Just starting in metrology: It's like walking in the dark on a road without signposts
Two years ago when I first took up the metrology work, I was like a child thrown into a strange factory. When I first opened the Verification Regulation for Vernier Calipers, terms like indication error ≤ 0.02mm and repeatability ≤ 0.01mm were like a string of undeciphered codes. Staring at the page for half an hour, all I remembered was I need to fill out the verification record. When I first went to the workshop to urge the inspection of measuring tools, the production team leader wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, We're going to send out a batch of parts this afternoon. Can we do it after we finish this rush job? Clutching the inspection notice, I stood beside the machine tool, watching the gears spin rapidly, and suddenly felt like an inconvenient person.
During those days, my work was like a "wall-hitting game": One day, the workshop said, "The measuring tools are not broken and don't need to be inspected." The next day, they said, "The storekeeper is on leave and the measuring tools can't be found." After rummaging through the company's regulations, there wasn't a single clause stating that "those who don't send the tools for inspection will be punished." When I reported to the leader that "the metrology work couldn't be advanced," the reply I got was "Try your best to coordinate." Gradually, I learned to "cope" - peel off the expired certificates and stick on new ones; mark the uncalibrated measuring tools as "calibrated" in the ledger; and sometimes, I would just sit there in a daze with a pile of unprocessed calibration records in my arms, looking at the chimney outside the window, thinking that "metrology is just a formality."
Once upon a time, measurement was like an invisible tool hidden in the corner of the workshop
What's even more frustrating is that metrology is like an invisible person in the enterprise. At that time, our department had to compete with the administrative department for the budget to buy printing paper. When the workshop director reported work to the boss, they never said "Our measuring tools are accurate", but only said "We've achieved 120% of the production value". Once when I applied to the purchasing department to buy new verification equipment, the financial manager flipped through the bills and said, "The vernier calipers bought last year can still be used. Don't waste money."
The most powerless feeling is the sense of being "unnecessary". Once, the workshop used an uncalibrated micrometer to measure parts. As a result, all 200 parts in a batch were out of tolerance, and it cost 30,000 yuan for rework. I took the scrap form to the workshop director. He curled his lips and said, "Who told you not to remind us earlier?" But I clearly reminded them three times last week. That's when I realized that metrology is not a "help" but a "trouble", and I'm not a "metrologist" but a "person who causes trouble".
New leader: Move metrology from the "corner" to the "center of the stage"
Last year, there was a department reshuffle, and a new leader who understood metrology came. The first thing he did was to call me to his office. Flipping through my tattered ledger, he said, "Do you know how many accurate micrometers you can buy with the 30,000 yuan for the workshop rework? Ten. Metrology is not a 'cost', but a 'tool for saving money' - if the foundation is unstable, any building, no matter how tall, will collapse."
He helped us solve three "situations":
I. Set rules for measurement – The responsible department, calibration period and assessment standard of each measuring tool have been written into the Company Production Management Measures, so it is no longer just an oral requirement.
II. Find reasons for metrology – With the scrap list of reworked parts from the workshop, a meeting was held with all departments. It was said, You all think metrology is troublesome, but the rework cost of that batch of parts last time was enough to cover the calibration fees for half a year.
III. Bolster the metrology work with confidence: Once, the assembly workshop refused to send a batch of pressure gauges for inspection. The leader went straight to the workshop director and said, "If the pressure vessel in your workshop explodes, can you take the responsibility? An inaccurate pressure gauge is like a time bomb."
That day, I followed the leader to the workshop. I watched the supervisor put the pressure gauges into the boxes. Suddenly, I felt that the verification tools in my hand became heavier. It turned out that metrology is not about "begging others to do it", but about "being supposed to do it".
Suddenly, I understood: Measurement is the "invisible bottom line" of an enterprise
What really "woke me up" were three experiences of "nearly having a big accident":
— Last summer, the workshop used an uncalibrated caliper to measure parts. As a result, the dimensions of a batch of 500 parts deviated by 0.1 mm, and all of them had to be reworked. I took the caliper for calibration and found that the indication error was actually 0.05 mm. — Only then did I understand that "accurate measuring tools" are the "first gate" for product qualification. If the gate is crooked, all that comes in are defective products.
— This spring, when I was inspecting the boiler room, I found that the pointer of a steam pressure gauge was stuck at the 0.8 MPa mark, while the actual pressure had reached 1.0 MPa. I quickly contacted the verification agency, and the result showed that the spring of the gauge head had failed. If I had been half a day later, the boiler might have exploded. That day, the workshop director held my hand and said, It's lucky that you came
— Last month, when calibrating the electric energy meters of the company, it was found that the meter error exceeded 5%, which means an extra 3,000 yuan in electricity bills was paid each month. After the adjustment, the electricity bill this month was directly reduced by 2,800 yuan. The financial manager came to me specifically and said, "Your work makes more money than selling parts."
Now, I finally understand that "measurement is sacred"
The new leader often says, "Metrology work is sacred." In the past, I thought this statement was "empty and exaggerated." Now I understand that sacredness doesn't mean "just shouting slogans," but "holding the line":
It is to calibrate the indication error of each caliper to within 0.01mm to avoid the scrapping of a batch of parts.
It is to calibrate the pointer of each pressure gauge to be accurate to prevent an explosion.
It is to calibrate the readings of each flowmeter to be accurate so as to avoid paying an unjust sum of money.
Now, when I go through the verification regulations again, I won't find it "troublesome" - those numbers hide the workshop's output, the employees' safety, and the company's profits. When I go to the workshop to urge the inspection again, I won't feel "lacking in confidence" - because I know that the verification records in my hand are the "evidence to hold the bottom line".
From "walking in the dark" to "seeing the light", I finally understand that measurement is not a job for "muddling through", but a matter of "grappling with the bottom line". Even if others can't see it, we ourselves have to be clear - every measuring tool in our hands is connected to the foundation of the enterprise, the lives of the employees, and the stability of our lives. Just as the leader said, "Even if the whole world thinks that measurement is unimportant, we ourselves have to take it seriously - because this is our job and, more importantly, our conscience."