Aug 31, 2023 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Understanding Design Intent: Top Tips To Get Better Results
Can we apply the principles of Design Intent to build a better Mouse Trap?
The aim of the Design Intent process is to Get it right – Every time. It may be a product design or process methodology, however the basic principles are the same – Actions and Activities don’t just happen – They Need To Be Made To Happen. Always keep that thought front and center.
In order to Get them right – Every time – there needs to be a very clear Design Intent and focus.
Whilst most progressive companies encourage their creative people to “think outside of the square”
There also a needs to be a very clear strategy and standardized guidelines.
Design Intent Application
The standardized application of Technical Procedures, Methodologies and Process is paramount. It follows that having proven strategic guidelines will provide a much greater chance of a successful outcome.
There is a well known saying that a camel is the result of a horse being designed by a committee – without clear Design Intent
The 3R Philosophy has been designed and developed as a concise and easy to understand system. The core elements of this system can be applied across many disciplines other than Engineering. The 3R Philosophy is free for anyone to use. There is no need for several days of an “in depth” course which provides lots of detail and buzz words but which no one will ever remember and at a cost of mega bucks. Hit this link to Engineering The 3R Way and find “A Better Way”.
Producing a spaceship and all of the ancillary functions needs a very clear Design Intent
You may be a seasoned campaigner or fresh out of university or somewhere in between. The bottom line is that Engineering the 3R Way will either rekindle that dormant knowledge or fire up your desire to learn the tips and tricks for success. Either way its a Win Win.
Design Intent Conclusion
The word Design can have several meanings. However in the context of this article – it is a clear and unambiguous entity which may be an object or process or procedure or methodology etc. The word Intent is the expected end result of an action. Therefore when the two come together they set a clear and unambiguous target.
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jun 28, 2023 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Successful Engineers have learned to avoid “Verbal Instruction” only
Verbal Instruction to Replace “Like with Like” without fully understanding the issues has many traps.
I was working as an Engineering contractor for a large company on a project. I was sitting in on a regular maintenance/project meeting when it was brought up that a concrete plinth which was supporting a motor/pump assembly was falling apart and needed to be repaired. This company outsourced a lot of work to subcontractors and the Maintenance Manager said that this happens on a regular basis with a lot of the pump assemblies in this area and he would organize for a sub contractor to repair it.
Later in the day I was walking through the area and had a look at the plinth in question. Yes – it was falling apart and many of the others were in a similar poor state. As I watched the operators working in the area – it was pretty obvious why.
It was a very congested area and the operators needed to move gear through on hand pallet trucks and trolleys. Because it was so congested – they were continually hitting the concrete plinths which eventually broke down and fell apart.
The operators were clearly not going to change their way of working or “be more careful”.
I gave this issue some thought – then went back to my Manager and suggested that when the concrete plinth was repaired – we could easily fit steel plates around the external sides of the plinth. Then when the plinth was hit again – the steel plate would protect the concrete sides. Very simple and very cheap. My Manager agreed and I designed a very basic set of protective plates which could be fabricated and fitted to all of the “at risk” plinths in the area.
Engineering Drawings For Minor Works – Protective metal plates added to the sides of concrete plinth after being repaired
Cross reference with Engineering Drawings For Minor Works
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jun 28, 2023 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Simple Verbal Instruction: Copy Existing Machine Components Is a Fail
Simple Verbal Instruction: Copy Existing Machine Components Is a Fail – I will briefly touch on another problem which can occur when issuing Verbal Instruction to outside contractors, asking them to copy existing machine components.
I was contracting at a company who ran a production line with several “in line” pieces of precision equipment which had been purchased overseas. Over a period of time – lines of communication with the Original Equipment Manufacturer had evaporated and the company liked to use local contractors as much as possible. Therefore when the parts for the precision pieces of equipment started to wear – A worn part was removed and given to a local Toolmaker with the request to “Make Us Another One Of These”
- Obviously there was no original Engineering Drawing
- It was a worn part – so what were the original dimensions?
- This is a precision piece – What are the required tolerances
- What is the material?
- What heat treatment or hardness requirements?
And of course there are some obvious questions –
How will a new part interact with any existing worn parts which are not going to be replaced
Whilst the toolmaker does the best that they can – there is a lot of guesswork. And hopefully the toolmaker keeps a sketch or similar for their own records.
Hand measuring worn and damaged existing machine component can lead to may negative issues
The part may work – Or it may cause the mating parts to suffer – its all guesswork.
If an Engineering drawing had been created – There would be a record and if certain details were not correct – they could be adjusted in a logical rational manner – with follow up drawings being updated until the design was correct and a satisfactory part could then be manufactured every time.
When this type of situation arises – a second result could be that in the Toolmakers eyes, they now own the design for this component – which has been measured and produced by them. So, the company is pretty much locked into buying more of these from this Toolmaker at their price. The company is not able to get competitive prices from other Toolmakers. Or if the Toolmaker goes out of business or loses the record – It is back to square one. If there is a detailed Engineering Drawing – competitive quotes can also be obtained on a regular basis
Cross reference with Engineering Drawings For Minor Works
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jun 28, 2023 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Simple Verbal Instruction: Fixed Machine Guarding Is A Fail
Simple Verbal Instruction: Fixed Machine Guarding Is A Fai – I was working at a factory which had an old Flexographic printer. A Safety Audit picked up exposed moving parts and Verbal Instruction was given to the maintenance department to fit fixed machine guarding. This was done over a weekend.
However – When the production crew started to run the machine – they discovered that the guard, which was fixed in position, blocked their “line of sight” to an important observation point on the print web as it was running. Although the machine used automatic tracking for the paper – this function was not absolutely foolproof and the operators wanted to see the actual print as it traveled around rollers in order to verify that the tracking was working correctly. Also, certain “change over” adjustment points could not now be accessed and the crew had to use a difficult access point for the change over adjustments.
“Tough” was the response from the maintenance people when this issue was raised with them. “We were instructed to fit a guard and that’s what we have done – you will have to work around any “minor” issues” was their comment
I was brought into the company on a contract basis to work on another project. At some stage I needed to discuss my project with the machine operators and as an ancillary issue – they brought up the problem of blocked vision and access to adjustment points. My manager (who was not the same manager who issued the initial verbal request) was happy for me to look at this problem and I subsequently redesigned the guard in such a way that it complied with all statutory safety standards and allowed “line of site” to verify the print position and gave them back their access points.
Engineering Drawing for redesigned front Guarding on Flexographic printer
Cross reference with Engineering Drawings For Minor Works
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jun 28, 2023 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Simple Verbal Instruction For “In Line” Machine Guarding Fails
Simple Verbal Instruction For “In Line” Machine Guarding Fails – I recall one case at a large company when Verbal Instruction was given to the maintenance department to fit a section of guarding to an “In Line” manufacturing process.
The production people needed to access a machine which was part of an “In Line” process – for routine adjustment during “set up” – this was done by “inching” and did not present a safety issue as there were well documented and well understood procedures in place.
However there were exposed moving parts when the machine was in production and it was deemed to be a safety issue.
A Verbal Instruction was given to the maintenance department to fit a guard and a fixed guard was fabricated and installed over a weekend, when the line was not running.
Verbal Instruction for “In Line” machine guarding without consultation with the machine operators can lead to many problems
The production people then found that they could not get access to the machine and ripped out the guard so that they could gain access and of course they left it removed and in a fairly damaged state.
The guard was then repaired and welded on at the next scheduled outage – and again it was ripped out. The maintenance people then decided that it was a waste of their time and just left it.
It was ignored for a long time until another Safety Audit again identified the problem of moving parts and deemed that a guard was required.
However – This time the job was given to the Engineers – Consultation with the production people followed and the result was that an effective hinged guard with suitable interlocks was designed, fabricated and installed.
Cross reference with Engineering Drawings For Minor Works
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jun 28, 2023 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Engineering Drawings For Minor Works: And Get Better Results
Always produce Engineering Drawings For Minor Works: And Get Results – How often are small, seemingly minor jobs instigated with only verbal instruction or the simplest of hand sketches and with no detailed Engineering Drawings for the minor works?
Why is it so? – To use a well known phrase or saying
Well…… There are many reasons given –
- It’s a very simple, basic job and doesn’t need a drawing
- We don’t want to spend time or money on a detail drawing for such a small job – it is not justified
- Why spend time, effort and money on a small job which the fitter/millwright/skilled worker/contractor can do without a detail drawing and in fact they have done similar jobs many times before
- We don’t have a drafter or the ability to produce an Engineering Drawing
- All of our Engineering staff are currently fully occupied on other major work
- We don’t know what we want – but its pretty simple and we want it fixed and we are sure that the fitter/millwright/skilled worker/contractor can come up with something – they always have in the past
- We always use contractors – we tell them the issues and they figure it out and fix it
- And other similar reasons
The reasons all follow a similar pattern.
However the bottom line is – If there is no Engineering Drawing – How on earth do you know what you are going to get – it’s just like signing a blank cheque. You may get a very good fix or you may not.
And that fix will come at a cost – and not always in money.
Verbal instructions with no detailed Engineering drawings can have widely differing interpretation
I fully expect that there will be some people who will say – “its all very minor stuff – not worth spending much time or money on – JFDI (Just Flipping Do It) – We do not need Engineering Drawings
However, there are many potential traps and follow up questions – such as –
Does the finished work ……
- Comply with all of the relevant statutory external Standards
- Comply with all internal company standards
- Comply with all of the relevant OH&S requirements
- Suit the ergonomic requirements
- Actually provide a suitable solution to the problem
- Provide an “ongoing fix” or will it fall apart very quickly
- Become a “band aid “fix for a problem which will keep returning
- Become a temporary fix which “looks like a temporary fix” and will never get a proper fix – the problem with these types of fixes is that it becomes the accepted norm and they can get progressively worse.
Verbal instruction with no Engineering Drawings for Minor Works. Who knows what the “fix” will be
And of course – There is no permanent record of specifically what has been done, so that if there is a recurring or similar problem – a different fitter/millwright/skilled worker/contractor will need to start again from the beginning. Maybe a different fix – maybe better – maybe worse – who knows? as the work is not being recorded or managed
With no detailed Engineering Drawing there is every chance that a Band Aid solution could be put in place and stay in place until the next breakdown
Most companies are trying to instill a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in their staff. However, it can be counterproductive when questionable fixes are put in place for small jobs and particularly if they stick out like the proverbial sore thumb because there was never an Engineering Drawing
Sometimes all work is done by outside contractors – I have seen major companies close down all of their internal engineering capabilities and outsource everything – as a cost saving measure.
Whilst this may show a cost saving in one area of the financial accounts in the short term – it is very likely to create a much larger expense in other areas of the financial accounts. And this cost is quite often not captured or immediately obvious.
This can be a very dangerous practice for a number of reasons – However the people who make these decisions are generally very removed from the day to day running of the business and can be quite oblivious to the problems and costs encountered by the people “at the coal face”
I have worked as a contract Engineer/Drafter at a number of companies over the past 50 years or so and have seen many of these issues “first hand”
I will briefly touch on a few areas.
Does guarding which was fabricated and fitted “on the run” comply with statutory standards
- Temporary repairs to pressure piping which have been in place for years – just forgotten about – but will burst eventually with the possibility of serious ramifications.
- Machine Guards which have been fabricated and installed “on the run” which do not comply with safety standards.
- Stairs, Steps, Hand Railing and Platform repairs etc are all likely candidates for non complacence and in danger of being trip or fall hazards
Some companies have regular safety audits and these get picked up.
In other companies these dangers are just part of the working environment – until something goes wrong and there is an incident.
I would also comment that in several companies I did contract work for, the maintenance fitters would keep their own detailed records of machine issues and repairs, typically hand written in note books. Generally they were very protective of this information. In their eyes they owned this data and it was not to be shared with anyone. This went some way to protecting their positions at the companies. And as long as the machines ran OK – this was not an issue with senior management who generally where focused on other issues. In my view it was poor practice – but it seemed to work for them. – Most of the time!!
See attached links for some typical examples –
I recall one case at a large company when Verbal Instruction was given…..
I was working at a factory which had an old Flexographic printer. A Safety Audit picked up exposed moving parts…..
I will briefly touch on a problem which can occur when issuing verbal requests to outside contractors…..
Verbal Instruction to replace “Like with Like” has many traps…….
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Nov 9, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
The Devil’s Advocate In Engineering: Tips For Better Results
Overview
The Devils Advocate needs to ask the difficult questions in an unbiased and balanced way in order to find any hidden problems
Regardless of it being a very complex project, a fairly simple/basic job or simply routine management tasks, one of the key elements to success is to apply The Devil’s Advocate In Engineering methodology.
Obviously the complexity of the project or task dictates the level of detail. However the basic principles and fundamentals are always the same.
In simple terms, The Devil’s Advocate is a skilled person or group of people, who can take a critical but balanced approach to the subject in question.
For example, this could be a Management Decision, Engineering Project or Engineering Design. The Devil’s Advocate needs to dissect each aspect, ask probing questions and ensure that the proposal is sound and stands up to scrutiny – with no defects or flaws.
Typically – experienced Managers and Engineers will be their own version of The Devil’s Advocate for routine tasks. However for larger and more involved projects, it becomes very valuable to use an independent entity who has no personal input to the project in question. But have the knowledge
The Devil’s Advocate In Engineering needs to peel back the Layers – Get under the skin and ask the difficult questions without getting tears in the eye
and skill to peel back the layers, in order to understand the proposal. And then to ask the relevant questions in a calm and measured fashion.
For large projects, companies may also have standardized, detailed methodology, for example the HAZOP process.
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Topics – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Nov 9, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Engineering Time Line: Top Tips To Get Better Results
Engineering Time Line – The Clock Is Ticking – There is always a need to manage against a realistic preset Time Line and to have progressive measurable milestones
Regardless of it being a very complex project, a fairly simple/basic job or simply routine management tasks, one of the key elements to success is having an Engineering Time Line, with clear and measurable milestones and of course hitting those milestones.
Obviously the complexity of the project or task dictates the level of detail. However the basic principles and fundamentals are always the same.
Overview
- There are many Time Line tools available
- The Gantt Chart or a variation of the Gantt Chart is always popular for complex projects
- For simple tasks or smaller projects it may be that one of the simpler tools or a check list of tasks on a spread sheet with completion dates or other appropriate measures will do the job
- Be very aware that tools such as the Gantt Chart can be quite resource hungry to prepare and manage. For smaller projects it may be much more cost effective to adopt simpler methods
- Regardless of the task at hand – document and set realistic measurable milestones
- It is important to ensure that all parties who are involved, understand and commit to those milestones
- Ensure that the commitment is documented
- For routine work it may be by “Minutes of Meetings” which are “signed off” or email messages which are clear, unambiguous and recorded
- Ensure that the milestones can in fact be measured and recorded
- Make sure that outside contractors understand their responsibilities and that their progress can be and will be measured
- Be aware that contractors or internal departments may agree to terms and conditions in order to win an order or curry favor without fully analyzing or understanding the details which they have committed to
- Ensure that the commitments are well documented in the terms and conditions of Purchase Orders and Contracts and that there may be legally enforceable penalties if these conditions are not met
- You hope that you will never need to use them – however, it demonstrates that these terms are important and need to be taken seriously
- Always have a contingency plan – in the event that the Time Line or milestones are not being met for any number of reasons
- Depending on the project or job at hand, it may be worthwhile to use a Devil’s Advocate to critique the work – To ask the questions – Are those times realistic and to take an objective look at what could go wrong and how to compensate for any delays or similar issues
- In an ideal world – once the Scope of Work has been agreed and the Time Line agreed there should be no side issues
- However, in the Real World – Scope Creep will raise its ugly head and should be vigorously resisted unless there are critical issues to deal with
- Be very wary of Scope Creep.- Invariably there may be a number of “Nice to Have” modifications proposed. In the first instance any variations should be recorded and scheduled for review “On Completion” of the existing project. Proponents of Scope Creep issues will use arguments such as – it is a minor variation or it is a nice to have or there is virtually no extra cost or similar. But of course there can be a range of unknown ramifications which have not been thoroughly thought through or analyzed
- Unless overruled by senior managers – resist Scope Creep
- If overruled by senior managers – ensure that all variation are well documented so that any future issues will not come back to bite you
Not Only – But Also…..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
