Hey,

While training for the Design role I have, I am building bikes in our factory. I’m slow, annoyingly slow. Part of this is due to the difference between a boxed and a factory bike (different bits, lots of small ones), part of this is unfamiliarity with the various small bits needed, but overall most of it is because I’m slow 😉

Have any Pros. got some throughput tips that apply to all bike builds/routines? I’m dealing with HS11’s, Shimano Hub Gears, mudguards and cables/hoses to cut and pass through the frames, plus the usual other stuff.

Thanks!
Sam

Practice…..less tea.
Sort your tools out.
6 music….loud.

Tool board.
Park Tool internal routing tool.
Radio.
No distracting people around.

Do you have batches of identical bikes to do?
Line the bikes up and do the same job on each.

Do all the cranks and bottoms brackets. Do all the brakes, do all the mudguards and so on.

If you have a reasonable amount of space the time “wasted” moving them on and off the stand is offset by doing the same job 10 or 15 times with the same tools and parts and the same settings.

I’ve done an entire teams worth of bikes in a weekend (near enough 40 bikes).

You get really good at threading cables after the 10th bike.

I’m no mechanic but for this type of work you need to get your work space sorted out so that you can reach everything you need. You then need to get a system so that you do things in the best order and are not looking for the little bits as you go.

In most production environments this is formalised through “Lean” and “5S” which may be worth googling as there is loads of information out there. They normally extend to whole shop floors but can be done for personal small areas too.

If you are doing things repeatedly (like measuring cables) then set up templates (lines on a bench) so you can do without measuring.

Do it right, first time – so no faff/rework time.

In most production environments this is formalised through “Lean” and “5S” which may be worth googling as there is loads of information out there

I think you mean Six Sigma. Rather than 5S.

Some of the principles of Lean are being toted as advice above – which is ace. I wouldn’t spend too much time looking at the principles, but the advice here is great so far 🙂

Some good advice, that thanks.

The bike stand I use is upside down, it’s confusing me!

I’ll try the above, and 6 Sigma will be implemented in the routine, I’ll try to focus on “Right first time”.

TBH working in Dutch is also making me forget some of the instructions :/

Don’t try to speed things up.

Aim for organisation, repetition, accuracy etc. Increased speed is a side effect of doing everything right.

I’ve done a bit of Lean and 6S in my time, and definitely wortha basic google to understand where it may help. Some of the principles will be out of your control, as they’ll already be engineered into the parts you’re fitting (or not engineered in, depends on the approach by the manufacturer) but others will be.

To me the single biggest time waster is dead time between individual jobs – non value added time – like searching for the right tools, or walking to the other end of the workshop to get bits and pieces. Get them right and you’ll be well on the way to being efficient. Then get better at the value added jobs, and you’ll be flying.

Depending on the situation, ratcheting tools, battery powered drivers, and power-keys rather than normal type hex and torx keys can save a reasonable amount of time, which all adds up.

Wear an apron with pockets for your small tools.

Take it down to your LBS with a pack of hobnobs

I have an interchangeable air driver, but there’s no release button and I find with greasy hands it’s slow to pull the bits off, so I’ve only been using it for the Maguras and kickstands.

Apron is a good call too, and also I should come in early and overhaul my workstation, it’s not quite set up for the builds I’ve been doing.

That’s very presumptive epicyclo…..how do you know he’s got a small tool?

Value stream mapping

Value stealth napping

@epi I *use* a foot-long digital tool, with a display, multiple settings and flashing light/beeping sounds.

@geoff et al – I will remember all factory throughput tips 😀

I think you mean Six Sigma. Rather than 5S.

I think he means 5S – good guide for work space optimisation.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/5S_(methodology)

5S looks brilliant advice (though I would add most of the workbenches are very tidy).

Some of the guys i work with colour coded tools.
Know what tools you need to do the job, take the tools from the “main” tool box and keep the tools you need in a tool tray.
Keep your grease in syringe, or have a small paint brush in the top of the tin. No grease on fingers. Small bottle of loctite handy not the big bottles.
Paper roll dispenser in hands reach, bin as close.
Work clean & tidy, the speed will come.

I think he means 5S – good guide for work space optimisation.

Well, you learn something new every day 🙂

That’s pretty awesome.

Most people smash together Lean and Six Sigma in general conversation.

Lonely, and efficient people.

A good workspace is the key starting point for efficient wrenching

I’ve rebuilt / built large workshops for a good number of bike shops including Evans, Cycle Surgery, Sigma, Specialized stores and Giant stores

This latest workshop is the result of my ongoing work. Each bench has an identical layout so mechanics can work from any bench and not waste time finding tools. The plastic storage unit and its labelled drawers / contents is identical on each bench.

One you use the bench for a few days, you quickly absorb the tool layout pattern and its second nature. Each bench has colour coded tools (there are 4 work stations) to allow a quick “reset” at the end of the trading day.

Speed (consistent quality output, not speed of completion) will only come with time served. Cleanliness is very important. I encourage mechanics to “reset” the bench upon completion of each job, so they start afresh in terms of physical workspace and mental state – rather than each job merging into the next.

Workspaces (dirty tools, bench, stand and floor matting) are cleaned at end of each day, ready for the next – takes less than 10 minutes.

Tips have been noted, some in use already 🙂 Looks like my throughput is up!

Love STW