Pinning and Tone

[fssturm@unm.edu]

Quoting Don Mannino <dmannino@kawaius.com>:

> Fred,
> 
> Thanks for the interesting report - sounds like they are still doing
> it
> the same as in 1994, when I talked to Michael Mohr about it.  He
> might
> be the one you had lunch with - nice guy.
> 
> The glue is a rubbery feeling film which is laminated to the cloth.
> Then the pre-glued cloth is pulled through and is heated to activate
> the
> glue.
> 
> Don
> 
   Nope, it wasn't Michael Mohr. I would have remembered that name. This guy 
was in charge of the action portion of the factory at that time (1994), and was in 
the process of replacing the fancy machines (the ones you put moldings in one 
end, and out come shanks, flanges, repetition levers, or whatever from the other 
end), and in reorganizing the work flow in accordance with more modern factory 
concepts. Creating "cells" where everyone working on a particular part is in 
close proximity (eg, people putting together the damper underlevers, as well as 
those who screw them to a lift rail and do initial spacing and travelling) so they 
can be in easy communication and get feedback. Having financial incentives for 
everyone to be cross trained. Making it "demand driven" rather than just 
automatically producing (ie, when there are plenty of part (a) completed, 
workers shift to part (b) - and here's where cross-training comes into its own). 
And lots of other conceptual stuff that sounded impressive, but I didn't retain.
   Some interesting processes. One that caught my eye especially was the 
gluing of knuckles to shanks. They take a large number of completed shanks 
(completed in the sense of having been machined) and line them up in a fixture. 
Then a single, continuous strip of wood is glued in the slot for the knuckle core. 
Felt and leather are then added and glued, and, once dry, they are cut apart. 
Result - very consistent knuckle placement. No zig zag. No need for making 
sure you individually adjust each jack (though it's a good idea anyway).
   I could spend months hanging out in the factory and never experience a 
moment's boredom. Fascinating place.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico