As a machine shop we have noticed a diminishing number of young people going into the fine, and once highly respected trade fields.
My father was an engineer working with toolmakers, and technicians from the 1950’s to the early 1990’s.
One story he told me sticks indelibly in my mind.
He was once giving a tour of a manufacturing plant containing assembly machines designed by his department several years earlier. He strolled knowledgably with a string of business suits following him and listening to his explanations of the wonders of the equipment his team designed. The whole time a wily veteran technician of 30+ years kept his eye on the group. This technician had the task of keeping the equipment running three shifts a day, which he did successfully for many years.
When the group came to the station where the technician was working he promptly pulled a handful of steel rollers from his pocket and walked to stand in front of my father, who, by the way, was VP of Engineering for this company, and interrupted his conversation. This veteran in his blue work shirt held out the rollers to my father and dumped them in his hand. He stated “This is from your machine. Once a week I pick up all the rollers off the floor and replace the bearing. It takes 2 hours. Thought you should know.” He then turned away and went back to work.
Though my father was stunned by his approach, he investigated the problem and found the technician had been reporting the problem to the department for a year but apparently no one thought a report from a mere technician was worth investigating. The project engineer was promptly sent to the plant to help the technician pick up the rollers until the problem was fixed.
Take from this story what you will, but it always reminds me to respect all aspects of the manufacturing profession.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:19 pm Hello. I think the article is really interesting. I am even interested in reading more. How soon will you update your blog?