Training has been a buzzword in the manufacturing world for many years. All companies see and express the need for training. The problem of experienced employees retiring is real. Today companies fight the battle of running operations with inexperienced personnel. Training the workforce is a must and proves to be a difficult task. Training is at the top of the list for continuous improvement for just about every company – they all see the need for training, but finding the correct method is difficult.
The manufacturing industry spans the width of the globe. The battle of manufacturing parts at a competitive price is real. Selling manufactured goods for this discussion has three parts: material, method, and markup. The material is many times out of our control and markup is only adjustable to the market price of the goods. The only variable that can be altered is the method. To alter the method companies have to understand the processes and how to increase the output efficiently. Training and automation are to key tools in accomplishing this. Automation requires additional training so in the end, training is essential to success.
Roll forming is an industry that has carried the persona of “Black Art.” Many companies have the one plant expert and depend on the employee all the time. When the time comes and that employee retires a huge hole is left and creates the need for training. Companies have tried to fill this gap with shadowing programs, but many times there is not enough time or the expert is not a not a trainer and the shadowing program is not a success. The need for quality training the Formtek provides grows every day.
Bringing in outside help to train can create obstacles. Companies are already short on workforce personnel and taking the current personnel out of production for 8-24 hours is unacceptable to many management teams. Management teams have to remember:
“If you always do what you have always done, then you always get what you have always got!”
Ray Leathers
The only way to get a different outcome is to train for something different. The roll forming industry has to refuse the “Black Art” concept and find the answers. There are great examples of this in sports. Teams get new players and the coaches have to develop a new process to have them succeed. To do this first they have to train. They train to the team’s strengths and find answers through data and hands-on experiences.
Formtek’s training has a clear goal. Formtek works with management to create the proper fit training for the company's operation. The training is the playbook for the team’s success. Explaining the roll forming process and hands-on training build the foundations of skills needed in the roll forming process. Building on this foundation results in success.
The training defines and describes the roll forming process. This step many times is lacking in shadowing programs. Many schools use shadowing programs to teach students, but they have to go through weeks of book work to understand the profession first. This system allows the students to learn about the profession and then go into a real-world experience. Teaching and understanding the roll forming process is the same. Engineers, operators, and management need to understand the basic principles of roll forming to implement a quality training program. Formtek takes the time to explain the process and the principles of the roll forming process.
The mechanical training of the roll forming process is the meat and potatoes of the training. Taking the basic knowledge of the roll forming process and learning how to mechanically adjust the machine is the next step. Many employees are adjusting roll formers incorrectly because that is all they know. Teaching the proper method of setting the roll tooling is critical. Understanding roll setting process allows the employee to use reasoning skills to make adjustments. This basic skill also is the key to begin in the next phase of troubleshooting. If the employee knows how to set tooling properly they can begin to identify issues. Once issues are identified they can be corrected.
Formtek uses a hands-on approach in the mechanical training portion. Using in-house machines or classroom models allows for the Formtek instructors to show and explain adjustments for the roll former. This creates a learning environment so students can ask questions about the process. Instructors and students create a real-time experience to understand roll forming.
Roll forming lines today vary in size. Lines could be anywhere from just a roll former to complex lines with multiple operations. Formtek has a large team of companies that range from the un-coiler to the cut-off. This large team allows specialized training for a company’s need.
Once the training is complete, the hardest step then occurs. Management has to support the training to allow for the learning curve to happen so success can happen. Practicing the newly learned methods allow for the production teams to work and understand the process together. Being on the same page will allow for issues to be identified and solutions to be implemented. The team will begin to perform.
Here is a quote from a roll forming company that made the sacrifice to train their roll form team:
“Aside from the practical applications, of which there were many, the training helped our operators understand why the equipment operates the way it does. In much the same way a doctor must understand the human body to properly diagnose illness, so too was understanding the roll form line to problem-solving operational issues. As our operators became more aware of how a healthy line functioned our root cause skills and standard work took a leap forward. Bottom line: our throughput improved by nearly 25%.”
Shaun Pressly
Worthington Industries
This is an example of a management team taking the time to utilize Formtek’s training and get a 25% increase in throughput. Increasing the output results in lower manufacturing cost and larger profits – justifying the cost and the time of the training.
If your roll form department is struggling, losing trained employees, or new to roll forming you need to look at outside training from Formtek. Training will help identify and solve obstacles in the pathway of your company goals. In the end, we are always training. We are training for success or we are training for failure.