industry as a whole is decidedly non-technical and unstandardized. The equipment is undeveloped and in the average plant maintenance receives comparatively little attention. Any very highly developed scientific mechanism is therefore inapplicable to the industry, and for the same reason, in applying the functional type of organization, the application must be considerably modified and simplified. During the several years of experience of the author and his associates in applying scientific management to this industry, it has been his purpose to confine his recommendations and installations largely to fundamentals, hoping that after these have operated for some time that refinements of management and operation similar to those usually applied in the metalworking industry may be ultimately developed.
Considerable space is devoted to the standardization of the product itself, as the utility of interchangeable parts and of design which will assist manufacturing conditions has been little considered in this industry in the past.
The selection, handling, storing, drying, and utilization of lumber is practically as important to the woodworking industry as is the control of labor, and in the chapters devoted to these subjects description is given of the layout of the physical requirements in the way of trackage and truck facilities for storing and transporting it. Short descriptions are also given of the principal types of kilns commonly used for the drying of lumber, together with the theory of wood drying. Two common methods for controlling the movement of the lumber and the maintenance of dryness standards are likewise described and illustrative bonus rates shown for the manual handling of the lumber.
Purchasing and storing of material in general are treated rather briefly, as aside from lumber the volume of material used in a woodworking plant is not large.
The type of planning department required for a typical furniture industry is also described in detail, with particular reference to the stationery and forms required, the control boards, and the general method of procedure. Simplification of clerical methods by the means of graphic charts is suggested. The fundamental theory upon which this planning department is devised is based upon the ordering of the product through the plant to meet the requirements of "shaped parts" and "machined parts." Many a woodworking plant suffers from the impossibility of controlling its product simply because the method of ordering the manufacture creates a large job shop in place of a manufacturing plant. By the use of interchangeable parts wherever possible and the manufacture of these in large quantities through cutting and shaping operations, their storage in what is known as a “shaped-stock” storeroom, their withdrawal from this stock for tile individual fitting or machining operations required by the different units of product, the storage of these machined parts in a “machined-stock” storeroom from which they are withdrawn for the assembly or driving up operations, the advantage of gross manufacture may be realized, if the planning mechanism is properly devised, without danger of overstocking obsolete parts or units of the product. The author has applied this method of woodworking control to the manufacture of chairs, tables and miscellaneous furniture, and going to a far extreme, boxes.
The physical reorganization of a plant consisting of the rerouting and relocation of the equipment is also discussed. In this connection not only are the principles outlined upon which the reorganization is based, but the method and the routine for putting the changes through efficiently are also presented.
The author has likewise endeavored to outline his recommendations as to the standardization of shop practice in sufficient detail to enable the management of a small shop to install the methods suggested. Charts and tables of operation standards and time allowances are included wherever operations are common enough to apply in the average factory. Details of machine design and location are given for major operations, such as cutting-off, ripping, seat making, etc.
The fundamental lack of data as to the proper cutting of wood is discussed, together with the elements of a theory for the cutting of lumber evolved during several years of observation of cutting times for major operations.
The subjects of tool and fixture control, repair control, waste control, and the power problem in the average woodworking plant are discussed in short chapters.
The handling of the labor problem in a woodworking plant is discussed from the function of employment and certain practical applications of social service, and other general considerations, through to the remuneration of the labor by a special plan of wage payment. The establishment of the labor standards as a basis for this wage payment is covered by a brief description of simple time-study methods such as may be applied by a member of the local personnel of a woodworking plant.
Finally, the subject of cost acounting is presented in considerable detail. The accumulation of material and labor costs in the plant, the handling of indirect or overhead costs by means of a reserve or burden account, and the statistical details necessary to apply the figures to the various units of product are each discussed at some length. Charts of accounts and a general description of the uses of inter-controlled works and private ledgers are presented to illustrate the control and proving of costs by their absorption into the general accounting. The conclusion outlines the results which may be anticipated from installation of the methods described.
Carle M. Bigelow.
CONTENTS
- Traditional Peculiarities of Woodworking Making Scientific
- Organization and Its Installation
- Product
- Lumber
- Purchasing and Storing
- Planning Department
- Layout and Routing of the Plant
- Shop Practice and Standardization
- The Cutting of Lumber
- Labor Control
- Tool and Fixture Control
- Repair Control
- Waste Control
- Power Plant
- Cost Accounting
- Results to be Expected by Application of Methods Outlined
INTRODUCTION
SEVERAL years ago an association of manufacturers composed of about sixty members, whose factories were engaged in manufacturing a similar type of furniture, opened a discussion regarding the necessity for a uniform plan of cost accounting. In order to demonstrate the necessity for such work, the secretary of the association had specifications drawn up for a standard type of an article of furniture manufactured by practically every member, and he submitted these specifications to the various members with the request that they figure the cost of manufacture. The replies to these inquiries received by the Secretary showed a variation of over one hundred per cent between the lowest and highest cost calculated by the various members.
As a result of this investigation, the association not only authorized the organization with which the author is connected to devise and install for it a uniform plan of cost accounting, but it also brought about a general inquiry by individual members into the effectiveness of their own businesses and this in turn led to the introduction of scientific management in the plants of several of the members. With this work as a nucleus, similar work has been done in practically every branch of the woodworking industry. All of the engineering and management features have been executed under the supervision of the author and he has thus been afforded an opportunity to judge from actual experience the efficacy of the application of the various fundamentals of scientific management as applied to the woodworking industry.
Each phase outlined in these discussions has been actually applied in one or several instillations in woodworking factories, the author having selected and outlined herein the various practices which have proved most effectual. The majority of the illustrative examples have been taken from chair manufacturing practice with which the author is particularly familiar.
In addition to discussing the application of scientific management to woodworking, it is also the purpose of the author to outline the principal phases of the technique of the general application of the principles of scientific management as viewed by himself and associates, and which he believes apply fundamentally to any industry.
DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK: Installing management in woodworking plants
Free books category: