Life on the line!

So this morning started my career as a line worker. I was intimidated to start with because I couldn't see how I could contribute to the line. I really wasn't looking forward to getting in the way for 8 hours. The line manager was out today and I was assigned tasks by the team leaders. I guess i should give a little bit of a description of line life. I was assigned to the "finsh line" this line consisted of 28 processes putting on all external features of an engine (oil pan, hoses, sensors, etc) Each process is manned by either a team member or a robot (there are 2 robots). THe line starts in one location and takes a U shaped path such that it ends across from the finish. There are two team leaders that literally run to each process when there are problems, in between problems they assemble hose and clips or thermostate and gaskets. I think the line manager is around to do more of the same things, but he probably has more paper work.

I started by learning how to fill part bins. These are the bins that have everything that each process is putting on. This is more challenging than it sounds because each process has different bins of different sizes with different quantities. It is important to know but difficult to explain how these bins are filled because there is an order that everyone on the line knows just because they are familiar with how things are used. It was challenging, I did not know the order so I was running around all over. I next put together thermostats and hoses for a while. That required a lot of finger work. My hands are quite sore. I think i put together about 1000 hoses and thermostats today. They will need to be done again tomorrow....

They let me try a process. I started watching and then gained some responsiblity of a low profile part. I think the woman I worked with Violet did about 20 things in the first 30 seconds while i put in a sensor, one bolt and pushed a button in about the same time. I had a problem with a button. Sometime I would forget.... and if the button wasn't pushed the line stopped! Yes, I stopped the line! Everyone called my name....... it was embarrassing, but fun.

In the afternoon I learned to put clutches on, this process didn't move but need to be done to keep the line moving. I also had to check each engine for a burr issue. So this afternoon I was putting together parts, filling bins, checking for burrs and putting on clutches. I don't know if I contributed much but everyone was really nice about making me FEEL like i was helping out.

I hope I can move tomorrow, I am super tired. Maybe they will give me another try with the process. Everyone is saying to keep positive.... I definately know that I made the right choice by going to college for 6 years.... but with a good attitude I am getting a lot out of this experience. There is a lot to learn about the line work. These people have an amazingly efficient operation, and everyone is so friendly. They definately are less whiney than the engineers I work with who get many more perks than the line guys.

Queso is working on another line... he was bored. There maybe less to do in the line but it seems like he followed the team leader the whole day. I will get a chance next week. But I am thinking that the fact that he needs to be told what to do at all times and has minimal experience doing anything mechanical is really limiting what he can do. Maybe I will have another opinion next week.