Using Checklists

Has the engineer who’s been out monitoring a tool build ever OK’d everything and brought the mold into the shop and you’ve found (1) the waterline nipples are standing proud instead of being countersunk if they even showed up at all?  (2) The mold didn’t come with its own safety hoist rings? (3) Folks forgot (?) to put vents in?  (4) Nobody provided you with ejector rods? (5) It didn’t have clamp slots on all sides? (6) The ball radius on the sprue bushing was the wrong size for your machine OR they didn’t give you a mating machine nozzle as part of the mold purchase? (excuses #7-10,000) Etc? These pesky little “Opps” are something everyone has encountered.  Why? There are a zillion little details that are hard to not only articulate on a purchase order (unless you have your own detailed tooling standards) but even harder to check in the panic to ship the mold to the production source and begin making money.

What’s the solution? Simple.  Use a checklist the same way the pilot does before he goes into the air.  Pilots know that if they don’t use their checklist each time before takeoff and something goes wrong at 35,000 feet; they’ll be the first ones at the crash site instead of landing at their destination. Mold Engineers should do the same: Checking out each mold before it ships, no matter how good you are or how often you’ve done it avoids those ‘little’ problems that cause big problems on the production floor.

The attached document is a Checklist you can print out and use.

Mold Check List  ( a 4 page Word document download )

At worst, for the Newbie engineer, you won’t be laughed at when you bring your first mold into the plant.  At best, it’s an excellent memory jogger for those folks who tell you they know everything.

Anything that avoids delays gets you into production sooner.  Shipping to your customer is the only way you make money.  Think about it.

Author’s note:  This list is from Qualifications Startups and Tryouts 2nd edition.
It can be bought for $30 USD on the website bookstore at wjtassociates.com

Contact me with questions put in the subject line QUESTIONS.
Bill Tobin, WJT Associates, E-mail: bill4012@hotmail.com