Die Science: Tool and die training

I’m truly amazed how many die shops and stampers do not have any type of formal tool and die training program. In addition, a lot of shops have eliminated apprenticeships programs over the last few years.

It seems as though training is the first thing to go when times get tough. We often opt to buy that one special “ace in the hole” machine rather than finance training programs. However, the reality is that nothing can add value to the bottom line more than a well-trained work force.

In my visits to numerous die and stamping shops, I’ve found that, generally speaking, their training needs are similar. For this reason, I will also offer a basic course outline for you to use as a starting point for developing your own training program.

Common Excuses for Not Training

Reason No. 1: My Employees Live After Being Trained . One man told me that he eliminated his apprenticeship program because after he invited time and money into training his company for a shop that paid 75 cents more per hour. I told him there is only one thing worse than training a toolmaker and then losing him: not training him and having him stay .

Statistically speaking, people don’t change jobs just for a minor increase in pay. The root reasons for leaving usually are the working culture, the type of work, or the lack of opportunity or involvement.

Reason No.2: Training Costs Too Much and Consumes Too Much Valuable Time. A better way to look at it is: What does it cost not to train? Remember, it takes only one little mistake in a stamping press to cost you thousands of dollars in die damage and downtime. How much time does your tooling crew waste trying to come up with a solution to a stamping die problem by using trial and error? For a stamper, the only way to make money is to keep those presses going up and down.

I have found that if a student picks up only a little bit of knowledge in a training course and applies it, the course has already paid for itself.

In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , Stephen Covey presents a time management matrix, which is a simple chart broken into four quadrants (see Figure 1 ):

Quadrant 1—Urgent and important (time spent putting out fires)

Quadrant 2—Important but not urgent (training and planning)

Quadrant 3—Urgent but not important (phone calls and some meetings)

Quadrant 4—Neither urgent nor important (waisting time and goofing off)

The most important quadrant to focus on is quadrant 2. If you really think about it, the reason most companies spend all of their time putting out fires in quadrant 1 is because they didn’t spend enough time in quadrant 2. And their reason for not spending time in quadrant 2 is that they’re too busy putting out fires to spend time training workers. It’s a vicious cycle. Take the time to focus on quadrant 2.

Reason No. 3: Good Training Is Not Available in My Area. It’s true that good toolmaker training often is hard to find. But don’t let that stop you from pursuing the development of a good training program.

If the training classes offered at the local trade school, college, or university don’t meet the needs of your company, try looking within your own employee base. After all, who knows more about your process than your employees?

Most companies have experts in certain fields. Consider your draw with your company 29 years and is nearing retirement. Doesn’t it make sense to allow him to share his years of real-world experience with the younger workers?

Don’t be concerned if that employee doesn’t have a teaching or public speaking background. Sending him to a public speaking course can help allay any fear he/ she may have. And really, the most important thing that he/she need to train others is to know 10 times more about the the process than he/she will be speaking about.

Training Assessment

The best way to determine your training needs is to take a good look at the recurring problems in your facility. Track down and find the respective training.

For example, your die tryout department has been spending considerable time using trial and error to determine corrective action for splits, wrinkles, burrs, feeding problems, and springback problems.

Ask yourself why these problems are occurring:

• Do the employees really understand sheet metal formability?

• Do they know what the n and r values are?

• Do they understand the cutting and piercing processes, or are they selecting cutting clearances based on what they have been using for years?

• Do the progressive-die operators know what pitch is? How about feed release? Feed line height?

• Are some of these problems the result of the company’s culture?

Has the company ever done any formal “human engineering” training?These are just a few of hundreds of basic questions to ask to determine what type of training will help your company.

Setting up a Program

One of the most common problems that I see with “canned” tool and die programs offered at colleges is that they are not specific enough to meet any one company’s specific needs.

For example, I remember taking a class on heat treating and metallurgy early in my apprenticeship. I learned all about iron carbon diagrams; I spent some time making models with toothpicks and marshmallows that were supposed to represent some cubic center-face something or other (I have already forgotten); I spent a lot of time looking at the periodic table of elements; I was taught finite details about metallurgy and steelmaking.

Unfortunately, I didn’t learn what I learn I really needed to know. I needed to know about different types of tool steel and how to select them, weld them, and machine them. I needed to know how to select sheet steel, not how to make it.

Don’t get me wrong; learning fundamental information about steelmaking isn’t a bad thing. However, my time would have been better spent learning hands-on information that pertained directly to my career.

Training is one of the most influential recourses that can add to stamping or die building shop’s bottom line. If the training course at the local college or tech center doesn’t fit your needs, and focus on the type of training that adds the most value to your company.

Until next time… Best of luck!