Machine Shop Storage & organization

Machine Shop
#1

So when we move I want to be able for Machine Shop to become more organized & have things easier to find. The hopes is that if its easier to find then its easier to put back, I know it might be laughable but worth a try.

I have thoughts of say free standing shelving possibly, small parts trays, maybe kaizen foam for some things.

What are your visions? Your ideas? Let’s brainstorm & come up with some solutions.

#2
  1. Identify/define what drills and tap/die sizes are going to be stocked. Cutters, Inserts, Cut-off tools. Any others would be nice to have but not on Kaizan restock list.
  2. Identify/define other perishables: brushes, lubricants, cutting fluids, deburring blades, saw blades, etc.
  3. Identify/define common replacements tools: Calipers, safety glasses, hex wrenches
  4. Identify/define specific dedicated at machine tools for shadow board at machine: wrenches for adjustment (combination, hex, screw rivers, etc.), chuck keys
  5. Designated area/bin for broken tools (so we can see what being consumed) and bowl for dropping off Kaizan refill cards.
  6. Shadow boards for wall or drawer for basic level of tool provisioning
  7. Establish what consumption rate typically is and what reorder turn around time is from when MS needs generated through typical actual Treasurer approval time plus typical actual order time. This will set stockage levels. The stockage levels should be approve by the committee as recurring orders so can be ordered between MS meetings.
  8. Typical repair/maintenance parts inventory (typically 1 item/set): V-belts, Fuses/Motor brushes (thinking of things like auto feed on Bridgeport)

Kaizan items need to be separated from non-Kaizan items so can be inventoried quickly - could be all on end of shelf, separate area near machine or tool box, e.g. Haas cutters vs Bridgeport. They do not all have to be in one location, they could be near machine(s). Kaizan parts will have reorder cards or Kaizan number (the number will have a card be reorder drop of bowl). This are in same area as drop-off point and would also display cards that are on reorder and card removed when order comes in.

Kaizan systems are simple and can work very efficiency but it must be decided/defined is to be covered what reorder point is. These can all be set up on an Excel spreadsheet that designated persons that collect Kaizan cards in bowl can select and a macro sends email to designated addresses that has ordering information including URL.

2 Likes
#3

I really do not care where you put stuff, just get a decent label maker and get all the drawers, cabinets, containers, cases, etc. properly labeled. Big cabinets should have labels outside with a list of stuff inside.
Then when anybody has a few minutes to spare they can sort through everything and make sure everything is back in its correct place, could also be done after the monthly meeting. Inventories can be done at the same time.

1 Like
#4

A Brother P-touch exists in the teachers cabinet, plus plenty of donated ribbon. The Haas computer has the application loaded on it.
I recently used it to label the drawers of the large black toolbox. Doesn’t appear to do any good.

#5

My opinion is that we need lots of shallow drawers and flat surfaces.

Shallow drawers make it easier to find stuff than large cabinets or shelves (where things get stacked, put behind one another, etc). Also means that tools can be spread out so they’re closer to the relevant machines.

Flat surfaces near machines just give a place to put stuff while you’re working on it, rather than getting out a bunch wrenches to set up your fixtures on the bridgeport and leaving on the mill table (or running back and forth to the toolbox each time you need to adjust it).

We used this behind (i.e. your back is to it while running the mill) the mill area of my college shop and it worked very well for us.

Additionally, it’d be nice to spread out the measurement tools, keep a set of cheap calipers and a few small mics at each mill/lathe (since you pretty much always are going to need them). We could have a drill index at each machine as well (not a huge fan of the small cabinets where drills are easily put back in the wrong spot).

#6

Echoing this my favorite layout I have used was machine with table/shallow drawers (butcher block top, heavy duty, with drawers) right behind where you would stand in front of the machine. On the table/in the drawers were the immediate access tools you needed to run that machine. Paper towels, cutting fluids, allen wrenches, some toolholders, etc. Then on one wall was a row of Lista cabinets, labeled, with butcher block tops, with larger items on the back third of the butcher block. Large inspection tools such as surface plates and height gauges go on top of these, and tooling, such as drills, etc go in the drawers with Schaller bins. Cabinets such as the ones we already have house large items only, such as indexers or extra vises. In addition, a few pure worktables not in front of machines were around the top, with a steep top table (such as the one we already have) for extra heavy duty work.

Now, this configuration is probably not cheap, but it was wonderful to use. Whether it would be doable for our situation is up for debate.

Maybe something like this could be at each machine:
https://www.amazon.com/Seville-Classics-UHD20247B-Workbench-Stainless/dp/B005NAVFEW/ref=pd_bxgy_469_img_2/145-3951074-0397147?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B005NAVFEW&pd_rd_r=711e2cf0-aae9-4dce-99eb-f200abb92915&pd_rd_w=faf2Q&pd_rd_wg=4x6RW&pf_rd_p=09627863-9889-4290-b90a-5e9f86682449&pf_rd_r=ZMGVE8HFDDZ3DG4CF3J8&psc=1&refRID=ZMGVE8HFDDZ3DG4CF3J8

Two tables would share one of these perhaps to save some cash:
https://www.amazon.com/Seville-Classics-UltraHD-6-Drawer-Rolling/dp/B0072IFCCO/ref=pd_sbs_469_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0072IFCCO&pd_rd_r=b10f8ae0-a837-4dff-b7fb-495d85b7173e&pd_rd_w=BlFMk&pd_rd_wg=zzD4W&pf_rd_p=bdd201df-734f-454e-883c-73b0d8ccd4c3&pf_rd_r=G81FDSMBKGX1FP5WN2JY&psc=1&refRID=G81FDSMBKGX1FP5WN2JY

Then, the drawers Michael mentioned could make up the Lista cabinet section I mentioned.

Just food for thought, but I agree with the shallow drawers and flat surfaces approach in principle and from experience.

1 Like