Recent Delivery - Wellesley, ON Fire Department (Linwood Station)

Metalfab Minutes - January 2015 Edition

Metalfab Minutes - January 2015 Edition

The January 2015 Edition of Metalfab Minutes has been released today.  If you haven't received a copy but would like to, please sign up for the newsletter at the link below.

 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE MONTHLY DIGITAL COPY

 

Photos of the Apparatus featured in the newsletter are posted below.

Metalfab LTD - Walk In Rescue
Westville, NS Fire Department

Metalfab LTD - Commercial Pumper
Inverness, NS Fire Department

Metalfab LTD - Custom Tandem Tanker
Severn, ON Fire Department

Metalfab LTD - Commercial Pumper
Iona, NS Fire Department

Metalfab LTD - Walk In Rescue
Summerford, NL Fire Department

Metalfab LTD - Commercial Pumper
New Glasgow, PE Fire Department

Cast Products Inc
Dual LED Lighted Flip Down Step

Metalfab LTD
Separate Master Disconnect & Primer Switches

View of Baffles in Interior of a NFPA Poly Tank







 

 

Fire Truck Tire Pressure

Recently I got a call from a Fire Department asking why the tire pressure indicators provided with their new truck did not match the tire pressure stamped on the sidewall of the tire. This is a question that is being asked more now that tire pressure indicators are becoming more commonly used.

While it may seem that the tire pressure stamped on the side of the tire would be the recommended tire pressure to use, it is actually the maximum tire pressure to carry the maximum load the tire is rated for. Generally we are not loading the tire to its maximum rating for several reasons:

• The axle rating is based on the lowest capacity of axle, suspension, tires, wheels, frame; the tire often has a higher load rating than these other components and so we are not using the maximum load rating.
• We do not generally load the axle to its maximum load rating.

We obtain the recommended tire pressure from load and inflation tables published by the tire manufacturers. The axle loads we use are the ones we measure when performing the ULC or NFPA required weight tests with ballast simulating equipment and personnel loading.

It is important to use the correct tire pressure for the following reasons:
Underinflated tires flex more and build up heat, causing premature tire failure and potential blowouts. They also hydroplane at lower speeds and increase stopping distance.
Overinflated tires are more susceptible to impact damage and may cause handling problems.

NFPA 1915, Standard for Fire Apparatus Preventive Maintenance Program, recommends checking your truck's in service weight annually. This would be a good time to make sure that you are using the correct tire pressure based on the load and inflation tables published by the tire manufacturer.

We'd be happy to answer any questions you may have or help you with tire pressure calculations, feel free to contact us.

Metalfab Minutes - June Edition

Metalfab Minutes - June Edition

The June Edition of Metalfab Minutes has been released today.  If you haven't received a copy but would like to, please sign up for the newsletter at the link below.

 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE MONTHLY DIGITAL COPY

 

Photos of the Apparatus featured in the newsletter are posted below.



Hall's Harbour, NS



New Minas, NS



Miramichi, NB



Borden Carleton, PE



Stanley, NB



Brookfield, NS



North River, PE Rescue Before Refurbishment



North River, PE Rescue After Refurbishment

Kingsville, ON Roto Ray



Oakhill, NS Roto Ray



Oakhill, NS Roto Ray Activated



2014 NBAFC Metalfab Booth 



Recycling

We recently received a container to recycle the plastic jugs that hold antifreeze and oil and it prompted me to consider how much we recycle. It is sitting below beside our waste oil and waste antifreeze barrels.

As I thought about this, I recalled that our paint thinners and paint are recycled and have been for many years. In the office we recycle our paper and our cardboard. When garbage collection started in our area (when the local land fill closed), we at one point filled three dumpsters per week. At that point, we got a cardboard compactor and now we seldom fill one dumpster.

I continued walking around the shop and noticed our pop can barrels - more recycling! Also, any scrap metal is accumulated and sold so that it can be recycled.

I was quite surprised at the amount of recycling that we do now. I wonder how much more we could do if we put our mind to it?

Lean – 5S

One of the Lean Tools that we have used to one degree or another over the last several years is 5S. This is often considered housekeeping and stands for Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. However, I am coming to realize that while housekeeping and an organized workplace are the result of 5S, the purpose of 5S is to make problems visible.

At its most basic level, 5S requires that we ask the question “do we have all that we need in the workplace?”, and “do we need all that we have in the workplace?”, then problem solve when the answer is no. Self discipline and continual improvement are central to achieving success – 5S becomes a way of life in the workplace.

Once the workplace is cleaner and more organized, the elimination of waste and the development of standards can more easily be accomplished.  It is a lot of work, but the results will be well worth it!

Systems and Processes

I was watching a Gemba Academy webinar earlier today which mentioned that "Confusion prevents Improvement" and that "Systems and Processes create autonomy and lead to success". As I considered this, I have to agree that a lot of rework is due to confusion - uncertainty about what is required, how it is to be accomplished, etc. Rework (or defects) is considered one of the seven wastes of manufacturing (muda) as defined by Taiichi Ohno of Toyota.

The way to reduce defects or rework is to reduce rejects which requires that we remove the causes of the defect in the process itself. Rework can be due to confusion when building the product, or by lack of understanding of customer and supplier requirements in the design stage. The better we understand what our customer wants, the fewer design changes we will have. As well, if we let our suppliers know exactly what our requirements are, we can get the right parts at the right time.

All of these defects can be reduced by improving our systems and processes. These improvements can reduce the interruptions to production caused by rework as well as the expense. It can also reduce scrap.

As an Engineering Manager I want to improve our design process to make sure that we ask our customers the right questions when we prepare our specifications so that they get exactly what they expect. I want to ask our internal customers the right questions so that there is no confusion when they build the parts for the trucks. I want to work with our suppliers so we get the best component for our trucks. There's a lot of work to do...