Author: Joe Jackson
January 2018 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #62
PMPA’s Business Trends Report has been reporting an eight percent or more increase in the level of sales and shipments for our industry in 2017. We and our favorite economists see that trend continuing in the first half of 2018.
Here’s what I think is in store for 2018:
With 82 companies responding, the PMPA Business Trends Index for January 2018 jumped to 135, up 25% over December 2017, and up 5% over January 2017. This is up 8.9% over the five year average for January Sales. This 135 value is a new record for our January Sales Index- Last year’s 128 (tied with 2013) was the prior record. What it feels like-your experience getting orders produced and shipped in January felt a lot like it did for you in 2012 and 2014 when your shipments were up by 26-29% over December. What we are hearing “falling behind…exceeded forecast by 10%…Can’t get it out quick enough…Picking which jobs to run…” Almost three quarters of shops reporting (74.3%) reported sales increases up by ten percent or more in January.
December 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #61
Deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, Patrick Kapust, presented the agency’s preliminary list at the National Safety Congress and Expo on September 26 this year.
November 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #60
Decarburization on surface layers can affect heat treatment and hardness attained on parts. Decarburization also provides evidence of where in a process a defect or imperfection occurred.
October 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #59
Busy machines and production lines are good, but even better are busy machines and production lines that are making the right product and making the
product right. This is one perspective on OEE – Overall Equipment Efficiency.
September 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #58
Machinability of different materials is generally expressed as a percentage compared with a known standard. Carbon and alloy steels are compared with 1212. So are stainless steels. Coppers, brasses and bronzes are compared with 360 Brass. The benchmark grade for aluminum is 2011 at 100 percent. Generally speaking, shorter chips equal better machinability
August 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #57
Failures of steel parts in service or production occur infrequently. However, when steel parts fail, the consequences are dire. Here are seven ways that steel can fail as a result of quench cracking from heat treatment.
July 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #56
“Stress cracks are defined as transverse or near transverse open crevices created when concentration of residual stresses exceed the
local yield strength at the temperature of crack formation. These stresses can be mechanically induced or attributable to extreme temperature differences and /or phase transformations. They can originate at almost any point in the manufacture of the steel.”– AISI Manual Detection, Classification and Elimination of Rod and Bar Surface Defects.
June 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #55
In “The Toyota Way,” author Jeffrey Liker lists and discusses the eight non-value-adding wastes that can be found in business and manufacturing processes. These can be applied anywhere, not just on a production line. Here is a look at these wastes through the lens of our precision machining shop processes.
May 2017 | Craftsman’s Cribsheet #54
We all know the importance of safety in our shops, so here are 12 simple rules to help eliminate accidents and injuries in the workplace: