Production Work Instruction format/template

[mit95102920]

Hi Everyone!

I hope someone can help me with the production work instruction format.

In my present company they already have a production work I but it is not detailed. What the Eng'g team did was to have a more detailed one with pictures of course, but I think the chinese management doesn't want something like this.

But we explained that it is what we call also part of the visual management that almost all companies have been practicing using pictures for instructions posted in each station or work area.

Now we will still try again to convince them to use pictures, can anyone guide us with what to include in a complete production work I, if you can share your format or template file, that would be a great help for us here.

Thanks to all who have been so generous on helping us (starting engineers), to learn many things & work the proper way.

All the best to Everyone!

 

[blucas1]

What to include in shop floor work instructions is largely a matter of audience and complexity of task as well as regulatory requirements. In many environments, pictorial based work instructions consist only of "standard work." These type of instructions typically involve 4-5 steps described at a high level with no detail and one picture supporting each task. When a task is more complex or when training new workers, "detailed work" may be required and typically involves one or more pictures of each step of the operation and detailed instructions on how to carry out each step. Detailed work instructions are a great case and justification for use on electronic or paperless deployment, particularly when regulatory requirements require stringent reporting and revision control for each work order. Examples of all three of these can be found at www.productionmanuals.com.

 

[mit95102920]

Hi!

Thank you so much for your advice & for this link!

^o^

 

[domettim]

The type of work instruction and what to include in work instructions is mainly what will work with the complexity of your process.

2 types I can think of are:
1) Detailed - the more complex tasks could take the form of a page or 2 or more of specific details required to be consistent with the work to be performed and should include where the material, department, or piece was most recently processed and also where it will go next when it's completed

2) Router - for simple parts this takes the form of a traveler for work in process and may include all the work instructions from start to finish and may only use 1 or 2 process work instructions per work station. The traveler is turned in when the task is completed with the number of pieces for production scheduling purposes.

Photos should be used when ever possible. These help reduce the amount of text required to describe a task

Care should be taken in both cases to allow for revisions to the process.


Tim

http://www.dom-met.com

 

[renzon]

We use a simple layout on PowerPoint that we save as a slide master.

We have a small section in the bottom right, 3.5"x1.5", with the part name, materials, equipment/tools needed, revision, page xofx, and company logo/name for style points. The top of the slide has the work instruction title, ours have name and W.I number, and then two large sections split in the middle which spans the width of the slide. On the left, any illustrations and on the right are process details. Obviously, some operations require multiple illustrations which cannot always fit in the given space so; we have made slides that are only for illustrations. As long as we make proper reference, usually “see figure x”, most of the operators have not had trouble following along. The bottom left corner has another box, 3.5"x1.5", with any special notes/cautions.

It is a very crude set up but management has been very positive with their feedback, and has recently asked we begin updating all of our W.I's to this new format.

Our previous format what very poorly constructed with little, if any, process instructions. In some instances the W.I's instructed you to follow instructions given in a different manual which is not available on the shop floor. My only complaint is that space can become limited especially when you want to put lots of detail in. Otherwise we feel that it has greatly improved the quality and understanding of our part production.

 

[tripleZ]

It really depends on your process and the type of employees that you have working for you. We used to do a lot of training and had a good number of long-term experienced people working on the floor. We were able to make our instructions far less detailed as a result of that focus. With the constant cost reduction efforts and cutbacks in past years, and because we are no longer anywhere near the best paying facility in town, we now have to rely on short term employees with a lower skill level (but the pay rate makes the accountants happy). So our instructions have become far more detailed.

We use MS Word for the basic processing instructions, then hyperlink through the network to SPC forms, detailed work instructions, etc., as needed. Some of this may seem like overkill, but with automotive and TS you simply find yourself documenting everything under the sun so that there is no question as to part quality or how to do something.

 

[tripleZ]

And the simple instructions

 

[mit95102920]

thanks a lot!
thanks for all your help & advice...^o^

 

[avery5931]

Hello mit-xx,

How has your instruction implementation come along?

To say the Chinese management doesn't want instructions with pictures may be an over-simplification. I suspect there are underlying reasons: perhaps the cost of creating the instructions, or the cost of maintaining and keeping the instructions up to date.

I've had the opportunity to coordinate manufacturing instructions with one of our Chinese production facilities, and in my experience pictures were very well received. Production stations were able to proceed without heavily relying on English team leads brought in from Malaysia and Singapore.

 

[KENAT]

We've started leveraging our CAD model data more and more to help with this and have a format in CAD.

Most instructions end up with a mix of photo's and CAD based illustrations using either exploded views (high maintenance but people love them) or just views with parts hidden etc.

Top left of each page are any up front inspection, e.g. for optical components checking they aren't scratched & are clean. Top right are the actual instructions, as brief as possible relying on the pictures/illustrations. Bottom right are post work inspections, e.g. has all excess glue been wiped off etc.

We also have a couple of older MS word

The ideas are pretty sound but the execution is clumsy and time consuming.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484

 

[Newmanite]

Hi mate it sounds like an exciting time at your company at the moment, you are involved in changing ideas of what management have in relation to the safety of their workers,when writing your procedures add in an area where the workers themselves can identify hazards and rectify them before work starts and when you recieve that information include it in a generic form where inexperienced workers can also identify these and with any luck some can be designed out at a later date or immediately.Include tooling required weight of components(if lifting is required),an area for comments from the workers to improve the job.
When writing these ask the most experienced of the workers to be involved as they are the people that will know how to get it done safely and efficently