Page 36 - MetalForming June 2017

Approach to Greatness
out-of-spec parts. As a result, operators can tend to more than one press at a time, and our customers enjoy a higher level of consistent part quality.”
In just a handful of years the com- pany has truly mastered, to the highest global standards, digital and analog sensor applications within its tooling, and has spread this wealth of sensor expertise throughout the rest of its shop-floor manufacturing processes. It just makes sense that the lessons learned from implementing an error- proofing sensor program to prevent die crashes carry forward throughout the rest of the company’s manufactur- ing processes, including assembly.
A Skills-Training Academy
Finding skilled manufacturing help is a challenge throughout the United States and Canada, as baby boomers retire with few if any new replacement employees being formally and thorough- ly trained on the requisite retiring skills. And, Larsen & Shaw is no exception. To address this concern, the company cre- ated an internal school to grow its own manufacturing talent from within.
“As a well-established family-owned company with a very dedicated, rural workforce,” Bushell says, “we lacked a formal technical training program for much of our history. The management team viewed this as a major threat to our ongoing sustainability. So, in 2011 we began to invest heavily in training.
“We’ve built 11 core modules and half of a dozen (and counting) advanced technical-training mod- ules,” she continues. “And, we sup- plemented these modules with other training systems available in the mar- ket, including the Precision Metal- forming Association’s OnBoardingME program, which we use to orient new hires into the world of manufacturing. Our training includes a wide variety of delivery methods, including self- study, classroom and online, and includes shop-floor hands-on com- petency assessments.”
The sensor program and formal training system at Larsen & Shaw both
Classroom training at Larsen & Shaw encompasses 11 core modules developed inhouse supplemented by several advanced technical-training modules. Here, shop-floor work- ers take in a class on coil-feed setup.
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represent significant investments for the company. The benefits of the sensor program are, perhaps, obvious: increased machine uptime, minimized tooling damage, less scrap and improved better part quality and con- sistency. When it comes to training, Bushell says, “the benefits of training may be questionable to some, but not to us. In the past, this was a serious deficiency that would have eventually threatened the ongoing success of the company. The time and money that we have invested on the internal devel- opment of critical educational mate- rials, the purchase of third-party train- ing programs, and having a dedicated trainer (our most experienced technical resource), as well as dedicating time for other people to create educational material and to teach, is the only way to ensure that we develop the necessary skills needed to ensure long-term suc- cess. What could be more important than that?”
It is fair to say that for the vast majority of the company’s history, training was a serious weakness. Within the last few years, it has turned it into a strength, “which helps me sleep much better at night,” Bushell adds.
The Critical Role of ERP Software
The proper selection of manufac- turing employees is more important than ever as various computer tech- nologies become mainstream on the manufacturing floor. Finding truly trainable metalforming and assembly employees can prove difficult for many companies. At Larsen & Shaw, a new ERP system helps overcome this ongo- ing challenge.
“We have developed a robust can- didate-screening process, orientation and technical-training programs,” Bushell says. “And, we have tied it all together with the help of our ERP sys- tem (Plex, implemented in January 2015). With Plex, for example, we can document for any given position the various steps in the required training plan, using a work-flow process. This provides online visibility of an employ- ee’s progression through the plan, and allows us to provide assistance when necessary.
“Training materials store neatly online as well,” Bushell continues, “for ease of access by the trainer and as ongoing references for employees. We maintain formal training records