Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 12

42 Once all potential causes are listed, they should be organized in order of most likely to least likely to succeed. 3. DEVELOP SOLUTIONS – Potential solutions to each cause should be developed and organized by likelihood of success. Of course, the potential solution and its complexity will vary depending upon the cause. 4. TEST SOLUTIONS - Test the potential solutions in order of likelihood of success. If the most likely solution is very complex, you may need to get creative. For example, if the potential solution requires a different pattern due to gating design, you may be able to work several molds by hand to simulate metal flow with the new design. This may not yield a sellable part but could possibly provide the defect data you’re after. Once you believe the solution is viable, perform testing to turn it on and off. Produce several parts with the new method and several parts with the old method. This will help prove if you’ve actually found the solution or not. 5. DOCUMENT – This step is key in preventing recurrence. Summarize the work of the team and file future reference. Update the on- floor work instructions. Failing to update work instructions ensures Contact: DAVE MOORE dave@foundryway.com that the problem will occur again sometime in the future. Try this 5-Step approach to reducing your scrap rate but make sure that at least some of your scrap team members have the process and defect knowledge available.