Last week, we wrote about the top 10 things no one tells you about manufacturing (according to Reddit). During the course of our research, we encountered so many useful slogans and witticisms that we just had to highlight them in today’s article. Below are some essential machine shop sayings which you might encounter—or share—the next time you’re on the plant floor.
“Buy once, cry once”
This classic phrase is one to keep in mind the next time you’re shopping for a new
labeler, coder, or other piece of industrial equipment. If you’ve heard this one, but never quite understood it, it refers to the fact that buying an expensive new item can be difficult (hence the “crying.” However, if you opt for a cheaper model, you may end up “crying” a lot more as you suffer breakdowns, delays, and unhappy clients. If you purchase a costlier, more high-quality item, it may hurt in the short term, but will save you a lot of trouble during the course of the machine’s life.
We see this play out all the time in the packaging side of our business. Some business owners, especially start-ups with limited budgets, will try to minimize costs by using cheaper boxes, packing tape, and fill material. Though they save money in the short term, though, they end up paying a high hidden cost: items breaking; angry customers calling; and negative online reviews that will discourage future sales.
“A dull tool is a dangerous tool”
Of course, buying high-quality equipment is only the first step of running a safe, efficient manufacturing operation. It’s also essential to maintain that equipment properly. Improperly maintained equipment—for example, a machine with dull cutting tools—doesn’t just threaten your speed and profits; it also puts your employees at risk. A dull tool requires more force to cut, generating additional heat, friction, and stress on both the tool and the workpiece. This can increase the risk of slipping, binding, breakage, and other potentially dangerous failures.
This is especially true when it comes to large machines with multi-horsepower motors. When a hand tool is failing to cut or drill, the operator may compensate for the increased resistance by applying more force. A large machine, on the other hand, typically has more than enough power to continue forcing a dull or damaged cutting tool through the workpiece. If something eventually slips, breaks, or comes loose, pieces of tooling or work material can become dangerous projectiles. That brings us to another great machine shop saying: “The machine is stronger than you are.”
“Murphy was an engineer”
To understand this phrase, first you need to be familiar with Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Edward A. Murphy Jr. was indeed an aerospace engineer who worked on U.S. Air Force experiments in the late 1940s. Though the story’s details vary by the telling, the consensus is that, upon discovering that a technician wired some sensors incorrectly, Murphy remarked, “If there’s any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it.” Eventually, that statement evolved into what we now call Murphy’s Law.
Now, when someone wryly notes that “Murphy was an engineer,” they are pointing out that Murphy’s Law is especially relevant to the world of machinery. If a machine can be operated incorrectly, sooner or later, someone probably will. Therefore, good engineering should anticipate foreseeable mistakes and points of failure rather than relying on everything going according to plan. Wherever possible, equipment should be designed to prevent errors—or to fail safely when they do occur.
“Never trust the last guy’s zero.”
This machine shop saying can really help keep you out of hot water. It means that one should never assume that a machine’s existing reference point is correct just because somebody else set it. Even if the previous operator ensures you it’s set, and even if they are very experienced and capable, you should still verify it yourself. If his setup was wrong, something moved, an offset was entered incorrectly, or you’re simply misunderstanding what his zero refers to, your subsequent measurements and movements will all be based on a bad reference. And machining can make those mistakes expensive very quickly.
This saying can also be applied to machines that don’t use a “zero” coordinate system, and even to jobs that are entirely outside the realm of machining. For instance, if you’re a cashier at a grocery store, and the previous cashier assures you that the drawer contains $200, you should still take the time to count it for yourself. No matter how busy you are, or how much you’d like to skip what might seem like a tedious step, you should always verify the setup you’re inheriting—because you’re going to inherit any problems an improper setup causes.
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.”
The origins of this popular phrase are the subject of some debate. It’s popular in manufacturing, aviation, and the military, and could have originated in any of those settings. No matter where it came from, though, the phrase applies excellently to machining. It means that working deliberately and methodically often gets a job done faster than merely rushing through it.
It’s important to note that “slow” doesn’t literally mean running the machine at a slower speed. It means walking carefully and deliberately through the process: setting up correctly, verifying measurements, securing the workpiece, choosing the right tooling, et cetera. The person who spends a little more time getting everything right at the beginning may appear to be “slow,” but will then be able to proceed through the job without interruptions, rework, damaged tooling, or excessive scrap.
There’s also a physical element to the term “smooth.” When operating large machinery, controlled and predictable movements are generally preferable to hurried, jerky ones. You don’t want to be scrambling around a running machine or reaching impulsively because you’re trying to shave thirty seconds off a task. Take time to build good habits, and they’ll become an efficient, frictionless routine.
“Hot metal looks just like cold metal”
This simple saying is a straightforward reminder that in a machine shop, appearances can be deceiving. While it’s true that extremely hot metal may glow red or orange, it stops glowing long before it becomes safe to touch. A recently machined, welded, cut, or otherwise heated workpiece can look virtually identical to one that has been sitting untouched for hours. Assuming that a piece of metal is cool based on appearance alone can therefore result in a painful—and potentially serious—burn.
The same principle applies to other hazards around the shop. A freshly machined edge may look smooth, but in fact conceal a sharp burr. Machinery that looks like it’s turned off can still be powered and capable of movement (or, in the case of some cutting wheels, actually still in movement). Hydraulic or pneumatic systems can retain pressure after the machinery stops, and remain hazardous despite appearing inactive. So, no matter what you’re handling, never go by appearances—just because something looks safe doesn’t mean it is safe.
Get all your east coast marking and coding machines at SSI Packaging
We hope that you enjoyed this article, part of our vast catalog designed to help business owners thrive in today’s fast-paced workforce. If you live near Richmond, Virginia, feel free to stop by and browse our offerings of industrial coding machines, industrial label printers, and industrial packaging materials. We’re here to help you pack and track your image quickly, efficiently, and affordably.