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16 MoldMaking Technology November 2015 / Automation Case Study Case Study / Automation As quality manager for precision mold manufacturer Oakley Die & Mold, Bob Beltz is no stranger to tolerances measured in the ten-thousandths of an inch. Until recently, however, processes for managing the tools that help verify that preci- sion left room for improvement. With an Axcess 6000 auto- mated inventory management system from Apex Supply Chain Technologies, the shop has gained greater control over its measurement device inventory and streamlined management of widely varying calibration schedules, Beltz reports. Beyond direct time and cost savings, these gains have helped avoid the need for additional labor and accelerated the shop's ongoing lean journey, adds Jim Goddard, machining and molding man- ager for parent company The Velocity Group. A Cautious, Costly Approach Specifically, the system proved critical for achieving the lat- est step in that journey: ISO 9000 certification, which Oakley earned in October 2014. By that point, this nearly 60-year-old Mason, Ohio, company already enjoyed a good reputation for design, manufacture and repair of plastic injection molds for production and prototype applications alike, as well as con- tract machining and EDM services. However, despite solid growth, leadership wanted to incorporate more rigorous lean practices to differentiate the company in the eyes of custom- ers, most of which hail from the automotive, lawn and garden, machine tool, medical, and safety industries. Goddard, Beltz and the broader Oakley team considered ISO 9000 certifica- tion key to that broader effort. However, ISO 9000 requires proper documentation of quality management processes, including calibration records for measuring instruments like calipers, micrometers and gages. Calibration schedules for such tools vary widely, Beltz says, typically ranging from once per month to once per year. Lacking a system to track individual schedules, Oakley had been periodically calibrating all 52 tools, regardless of whether they required it. Although this better-safe-than-sorry approach ensured accurate measurements, it wasn't enough for ISO. It wasn't very efficient, either, particularly given that some tools (namely, round gages for which the shop lacks a master) must be sent for outside calibration at a cost of $50 to $200 each. Oakley also lacked a reliable system for tracking usage of these tools throughout the shop. This risked further inef- ficiency, Beltz says. For instance, a "missing" tool might turn up in the drawer of an employee from a previous shift. Such cases motivated the shop to purchase the Axcess 6000 system as much or more than the company's drive to better manage calibration schedules and to meet ISO documentation require- ments. "The real cost comes when you don't have what you need when you need it," he explains. "When that happens, we can't shrink our delivery times to what the customer requires. The cost of calibration is negligible compared to that." Traceable and Accessible To date, Oakley has installed four of the Axcess locker sys- tems, which are strategically located to provide point-of-use distribution of tools needed most in any particular area (for instance, mill operators frequently require OD micrometers, whereas the locker closest to the EDM department contains plenty of pin gages). The lockers are intuitive to use, and employees were quick to adapt them into their daily routines, Beltz says. All that's required to unlock any given cabinet is an approved employee ID, the number of the needed tool and the job number. Employees are expected to check tools back into the system at the end of their shifts. Taking Control of Measurement Tool Inventory An automated asset management system that tracks usage and calibration schedules for measurement tools helps cut costs and improve customer service. For precision machinists like Randy Miles, shown here measuring the height of a lifter, four strategically located lockers provide convenient, point-of-use access for any measurement tool needed in a given area. Tight control of inventory via Trajectory Cloud software ensures the right tool will always be there.