The art of documentation: Turning Performance

Surprisingly, it’s not uncommon for machinists to feel like they’re starting at square one when setting up and running a repeat job. The primary reason is lack of documentation.

When a new job arrives, I first create a bill of operations, or process sheet. A BOO provides a road map for how to process a given part. The more complex the part, the more detailed the BOO should be. Some like to keep it short and sweet, but I prefer to be as descriptive as possible to reduce or eliminate the number of questions that come up later on.

Note that the BOO shown here includes the operation number, machine number, work description, setup time and part run time. This enables you to access process information with a quick glance.

This BOO is for a simple tubular part, which is first cut to length on a bandsaw. Then it’s turned on a lathe before being welded. After welding, the workpiece returns to the lathe for finish turning, goes to a vertical machining center for holemaking and heads back to the welding department to weld on a boss. Bead blasting is the final operation.