Assembly - November 2008 - (Page 54) ASSEMBLY Fastening The Right Way and Wrong Way to Use Power Tools To ensure quality control and worker safety, supervisors should train operators how to use fastening tools correctly. obert Arthur, vice president of Michigan Pneumatic Tool Inc. (Detroit), can remember a time, back in the day, when the tightness of a nut or bolt was largely a matter of the operator’s judgment. Years ago, he visited a General Motors plant, where he observed operators using 1/2-inch impact wrenches to attach fenders to Cadillacs. “When I asked how they knew a nut was tight, one guy said he could feel it. He would put his hand on the socket and feel it slowing down. Another said he knew it was tight when the washer started to bend,” he recalls. On today’s assembly line, with its transducerized, computer-controlled fastening tools, such comments seem nothing less than heresy. “The whole idea of using an automatic shut-off tool, whether pneumatic or electric, is to eliminate that interpretation by each individual operator,” says Arthur. “You want to make the tool idiot-proof.” Assemblers have invested considerable sums in high-tech fastening tools during the past few years. These tools measure torque and angle, count the number of fasteners that have been tightened, and even direct the operator to each fastening location. However, even tools equipped with a slew of error-proofing technology can still R be used incorrectly. To ensure quality control—and protect the safety of their workers—supervisors need to train operators how to use fastening tools correctly. “A well-trained operator who takes pride in the assembly process is still the best insurance against errors.”—William Staiger, Bosch Production Tools Dos and Don’ts When tightening a fastener, the driveshaft of the tool should be perpendicular to the work surface, and the center line of the driveshaft should be aligned with the center line of the fastener. The best way to hold a tool depends on its configuration. For pistol-grip and in-line tools, the workpiece should be positioned so the tool can be held with one hand at waist height, with the shoulders squared and the arm slightly bent. If the tool will apply more than 10 newton-meters of torque, it should be mounted on a support arm. A rightangle tool should be operated with two When tightening a fastener, the driveshaft of the tool should be perpendicular to the work surface, and the center line of the driveshaft should be aligned with the center line of the fastener. Photo courtesy Bosch Production Tools North America By John Sprovieri Editor 54 ASSEMBLY / November 2008 www.assemblymag.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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