Storing and handling raw material

Because labor is typically the most expensive component of any job, anything you can do to shorten the labor path during a job will have a short payback period. A good example is in materials storage.

Every shop must store some raw materials. The trick is to store workpieces in such a way that you can get to the desired piece with minimal effort. Here are some tips to effectively handle and store raw material.

Cut 20 ‘ bars in half for easier handling. It depends on the type of work a shop performs, but rarely are full 20 ‘ bars utilized without cutting. In small shops, 20 ‘ lengths can be difficult to handle and it is time consuming to cut off a short length. This challenge continues until the material is short enough to be efficiently handled. The time to cut the bar is when it comes in the door from the supplier.

Courtesy of All images: T. Lipton

Carts for moving bar stock around a shop should be the correct height for the horizontal bandsaw so material can be pushed into the saw as soon as it is unloaded.

Carts used for moving bar stock around the shop should be the correct height for the horizontal bandsaw so material can be pushed into the saw as soon as it is unloaded. Support tubes should also be set up so you can load and unload bar stock with a forklift directly from the delivery truck.

Organize material drops by length, such as full bars, partial bars and stubs. Most people will try to use the material with the easiest access before pulling out the full-length materials. If you provide and maintain a system for finding the optimal stock in the speediest manner, you shorten the job. This is proven time and again when we filter our racks and bins. The size of the keepers gets smaller and smaller until they just disappear.

Indicate the material type directly on the bar end for easy identification.

Occasionally inventory and organize the material storage area. This job allows apprentices and helpers to get acquainted with the shop’s raw material inventory.

Beware of packrats. Machinists and welders are natural scrounges. Want proof? Look under the workbenches and in the nooks and crannies of their work areas. Some materials and leftovers really need to be scrapped to run an efficient shop.