The grumpy thread

[AlabamaShrimp]

  On 04/07/2018 at 18:56, wuvvum said:

 

Thanks for that. Sounds as I thought, very social justice. Wasn't the old term for it called being a twat?

[New POD]

  On 04/07/2018 at 14:01, captain_70s said:

I need a new job.

 

At work I run a machine, I am in charge of setting up that machine, there are three rules to follow:

 

1 - Do it as fast as possible, you should always be getting faster and more efficient. You should also be helping others with their more complex machines.

2 - Don't deviate from the settings sheet, if you need to get an engineer.

3 - Make sure it runs well by the time it is needed.

 

Here are the problems with said rules:

 

1 - You have to rush the fuck out of everything and are always trying to catch up with yourself. You end throwing bits of machine in and going through the settings as fast as possible while dripping with sweat while being told you're too slow.

2 - The machine is 16 years old and has run 18 hours a day since it was built. It's tolerances are all over the place, bits are constantly failing and getting replaced and the material it works with is cardboard which varies in it's texture/size/construction from batch to batch. If I adjust the settings to allow the machine to actually run I get bollocked for messing with it, if I go get an engineer it takes forever for them to come over (see rule 1) and they just ask why I've not done it myself.

3 - Due to the combination of the above the chance of it working "out the box" is nothing short of a miracle. I don't have time to test anything, if it is fucking up I don't have the time to actually watch it and see why it's fucking up. If I can see why it's fucking up I have to get an engineer rather than move a setting 2mm.

 

This is due to the production line's efficiency being measured by several variables, including how many deviations from the settings sheet are made, how long set up takes, how many breakdowns there are, etc. The better the line runs the higher the standards get and the harder they are to achieve with 15-25 year old machinery but there is no investment made towards the factory or staff. It's a huge company with loads of managers/production heads, no communication and moving towards a more Americanised business system.

 

So, I should probably just play by the rules set for me and watch the chaos unfold? Nope, can't do that. Get bollocked for not showing enough initiative or paying enough attention.

 

I've also just been reduced back down to a 0-hours contract. While I'd really like to escape I fear that the above is just the production industry in a nutshell and I'm basically fucked.

 

i liked this, not because I like it, but because I feel your pain. 

 

Have you read much about SMED ? If set up times are a bottleneck, and I was "the engineer" I'd be focusing on making the Set-up / change over as quick and simple and as reliable as possible.  

I don't think that all manufacturing industry is like you describe.  There's a lot of focus on removing variability and removing risk, so if you were working somewhere else you might find that "the engineer" was working with you to try to fix the issues permanently. 

[New POD]

  On 04/07/2018 at 16:59, Richard said:

Pretty much all of them, as far as I can tell.

 

I'm a grumpy fucker, but in most manufacturing companies I've experienced, the manufacturing engineers got shit for not making sure operators were able to do their jobs without having to think for themselves much, and as soon as a machine looked like it was falling apart, through age, a capital justification for a replacement( that was faster and more reliable) was demanded.  In fact I have had success at massaging data, to ensure that the payback was months rather than years.  If managers are no looking at the OEE and doing the sums, then they are not worthy of the job.  

[cobblers]

  On 04/07/2018 at 20:00, New POD said:

i liked this, not because I like it, but because I feel your pain. 

 

Have you read much about SMED ? If set up times are a bottleneck, and I was "the engineer" I'd be focusing on making the Set-up / change over as quick and simple and as reliable as possible.  

I don't think that all manufacturing industry is like you describe.  There's a lot of focus on removing variability and removing risk, so if you were working somewhere else you might find that "the engineer" was working with you to try to fix the issues permanently. 

 

Absolutely this - Captain70s -  your employer can't have it's cake and eat it too. Do they want your to be fast? then they need to service the machines properly. 

Sounds as though they are either ignorant of the real issues, or wilfully ignorant because that way they can hustle you more.

[Zelandeth]

So... it's a million degrees here. Body decides yep...what you really need right now is a stomach upset ain't it! That'll be fun!

 

Didn't last long - or so I thought. Until I made the mistake of actually expending energy - cue me being dead on my feet twenty minutes later.

 

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

[alcyonecorporation]

[New POD]

  On 04/07/2018 at 12:31, Ghosty said:

Update: I has Brompton.

 

I don't think it's treatable. 

 

I imagine a slightly overweight bloke in a (lycra?) 3 peice suite, with a silk tie, and a brief case with high vis vest and helmet (with cam) struggling to keep upright as he attempts to cycle to the station?  Can we have woolarding type pictures 

[Ghosty]

Dream on, I'm 22 and a lanky bastard!

[New POD]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:09, Ghosty said:

Dream on, I'm 22 and a lanky bastard!

 

Unlike me then. 

[Guest Hooli]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:09, Ghosty said:

Dream on, I'm 22 and a lanky bastard!

 

You'll grow out of it

[captain_70s]

  On 04/07/2018 at 20:00, New POD said:

i liked this, not because I like it, but because I feel your pain. 

 

Have you read much about SMED ? If set up times are a bottleneck, and I was "the engineer" I'd be focusing on making the Set-up / change over as quick and simple and as reliable as possible.  

I don't think that all manufacturing industry is like you describe.  There's a lot of focus on removing variability and removing risk, so if you were working somewhere else you might find that "the engineer" was working with you to try to fix the issues permanently. 

 

The changeovers are pretty much as streamlined as possible as far as I can tell, at least on my end everything that can be done prior to the machine stopping is already done. Parts/tools are out ready, the next pallet of materials is sitting ready etc, the rest of the line is similar. The changeovers themselves aren't really that hard.

This is great in theory except we're expected to continually improve, so now the only way to gain more speed is by working faster. The line I work on also has the greatest variety of products and the greatest number of changeovers so on paper it always looks shit compared to the other lines.

 

Most of the issues are down to the machines simply being old and the tolerances are all out of whack. I can just about get by with mine, continually tweaking it until it works fine. But this requires deviating from the settings sheet, this gets flagged as a problem. I managed to negotiate some min/max figures into the sheet to make it look better which worked for a while but now other bits keep need adjusting for a smooth run.

 

Essentially at this point I'm getting all the flak for the fact the machine I run is fucking past it... Unfortunately it's also the youngest of it's type in the place (being post millennium!) so I can't use that as my defence and I have been working there the shortest time so my opinion is invalid. If I try to explain any issue invariably the person I'm talking to will walk away while I'm mid-sentence saying they "don't want to hear it".

 

I'm also fucked as far as progression goes, anyway. The shit manager wanted me to train up on the machine next to mine ages ago but the guy operating it turned around and said he couldn't show me anything. Mostly as he is perfectly content running that machine and doesn't want to get booted off it. He also goes apeshit whenever things go wrong and goes around yelling, hitting/kicking things and generally being a tit but he's been there for 15 years so can get away with it. I don't want to spend any real period of time working with him to be honest.

 

Meh. The pressure all comes from managers higher up, that just get's passed further down the chain, I happen to be at the bottom. Also, as a full time staff member your yearly bonus gets calculated based how how well your line did (including production time/deviations/defects etc. I'm sure on paper this makes you more inclined to work harder in a team but in reality it just means people end up resenting each other for slowing things down.

 

TL;DR - I'm nae a fan of my job.

[Guest Hooli]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:16, captain_70s said:

 

This is great in theory except we're expected to continually improve

 

We have to follow ITIL at work, it's a process management bullshit thing & one part of it is 'always improve'. The instructor wasn't impressed to be asked if that means always leave room for improvement so we can follow the process.

[binhoker668]

Dunno what the fuck it is with me.  As soon as I'm settling down to trouble free motoring in my Xantia, I'm hankering after a change.  It's been like 2 months FFS.

Havenae had a jap motor for years.  Am sat here checking out diesel Mitsi Carismas on all the usual sites.

DICK.

[omegod]

51k 406 1.8 sx pug going on a local facebook site, looks dandy with 11 months MOT , £300 

 

No need for it but want 

[binhoker668]

At that price, those miles and with an ass full of barium, GIB.  Sure it'll probably change hands on here for the same money about 10 times. 

[Guest Hooli]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:52, binhoker668 said:

 and with an ass full of barium

 

LOL!

[binhoker668]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:56, Hooli said:

LOL!

 

Well, y'know....only the facts....

[yes oui si]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:16, captain_70s said:

 

TL;DR - I'm nae a fan of my job.

There is ALWAYS another job.

[somewhatfoolish]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:03, alcyonecorporation said:

[glasgow]

Right, hen?

[/glasgow]

[angle]

 

Ah, Bristol. I'm so glad I don't have to drive to work every day.

 

Went to pick the Saab up from the garage and it took half an hour to walk there, via a cash machine, Tesco for chocolate digestives and Toolstation. So far its taken 45 minutes to drive back and I'm still 5 minutes away. I'm going to be late for work...

[beko1987]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:03, alcyonecorporation said:

Your KFC is a bit undercooked...

[DodgeRover]

Off work due to an inner ear infection, an ideal time to catch up on my accounts, except the laptop has decided it's an ideal time to update windows 10 with massive downloads. Bloody thing, I'm only using it rather than the proper PC running Linux as it's in the coolest part of the house.

[John F]

Mobile phone service providers.

 

I could post a massive rant about these twats, but that would waste even more of my time than these swine have already wasted today, so I'll summarise them in one word: cunts.

[MorrisItalSLX]

^ I couldn't agree more.

 

I have been to the branch 3 times this week to try and change my plan and no progress has been made, 6 hours of my life I'm never going to get back.

 

Cunts. Staffed by cunts. Run by cunts.

[dozeydustman]

The humidity today has been unbearable. I don't mind dry heat as I'm perfectly content holidaying in the south of Spain when it's 42 Celsius and almost desert at this time of year.

It's only been 24 - 26 deg C the past couple of days but the humidity at 85% in my back garden just drains all life and soul out of me, not helped chasing around after a festering Rotopress full of fermenting garden waste.

 

I hope to feel less grumpy after a shower.

 

Mighty Þunor, can we have a thunderstorm please?

(Failing that I'll write Michael Fish a letter requesting the same)

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Got woken up at 4AM by Lady Grumpius going to a course.  Felt a bit sick.

 

Just as she's about to leave, she's sick.  Then I'm sick as she leaves.  She got as far as the petrol station and was sick there.  Came home.

 

She got back and I was sick again.  Then I was sick again this morning.

 

For fuck's sake.

[Ghosty]

  On 05/07/2018 at 12:45, dozeydustman said:

 

(Failing that I'll write Michael Fish a letter requesting the same)

 

If you ask Fish for a storm, you won't get one. You have to ask for it to get hotter.

[dozeydustman]

  On 05/07/2018 at 12:53, Ghosty said:

If you ask Fish for a storm, you won't get one. You have to ask for it to get hotter.

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

Today is dragging so damn much, feels like I've been here a week since this morning.

[Talbot]

  On 04/07/2018 at 21:16, captain_70s said:

the person I'm talking to will walk away while I'm mid-sentence saying they "don't want to hear it".

And there is the problem.

 

Machinery can be fixed/bodged/adjusted, procedures can be changed, anything can be Engineered, but if your management are not willing to actually listen to the people doing the job, it's time to move on to a different job.

 

 

My own Grump:

 

Having just used my shitty old flatbed-car-transporter trailer for well over 1200 miles in 3 days without* incident, simply trying to turn it around in my road, I managed to twat one of the wheel arches on a concrete post so hard that I've ripped it clean off the trailer, shearing several welds and twisting the metal of the arch into something distinctly not-arch-shaped.

 

Grinder, hammer and welder to the rescue. Like I haven't got enough jobs at the moment.