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Planning a manufacturing class for coworkers

SparWeb

SparWeb

Active Member
Hi,
Maybe the members have done something like this, or have some ideas / warnings I should think about.

I've been asked to prepare a class for my fellow engineering staff members. None of them have any mechanical experience but they have university degrees of various levels. Let's ignore the subject of "we can't hire smart guys anymore" and just stick to the subject of training the guys I have :) It's a group of 4, mostly young guys, and maybe I'll get some interest from others in the company. I'll cap it at 6 so I can keep my attention focused.

I have access to a sheet metal and light machining shop. I'm putting together a series of 5 in-shop exercises so that they can go through the motions of making some relatively simple parts. The goal is for them to produce 1 part in each exercise, which should take about 3-4 hours. On the last day they would assemble all the parts together (and buck some rivets too). I won't expect much quality, but I'll show them what's involved in doing these processes they casually put on drawings with no idea how much time or tooling it takes to do them.

I am eagerly hoping to see certain things go wrong (and purely for the educational reason, no other...):
  • whining about how long it takes to hand-file a 1/2" corner radius, on a part that only needed edges broken
  • chained dimensions that don't match up with supposedly matching holes on another part
  • slip fits that don't slip
  • threads that bind (or nuts that wiggle)
...And will do my best that other kinds of things don't go wrong. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway, there must be a safety briefing before we start, and every day before giving out the materials there will be a refresher.

If you were planning such a class, what would you do?

What kind of parts would you ask people to fabricate?

Or, should I give up on the whole idea and send them all down to the local tech college for real instruction?
 
Have them design on paper first, then build to the print, a practical lunch box. They won't have a clue, but should provide some education or at least some entertainment.
 
It may not be feasible to what you are trying to achieve, but there is nothing like working on your own project which becomes a take-home trinket. Even if its a non-functioning demo object. Somehow you have skin in the game & become more focused. Maybe its fear of not making the ugly one LOL. My first machining class was making a plumb bob with instructor assistance, then a center punch on your own, no help. . I still use the (O1) center punch to this day. The plumb bob wasn't doing a lot of bobbing but was made from nice 12L14 so it donated its soul to a higher purpose. And I still have my useless TIG welded coupon which holds a single pen (mostly to remind me that I still don't have a TIG welder).

If the class structure or machine / material availability doesn't lend itself to individual projects & it has to be a team project, consider throwing names in a hat & the lucky (or unlucky) winner takes home a riveted stainless steel bottle opener.

If the local tech college is anything like ours, man, the prices are getting steep. Example $650 for 30 hour welding class.
coned.sait.ca

WELD 001 Beginner Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG Welding)

coned.sait.ca coned.sait.ca
 
Dealing with university educated engineers you will need a big stick, to get their attention. Just my opinion though. ;)
 
the challenge you face takes me back to grade 9 machine shop....it took most beginners a year to make a friggin tack hammer. A year! Now you'd have time left over doing one in a weekend. They're engineers, so they are bright and not technically inept...but they are beginners at using any of the equipment and know no techniques. It will be difficult to come up with much of a project that won't grossly under estimate they time they'll need for everything.
 
I felt so strongly about your mission that I actually hired a fellow to provide hands on experience to young engineers.

In my opinion, book smart is useless if they have no clue about the things that make all the theory real.

We tried lots of different things but in the end settled on tearing down and rebuilding a small engine. Even the carburetor was torn down. The engine had to work when reassembled.

This gave them an overview of function, use of small tools, measurements, sense of scale, torque, size, etc etc.

For a small class like yours, one engine would suffice. Ours were donated by Linamar, but you can get a reasonably priced small engine at Princess Auto.

We deliberately avoided all the science around metallurgy, combustion, fluid dynamics, etc. Just take it apart, learn about the components, and put it back together properly.

The instructor supervised to provide learning opportunities and to make sure the farm kids stuck to being an assistant and didn't do all the work for everyone else.

Quite frankly, just as @Mcgyver suggests, we found early on that making things took too long and didn't impart as much knowledge or experience as the engine teardown and rebuild did.

I seem to remember that we also incorporated making a few simple tools to help with the disassembly/assembly process (eg a pin driver for the wrist pin?). If you can't find the right tool in the tool box, make one or cobble something up. "You are a smart kid, just figure it out!"
 
Susquatch said:
The instructor supervised to provide learning opportunities and to make sure the farm kids stuck to being an assistant and didn't do all the work for everyone else.
Click to expand...
You beat me to it. Students come with all sorts of backgrounds. Nowadays, I think a fair number of engineers will have spent years in a robotics club. And the farm kids probably know how to weld. But maybe the OP's group doesn't include any of those.

Craig
 
trlvn said:
Nowadays, I think a fair number of engineers will have spent years in a robotics club.
Click to expand...

right on, 3 out of 3 of my last engineer hires were out of a the same robotics team. I even sponsor (in part) the team and give them some them some time off to mentor the team, go to competitions etc.....We also have them coop with us during university so we build a relationship.....just like the big companies, that's my talent development strategy!

They still have a lot to learn (who doesn't?), but you're getting kids that have actually made stuff....and they're into it enough that thats how they've spent their leisure time.
 
SparWeb said:
Hi,
Maybe the members have done something like this, or have some ideas / warnings I should think about.

I've been asked to prepare a class for my fellow engineering staff members. None of them have any mechanical experience but they have university degrees of various levels. Let's ignore the subject of "we can't hire smart guys anymore" and just stick to the subject of training the guys I have :) It's a group of 4, mostly young guys, and maybe I'll get some interest from others in the company. I'll cap it at 6 so I can keep my attention focused.

I have access to a sheet metal and light machining shop. I'm putting together a series of 5 in-shop exercises so that they can go through the motions of making some relatively simple parts. The goal is for them to produce 1 part in each exercise, which should take about 3-4 hours. On the last day they would assemble all the parts together (and buck some rivets too). I won't expect much quality, but I'll show them what's involved in doing these processes they casually put on drawings with no idea how much time or tooling it takes to do them.

I am eagerly hoping to see certain things go wrong (and purely for the educational reason, no other...):
  • whining about how long it takes to hand-file a 1/2" corner radius, on a part that only needed edges broken
  • chained dimensions that don't match up with supposedly matching holes on another part
  • slip fits that don't slip
  • threads that bind (or nuts that wiggle)
...And will do my best that other kinds of things don't go wrong. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway, there must be a safety briefing before we start, and every day before giving out the materials there will be a refresher.

If you were planning such a class, what would you do?

What kind of parts would you ask people to fabricate?

Or, should I give up on the whole idea and send them all down to the local tech college for real instruction?
Click to expand...
Maybe your students should design the thing each of them wants to make. After they’ve had a go at it then consider sending them to the tech school.
 
Thank you for all the great replies!

Designing their own thing, then building it, could make a good "round 2" if we survive the first round, so thanks for that one Janger.

Disassembling a small motor is also a really good idea, Susquatch. I did the same in grade 11 high school, and since then I actually had another to tear down (I forget why). Darn it - I took my old lawnmower to recycling last summer.

I'm not expecting any of them to really have much manual skill to start with. One guy has a 3D printer and keeps suggesting every part we design (for aircraft!!) can be made with a 3D printer, so hopefully that stops. A few years ago, I coached an intern through the process of laying a weld bead, then gave him some frames to assemble (after I'd pre-cut and drilled all the pieces). He did an admirable job on the welds, but couldn't work the wrench to bolt the segments together. One is a girl who will lack the strength to lift or press certain things, so we have to stick to small parts.

I agree with those of you who pointed out that simple tasks will take much longer than they should, so don't get ambitious.
I'm only thinking of parts about 6" long, 1/8" rivets, and bolts 1/4" to 3/8" diameter.

My thoughts today go like this (allow up to 4 hours each, starting with a safety briefing and tool orientation):
Day 1: Cut an aluminum extruded channel to length. Square the cut end, break sharp edges, fillet the corners, drill 3 mounting holes.
Day 2: Cut an aluminum sheet into a square. Locate and drill 3 holes. Locate 2 bend lines. Bend 90 degree twice to make a "C".
Day 3: Turn a bushing on the lathe. Face the end. Bore the inside. Turn the outside. Part off. Re-chuck and face the end. Deburr.
Day 4: (still mulling it over)
Day 5: Assemble these parts. The sheet-metal and extrusion are riveted together. A bolt goes through the bushing (inside the channel flanges).

I hope to introduce measurement tools along the way: Scale, square, Protractor, Caliper, Micrometer

Tools to use:
Day 1: Hacksaw, file, deburrer, punch, drill press
Day 2: Shear, file, deburrer, punch, drill press, brake
Day 3: HSS toolbits, Center drill, Tailstock chuck, reamer, parting tool
Day 4...
Day 5: Clamps, Rivet Klecos, match-drilling by hand, bucking rivets, bolts
 
SparWeb said:
My thoughts today go like this (allow up to 4 hours each, starting with a safety briefing and tool orientation):
Day 1: Cut an aluminum extruded channel to length. Square the cut end, break sharp edges, fillet the corners, drill 3 mounting holes.
Day 2: Cut an aluminum sheet into a square. Locate and drill 3 holes. Locate 2 bend lines. Bend 90 degree twice to make a "C".
Day 3: Turn a bushing on the lathe. Face the end. Bore the inside. Turn the outside. Part off. Re-chuck and face the end. Deburr.
Day 4: (still mulling it over)
Day 5: Assemble these parts. The sheet-metal and extrusion are riveted together. A bolt goes through the bushing (inside the channel flanges).

I
Click to expand...
Love the curriculum - may I suggest some additions? Make it more fun by making the exercises more practical.
1. turn the aluminium channel into a garden tool holder bar with some hooks.
2. make the C into a storage box with a few more bends, tabs, and cuts.
3. make the bushing into a drill guide.
4. finish anything not done from above?
5. Rivet the storage box tabbed sides together. Drill the holes in the channel with the drill guide.
 
One of the first classes in Sait's Aeronautical Engineering program in the late 70's involved duplicating a C-Clamp using nothing more than a hacksaw and file. You measured the sample and laid it out on a chuck of steel with a scribe and layout fluid and then spend the next 5 classes sawing and filing. It was one of the classes that made me realize the program wasn't for me LOL.
 
Last edited:
YYCHM said:
One of the first classes in Sait's Aeronautical Engineering program in the late 70's involved duplicating a clamp using nothing more than a hacksaw and file. You measured the sample and laid it out on a chuck of steel with a scribe and layout fluid and then spend the next 5 classes sawing and filing. It was one of the classes that made me realize the program wasn't for me LOL.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the SAIT version of a weeder course. Somebody dreamed that up who didn't actually do it.
 
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