The Iron Age 1918-03-14: Vol 101 Iss 11

ier eeeneteetetetelletiaieeteeieaeeteieteteteettinee eh beter Tt ne ee) areen Millie LLL THI Li is ELL TUUME BI bd Tit eT EL Sh a Ls OT Ti) lola” Gobel lod) bod | ee TLILLLLLIA) | = Thi i ; if ad oo TI LLobllul lps T |. J mm i TABLE OF es S - Buyers’ Inc lex Section Wanted ction New York, March 14, 1918 Over 30,000 Square Feet of sawtooth lighting construction were installed on this building of a southern chemical plant. It is an improved form of skylight construction that insures the same permanence in that part of the building as Asbestos Protected Metal does in the roofs and sides. Waugh Glazing Construction is leak- proof, corrosion-proof and lasting. It is the least expensive form of glazing, for it saves glass, repairs and offers the full service expected of glazing. The picture above explains its distin- euishing features better than words. Look at it, study it and then send for Bulletin No.586 , giv- ing details and illustrating its use on industrial buildings of various kinds throughout the country. | ) - - 699 ADVERTISING INDEX - - Contract Work Sect so (earing H Help and Situations Want 4 Business Opportun ities ~» - 381 EE 2 THE IRON AGE March 14, 1939 Mapes QO XXX K NAKAI TX} OXOKOOIGOCICIOL KI = 3 ee | ae % es ¢ : be RS 5 tpi re a>." Pew 3 ; I) COOK NON) NNN NNN Ne Xe) XX c ©) f OX ‘> Xe Xe) Ke Ke Ke Ke Ke KEKE KNX ENKEI KEK KIN Ke Ke KITS) eke) @) a OOO OO 899.3999 S3 E99 790009 OE ee Ne KK) OX @ Xe) +, i VOVUMIDIOVIIIIISVISVIIIIVS Oo) 6.09: ) i Ke Xe) a CX Ke NE Ne Ne Xe ee Ne (Xe X COO “ Xe) 7 a7 00 YX KENEX aa \/ ©) KKK IK) CKO KEXEK ESTABLISHED 1855 THE IRON AGE New York, March 14, 1918 VOL. 101: No. 11 Handling Production in a Small Shop A System Which Gives Complete Informa- tion Regarding Planning and Progress of Work with a Minimum of Clerical Labor -BY ROBERT THL HE great bulk of literature which has ap- peared in recent years regarding shop man- agement has outlined systems of handling work which have been applicable only to large establishments, and which have required a con- IRSTON KENT* entire amount of clerical labor required took but a portion of the time of one stenographer. The output of the shop consisted partly of a standard line of iron and steel articles, assembled into several hundred standard products, and partly of siderable clerical force. Rightly or wrongly, special products, made of drawings and specifi- much of the criticism cations, and bearing lit- which has been leveled ~~ = - tle or no resemblance to against scientific manage- . ; the standard line. As the ment has dealt with the Bill & Material standard line is a highly large amount of “non- | Order No. 0-126 Date_ Left 27- /V'7 competitive one, the name productive labor” that it lice ain ee of the concern is sup- entailed. The small man- | £9 = LM, FOF vets pressed, and the descrip- ufacturer, employing 100 ae . ? aes tion of the parts is hands or less, has felt, ’?-—-—-—-—-————— T 1 r changed in what follows even while admitting the Item Symbol | $orne | for Order | tobe made so that the product will beneficial results that r oe | AC los , fe 10 not be identified. The would accrue from the ———......... i system described, how- adoption of such methods, | |YAR Yor / /o /O ever, is a bona fide one that a plant of such size | aac lwsmmr ¢ | vol 6 and can be applied, with could not afford to main- = -——————- t the necessary modifica- tain the elaborate mech- |. a JHE Ho | f fo oS tions, to any small shop anism necessary to carry \JHPP | / JO o manufacturing either a on an intensive produc- [ - rs \Wkv 2 | 20 a: standard or a non-stand tion system. There are, [—— ain t t ard line or a combination however, many features | _ aa \JASHo| / | fo a of the two. of such a system which he | / J : can adopt “at a compara- [| ee A < A Set of Symbols i eee a | FB | 2 || © Desirable tively small expense, and |} a which will bring results [| Gu ty. \|JHPH | / | /e has A desirable, although out of all proportion to | JHSC\ Tf /O C not necessary, adjunct of the expense involved. — alain iia | WSP ry aa the system is a set of Without adopting +—— —— 7 mnemonic symbols for the such things as balance of ae standard product and the stores, time study, piece | component parts thereof. rates, task and bonus | - These will reduce the work, the production of | |——— ial ! amount of writing r the plant can be increased, | quired to a minimum and delivery schedules fixed [ =e | save a vast amount of and maintained and the =_ iat time on the part of the men and machines kept Fig. 1—It Is Difficult to Omit Any Item Required for stenographer or clerk who busy, with a consequent the Storekeeper Must Fil lm Every garay Made Up a8 looks after the clerical decrease in the expense Colum: end of the job. Further- by means of intelligent more, as a correctly de- advance planning and a routing or order of work system. These are fundamental features of scien- tific management, and the other refinements can be added later if it is found desirable to do so. There is described below a system of handling the work by these means in a shop of less than 100 workers. It was used by the writer and gave absolute control of the progress of the work. The *41 South Willow Street, Montclair, N. J 671 vised mnemonic symbol completely identifies each part, and excludes every other part, the symbol sys tem may be used as the basis of the storeroom ar rangement. The symbols also may be used to iden tify the patterns, and if the pattern storage be ar ranged according to the symbol classifications it will be a comparatively easy matter to lay hands on any particular pattern desired, without the enor mous _of time which inevitable where loss is 672 THE IRON AGE March 14, 1918 onder I No. _bD- ~/2b Order @& Work | Date Left LF LINT ; | 10-SH “olf esas re <ineenntnnmaaatn | ates le aegis 2 Job Ticket aie | Machine ] Description of Job a Te Drawing | Job F Finished Labor Cost 068 L 7 L7-1 | ough bors. /0-SHC #018 4] Sept.go| (0673 = |\ GL | BH2| Akdch Lousy- | 06P¥ \87| G/| Fwd po- ” A- 0b SS IS LE 6 Jun so (0686 | 15 | LEA) Jar 10 - SHR 4018 } 10687 \23\ DU2\| Lutl je- . 1068 F 76 | BU-!\ Bert avd Face. 6-SHS- aa 0689 \/8 | DUS\| Lull 6- 06 Fe 27 L7-3| Dri S-JHP- 4 1069/ =| S6 LEZ |) Tenn S- vs l0ob7L \40 | G2\|Pwdfjo- JHO 0693 \/8 | DU-2| OUll yo- SHPH lob 94 \¥I | Lerturble Fig. 2—The Obverse of the Order of Work Sheet Gives Com plete Information as to Wher Filled no such means of If it is deemed inexpedient to classify and shop. These are: the bill of material, the order symbolize the product, written descriptions of the of work sheet and the progress sheet. In addi- various parts can system described, materially increase the amount of clerical work the shop, but whose function is simply to advise to be done. system will not available several one good book on the subject, from which com- transcript of the customer’s original order on a plete information can be obtained. standard form, the original of which remains The Forms Required e and How an Order Is to be locating patterns is provided. work and controlling its movement through the be used in carrying out the tion to these there is a manufacturing order, although this procedure will which has nothing to do with the operation of The method of developing the symbol the superintendent of the receipt of the order and be described here. There are is his authority for making up the parts neces- excellent papers and at least sary to fill it. The manufacturing order is a with the accounting department, while the carbon copy goes to the superintendent. When the order Aside from the job tickets issued to the work- is completed a notation to that effect is made on men, and which are their authority for making the copy, which is then returned to the account- the various parts called for on the several orders; ing department as a notification to bill the order but three forms = T = - ~ | | Quantity | Item Vendor are necessary for routing the’ to the customer. Material Required Gross Cost peer eaeenspeeneensennatie A =---= ———— -- ~ 6 | 3 Cutt. THS. Wor ah Total $ bor Cost Overhead Material from Stock Freight, Etc. Total Cost, $ Fig. 3—The Reverse of the Order of Work Tells Where Material Has Been Purchased for the Job and When It Should Be Delivered. It also tells the cost of the completed job March 14, 1918 The bill of material is shown in Fig. 1. While this may be dispensed with if desired, this course is inadvisable. The time saved in the shop by its use more than balances the time and expense of making if up. The bill is ruled into five columns as shown, and a set of sheets was printed for each item of the standard product of the shop. On the blank lines at the top are printed the name and symbol of the complete assembled piece, while in the column entitled “Symbol” are printed the symbols of the several parts entering into the assembly. In the adjoining column are the num- ber of parts of each symbol required to assemble one piece. Only in the case of non-standard prod- uct are entries made in the column entitled “Item,” and in this case a brief descriptive name is written as “sheave,” “bracket,” “wire rope,” etc. When an order is received in the shop for a standard product, the bill of material sheet for that particular product is filled in with the order number and the date, the quantity is written in before the name or symbol at the top, and the quantity of each of the several parts required is entered in the fourth column. These quantities are obtained by multiplying the figures in col- umn 3 by the number of pieces in the order. THE IRON AGE 673 than is usually realized. Many establishments de- pend to a greater or less extent on the knowledge of men who have been in their employ for 20 or 30 years, and are without adequate records either as to the material entering into certain of their product or of the methods of making it. The severing of the connection of these men with the firm, by death or otherwise, means a loss that cannot easily be repaired. In the case of a non-standard product, the order is analyzed by the superintendent, who lists on a blank bill of material form all the component parts of the job. He endeavors to use as many standard parts as possible, and in addition to the name which is written in the “Item” column, gives the symbol of the standard parts. The non- standard parts, of course, have no symbol. The bill of material then goes to the storekeeper and the same routine is followed as in the case of the standard product. The Order of Work Sheet The order of work sheet is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In size it is 5 x 8 in. The blank lines at the top are filled in with the quantity and descrip- tion of the goods called for by the customer’s — ne : —— sid © © 0 Cyl. Pigr. Reser. Pump Base Top Sleeve Smal! Parts Assemble Ship i = 3 _ — ——-¥.-- > - + - - F }- — t Tt oo + + < - * = | 762. pocre Tere | 8/065 54) “| G6 1/0692 10694 RD 8 F7AD SIAT 1069/1 J 7 A oh 4 to Th 4018 eed 069. ° Evo bbe estip | 0666-27) : eb6s\p-04gtt _ a 16-67 0— /0667-A L-dH TE ; pm tOb Y 9490 Bros T1en7 T1072) BY 107/9 B 10722 72UA > La) < so7 7é cao D079 D 10720 7 10723 Cts 45 SIUC 1012 TrebtG — + +—__ + FE a ee Fig. 4 The Progress S) t Enables tl Sup t to Visual th | Ss p ar tl ( l ( } Ord |’rogress The bill of material is then sent to the store- order, while in the body are listed the operations keeper, wh ascertains whether or not the required quantities of each part are on hand and available for use. If they are he sets them aside for the particular order in hand and enters a zero in the last column of the bill of material. If there is a shortage of any item he enters in the last column the amount of such shortage and returns the bill of material to the shop office, where the order of work sheet is made out from it. There are many advantages in printing a full list of the parts required for each of the standard products. Without the printed list before him, the storekeeper is liable to overlook or forget some part essential to the complete assembly, and would report an incomplete list of items for manu- facture. Such an omission is often not discov- ered until assembly is begun, and then a delay of several days may ensue while the missing part or parts are being made. Furthermore, a printed list renders the shop absolutely independent of the knowledge that the men may have of the prod- uct, which knowledge may be lost if the men, par- ticularly the older ones, leave the employ of the company. This is a matter of greater importance which must be performed in the shop to com- plete the order. When the storekeeper returns the bill of material, showing the shortages on an order, to the office the superintendent decides upon the sequence of operations necessary to fill them and dictates the list to the stenographer. If a certain operation is to be performed on a par- ticular machine he indicates the fact by giving the machine symbol in connection with the oper- ation. Otherwise, he simply indicates the general class of machine on which the work snould be done, and the particular machine in the class to which the work will be routed is decided by the exigencies of the case when the work is actually put in process. Likewise, the man who is to do the work is indicated if the operation is such as to require a man of peculiar ability. If there is a delivery promise on the order, the date at which each operation must be finished in order to keep that promise is also given. At the same time that he is dictating the order of work the superintendent dictates pur- chase orders for all material which must be bought outside. This will include castings, spe- cial forgings, standard supplies as bolts, struc- tural material, etc. He also indicates the latest date at which the material can be delivered if the order is to be put through the shop on schedule time. The stenographer then proceeds to transcribe this information to the order of work sheet. Fig. 2 shows how the operations called for by the bill of material in Fig. 1 are listed. On the reverse of the order of work sheet is written the information regarding the material purchased outside. From the list of operations the stenographer then pre- pares the job tickets for the workmen, and enters the serial number of the several tickets in the proper column of the order of work sheet, and also in the progress sheet which is described later. When the operation has been completed and the job ticket returned, the date is entered in the col- umn “Job Finished,” and the labor cost computed and entered in the column “Labor Cost.” The total labor cost is afterward transferred to the sum- mary on the reverse side of the sheet, together with the overhead charges, freight and other mis- cellaneous charges, and the total cost of the order is entered at the bottom. An inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 will reveal that the order of work will give complete information regarding the job. It tells not only the cost, but shows the men and machines best fitted to do similar work on other jobs of the same character, the dealers from whom material was purchased, drawing and pattern numbers, and by reference to the job tickets the time required for each oper- ation. For standard products, of course, this in- formation is seldom required, but for special or non-standard work it is essential for purposes of estimating on repeat or similar orders, and also for the purpose of showing just how these special jobs were done. Too often in many concerns it is assumed that a special job will never be repeated, and no record of the operations, methods, etc., is made. On a repeat order, then, the method must be devised all over again, and often the second method is less efficient and more costly than the first. The order of work sheets are put up in pads of 50 and numbered serially. The order number is written in the proper space when the work called for is to fill a customer’s order, and the word “stock” when the work is to be done to replenish the storeroom supply. If the work is for new equipment for the shop or for a repair the words “shop equipment” or “shop repair” are used. The order number is filled in simply to tie the shop routine to the customer’s order. The serial number of the order of work is the order number so far as the shop is concerned, and all reference to work in process is by means of this serial number. When the order of work sheet is filled out it is filed in a card file drawer, entitled “Live Orders.” As the various operations are completed they are dated off, until finally all are complete, when the sheet is removed to a permanent file en- titled “Completed Orders.” It is evident that the order of work sheet gives complete information as to the progress of a job through the shop. The operations which are dated off are completed. Those which are undated are either incomplete or are in process, reference to the duplicate job ticket on the bulletin board will show which. The approximate location of each part of an order is also shown by the order of work sheet, as the part will be either at the machine where the last THE IRON AGE March 14, 1918 completed operation, as shown on the sheet, was performed or at the next uncompleted one. The Progress Sheet For a long period the work was controlled solely by means of the order of work sheets. This, however, involved the handling and rehandling of the sheets several times each day, and it also con- tained the possibility of overlooking important orders. The time consumed in this constant rein- spection to keep familiar with the condition of the work was no inconsiderable item. With from 50 to 100 orders in the shop at one time it was im- possible to keep the details of each one in mind, and it became desirable to adopt a means whereby the work in the shop as a whole and of each order could be visualized. The progress sheet, Fig. 4, was the result. The progress sheet is 8'% x 11 in., punched to fit a standard loose-leaf note book. It is ruled both horizontally and vertically, the first column being 114 in. wide and the remaining ones *4 in. The horizontal rules were each ' in. apart. Each column represented a part of the standard prod- uct, as Shown by the heading at the top. There are nine principal classes of parts, and three of the columns were kept blank for non-standard or special parts. In the last column are entered the shipping dates, and in the first column the par- ticulars of the several orders as shown. Each horizontal line represents an order of work sheet. In the various spaces are entered under the ap- propriate column heads the serial numbers of the job tickets prepared for the several operations on the different parts, together with an initial show- ing the type of operations, as B, T, D, for bore, turn, drill, etc. The particulars entered in the first column comprise the number of the order of work sheet, the quantity and the symbol or name of the product called for. The orders are entered in the sequence of the order of work cards. On the first of each month all the orders ahead which are to be shipped that month are entered on a new set of progress sheets, and all unfinished orders are transferred from the previous month’s sheets. In order to call atten- tion to the orders which are to be shipped in any given week a vertical line is drawn with a colored pencil between the first and second columns of each order. A red line signifies a shipment to be made the first week of the month, a blue line a shipment for the second week, a yellow line one for the third week, and a green line one for the last week of the month. If no mark is made, it signifies that no shipping date has as yet been assigned or that the shipping date is set for the following month. In this case the date is entered in the last column. At the ‘same time that the stenographer makes out the job tickets she enters their numbers on the order of work sheet and the progress sheet. When the job ticket is issued to the shop a check is made alongside its number on the progress sheet. When the ticket is turned in, indicating that the job is finished, the number is canceled on the progress sheet by drawing a pencil mark through it. Thus a glance at the progress sheet will show just how far every order in the shop has progressed, what operations are at that instant under way and how much work yet remains to be done. Orders that are lagging can be rearranged and expedited, while orders that are ahead of schedule can be set aside in favor of more urgent work with the least possible confusion. March 14, 1918 Another valuable feature of the progress sheet is the fact that it shows the amount of work ahead of each class of machine in the shop. Take, for example, the case of cylinders. These are rough bored in a turret lathe, finish bored and turned in a special boring machine, ground in a special grinding machine, and turned in engine lathes. Running down the cylinder column and noting the number of RB (rough bore) symbols preceding uncanceled job ticket numbers in the orders for a given week enables the superintendent to know just how much time he must devote to that week’s orders, and about the time he will be able to start on other work or when he can insert later orders in the schedule for the turret lathe. Similarly, he can obtain the facts for the boring machine, yrinder and engine lathes, thus speeding up the schedule, as opportunity offers. The progress sheets are inserted in a loose- leaf note book, eight to ten being required for each month’s orders. An advantage of the note book form of the sheets is that it can be con- veniently taken into the shop and checked up by an actual inspection of the work at each machine. As each order is completed the line representing it is canceled by crossing out the first and last columns with the color of pencil representing the week in which the work was finished, as explained above. While this feature is not necessary it is of interest in showing how closely to schedule the shop is operating. If the cancellation marks are of the same color as the vertical mark alongside the first column the shop is on schedule, while if a series of blue cancellations are made alongside red indication marks the shop has fallen behind. Similarly, if blue cancellations appear alongside green or yellow indications, the shop is ahead of schedule for those particular orders. The psycho- logical effect of this proceeding is good, since an indication of failure to keep up to schedule may remain in evidence for a month, and act as a con- stant spur to increased effort. The Job Ticket As previously indicated, orders are issued to the workmen by means of job tickets posted on a bulletin board. The job tickets, one of which is shown in Fig. 5, are written in duplicate. The original goes into the shop, while the duplicate remains on the board to show the work on which the man is engaged. When a workman finishes his job he brings the ticket to the shop office and the time is stamped on the back of both the orig- inal and duplicate. The tickets for the next job are removed from their hooks on the board, the time stamped on them, the original given to the man, while the duplicate is posted on the board. The elapsed time is calculated from the returned tickets, the labor cost extended on the order of work sheet, and the original is filed according to its serial number, while the duplicate is destroved. The job tickets are 3 x 5 in., printed on a light but tough paper, and punched with two holes, 3 in. apart for the bulletin board hooks. At the top is the serial number, a space for the man’s name or number, another for the order of work sheet number, and one for the machine number where the work is to be done. A space was orig- inally provided for the date, but this is unneces- sary, as the date is now put on by means of the time stamp. Below, explicit directions are given for the performance of the operation. One ticket is issued for each operation. The bulletin board hooks, one set for each man in the shop. A set consists of a THE IRON series of - AGE 675 consists of two groups of two hooks. The upper set is reserved for the job actually in process, while the lower set holds the jobs that have been assigned to the man, but upon which he has not yet begun work. The order in which the jobs are to be taken up is indicated by the arrangement of the tickets on the lower group of hooks, the first job being in front, the second immediately behind, etc. Every night, prior to quitting time, the super- intendent studies his progress sheets, ascertains therefrom the jobs that are needed first, and ar ranges the tickets for them on the hvoks of the workmen who are to do the work. He is guided in this by his knowledge of the capabilities of the men and by the relative importance of the severa! orders under way. The aim is to always keep at least one day’s work posted ahead of each man. With the initial job ticket for each part mad a tag is made out and posted with the ticket. This O Job Ticket oO Order of Work No.__D ~/7 6 tag, which is an ordinary shipping tag, carries the order of work sheet number and the quantity and symbol of the part called for by the job ticket The workman attaches this tag to the lot of part and it accompanies it through the shop to the assembly floor, serving to identify at any time the parts for each order that may be under way German Labor Disputes in 1916 consid Germany in 1916 show 1915, both as regards the number and the days lost, journal of the German Depa London /) disputes num Labor disputes in erable increase ove} of persons involved recent issue of the and Labor abstracted in the and Coal Trades Review In 1916 the bered 240, all of which nd they in 124,188 The days lost 1916, both a and in relation to the number of disputes, were mucl liatoals according to : tment . ; Statistics, were SLrikes, a voiveda workmen. tually fewer than the average for the five years immediate preceding the outbreak of the war. Wao Trhe ‘ Direethy Wor Ys | Involh } 1) 1909-] ( 1914 1%] ‘ 191¢ The three groups of trades affected most seriously by the 1916 disputes, taking the estimayad number of days lost as the criterion, were: Mining, 100,121 days; metal, 37,900 days, and engineering, 534 In thes three the aggregate loss in working aye @mounted to »8 per cent of the total in all tradeg eomBined From the point of view of the working people 27 of the d putes were fully successful, 130 partly so and 89% wholly unsuccessful The Peerless Foundry Co., Latrobe, Pa., is taking bids for the construction of a new one and two-story foundry, about 80 x 275 ft., one-story nower plant, 30 x 80 ft., and one-stery core oven building, to cost about $150,000. Headquarters of the company are ik the Conestoga Building, Pittsburgh. The Manufacture of Steel Sheets What to Consider in General Layout and Range of Product—Disposition of Rolls—Heating and Annealing Furnaces BY CLEMENT F. POPPLETON (With Supplemental Plate) HE importance of sheet and tin plate manufac- 7 ture to the United States, and, in fact, to the world, can hardly be exaggerated at the present time, nor is it within the bounds of possi- bility that the importance of these partly allied industries will become less as time goes on. The tin plate industry was dealt with by the author in an article published in THE IRON AGE of Jan. 3, 1918. The necessity for sheet iron or steel for many products not now generally made from this ma- terial is becoming more and more apparent. Fur- thermore, it cannot be said that this growing de- mand is the direct result of the lamentable war con- ditions now existing. The growing scarcity of lum- ber, more particularly of the better qualities such as oak, maple and other finishing lumber of slow growth, has been apparent for years, and the un- fortunate deforestation of the land has made the probability of the return of the old-time abun- dance very remote, if not a commercial impossi- bility. Thus it appears that apart from the hith- erto well known and by constant usage considered essential needs for this product, new fields are con- stantly opening up. Within comparatively few years we have seen the ornamental plaster ceilings of our fathers re- placed by sheet steel. Doors, windows and trim in our skyscrapers are sheet steel masquerading as oak, mahogany or other woods. Railroad cars, Pullman and coaches, street cars and subway cars no longer rely upon the uncertain and inflammable lumber, but turn to the sheet mill for their material. The roll- top desk and filing cabinet look also in the same direction and will continue to do so. The automobile industry alone has created a de- mand nearly equal to the whole production of the United States of twenty years ago. As is naturally to be supposed, with the constantly increasing de- mands for a wider variety of sizes and quality, great advances have been made in the art, a modern American sheet mill bearing as little resemblance to its progenitor of Great Britain in the late 60’s as the present country bears to the colonists of Revolutionary days. Desirable Features of Sheet Mill Layouts To enable the reader to follow more intelli- gently the process of manufacture, a typical layout of a modern mill is appended and further refer- ences to its leading features and to the reasons therefor will be made as the description of the various stages of the manufacture are reached. It will be apparent at once that a single design of a mill layout cannot be applied economically to all conditions. The mill as illustrated is one of a group of finishing mills including plate mill, jobbing mill, merchant mill, etc. This group is all arranged with the mills parallel to each other and at an angle of approximately 30 deg. to the incoming (raw ma- terial) tracks and the outgoing (finished product) tracks. This arrangement greatly facilitates switching and further makes it possible to arrange a common stock yard (covered by crane) and com- mon warehouse for shipping (also with crane serv- ice) to be arranged at the opposite ends of the mill groups, a very desirable feature, particularly where a large steel works must split up its total output into many varieties of finished products. The mills of this group are at the present time being manufactured in the United States for early shipment and erection abroad. The general ar- rangement of the sheet mill as illustrated would have to be modified to suit local conditions, and very considerably so, if the mill were entirely inde- pendent of other mills, and the acreage available were not of much’ greater length than breath. As a matter of comparison the layout of the John Summers Sons’ mill at Chester, England, is also shown. This is situated on the tidal River Dee and can ship directly to the overseas markets or by coasting vessel to Liverpool (a matter of less than 50 miles by sea). This mill is one of the largest in Great Britain, but has the common fault of the English, and it may be truly said of the older American mills—lack of room. The space between the furnaces and roll train is too short, the roof is too low (20 ft. to the lower chord) and the build- ings generally have not sufficient span. Several of its features, however, might be em- bodied into modern mills with advantage. Through no particular thought of the general welfare, I am afraid, but because the Dee is a salmon river, and waste acid could not be run into it, an acid recovery plant was installed, where indicated, and mirabile dictu was found to be a paying investment. The track layout is also good. This layout was made by the author, but conditions and precedent, amounting almost to traditions, spoiled the full fruition of the idea. Commercial Limits of Sheet Mills Before proceeding to describe the process of manufacture of sheets in detail, it will be well to define what is covered by the term sheet iron. This generic term is given to sheets of either iron or steel; in fact, very little of the old-fashioned puddled iron sheet is now produced. The sheets run in length from 5 ft. to 12 ft., in width from 24 to 48 in. and in thickness from No. 31 to No. 12 gage. The extremes are 36 x 84 in. in No. 31 gage to 48 x 120 in. in No. 12 gage. Special sheets are rolled on special mills exceeding these limits, barrel sheets being rolled 60 in. wide by 72 in. long in No. 22 gage and some few sheets 144 x 48 in. in No. 12 gage. As a matter of works efficiency and economy, sheets below No. 28 gage in thickness do not pay and should be rolled on a tin mill and sheets over No. 16 gage in thickness should be rolled on a jobbing plate mill. In this, as is obvious, the large steel works with a group of diversified mills will always have an advantage over the single plant, which to retain its customers is obliged to accept all 676 March 14, 1918 specifications which come within the range of sheets, even to the extremes, and by rolling them on mills unsuited to these outsizes, albeit admirably suited to the general run of business, cut down tonnage with the corresponding increase of overhead charges and loss of profit; whereas a steel plant with a variety of mills will place the light orders in the tin mill and the heavy ones in the jobbing plate mill making a normal profit upon the whole speci- fication. Difference Between Tin and Sheet Mills The process of manufacturing sheets considered in detail follows for a certain number of opera- tions very closely that of the manufacture of tin plate with the main exception that sheets are always rolled from heavier bars. In both cases the sheet, or tin bar, is the raw material of the black sheet. In both cases the sequential order of operations follow each other, viz., the shearing of the bars, CHEMICAL 5 PLANT o- = WAREHOUSE Packing } Mees sickest i (Pickling? [aa 0 eee H Galvarn zit 0 Aynentine FuRNAct ce | 1] ' Hawno Firen Bomers ; | ea ———— } ty pit ii 2+ Pacnime|) eae _—" SHoP a i ‘ot : & Ba > 1] ~ } & | + ORAULIC STATION heating the bars and roughing the bars now called pairs. Then comes the difference, the doubling shear of the tin mill has no place in the sheet mill and from this point out the operations change. The bars usually come from the bar mill in 30-ft. lengths, are 7 in., 8 in. or even wider, there is a strong tendency in modern plants to increase the width of the bar and decrease its thickness). The bar shears are of many types. The cheapest in first cost is the common alligator shear. This requires three men to operate and only handles one bar at a time. The method is to arrange two mov- able horses consisting of bar iron frames and pipe roller tops on the approach side of the shear, and a movable stop guide on the delivery-side. Two men lift a bar to the horses on the approach side of the shear, the bar is then pushed through the gap of the shear until it touches the stop guide on the delivery side. This guide has been previously ad- THE IRON Cc Hen a AGE 677 justed to the desired length of crop. The third man, called the shearman, throws in the clutch and the shear makes a cut, this operation being repeated until the bar is used up. This method is anti- quated, slow and costly in labor, and tends to bend the sheared bar, making it harder to rough them after heating. There are several modifications of this method such as live roller approach tables and continuously running shears, but they are not on the whole sat- isfactory. The most modern method is the use of a vertical shear, with automatic stop gage, live roller approach tables and pinch rolls. This appara- tus is expensive in first cost, but more than justifies its adoption where investment is not of paramount importance. It will take four or more bars at a time, the bars can be loaded on to the approach table by crane. It only requires two men, and can be run at a comparatively high speed. The men have practically no manual labor to perform, one of the Sheet Chester, Layout Sons’ Summers Mill at England straightens the bars on the approach table with a hook and the shearman works the guide and clutch without moving from his position. The sheared bars now called pairs are ready to be conveyed to the heating furnaces. This is done in many ways by truck hand power, overhead trav- eling crane, monorail trolley, etc. Local conditions and the size of the mill are the determining factors as to which of the methods is the most desirable. Heating the Bars and Reheating the Sheets There are many kinds of furnaces used for this purpose, all having the generic name sheet and pair furnaces. The oldest type and one still in use is an ar- rangement of two independent furnaces side by side, one for the bars and one for the sheets. A modification of this is to build the two furnaces together with a separate arch for each springing 678 from the outside walls and having a common divi- sion wall on which both arches meet. This saves one wall and two sets of buckstays. An advance on this method is the tandem com- bination sheet and pair furnace; this consists of two furnaces, one behind the other, with a single combustion chamber. The rear furnace is for the bars and the front nearest the mill is for the sheets. Between the combustion chamber and the pair fur- nace hearth is a bridge wall and between the pair furnace hearth and the sheet furnace hearth is a second bridge wall. The products of combustion pass from the combustion chamber over the bridge wall to the hearth of the pair furnace and after heating the bars pass over the second bridge wall and serve to heat the sheets in the sheet furnace. This is entirely feasible, as the pairs require a con- siderably higher temperature than the sheets. This method is a distinct advance on the older methods, effecting quite a considerable saving in fuel and longitudinal floor space, thus saving spindle length in the mill train, but it has the disadvantage of increasing the carry of the heated bars from heater to roller, a very serious matter in hot weather. Lately a very distinct advance has been made in the art of heating sheet or tin plate bars by the use of the Allis continuous pair furnace. This con- sists of a cast-iron or steel hearth arranged in V grooves on which the bars are arranged. Behind the furnace a pusher, either hydraulic or electrically operated, is provided, and the bars are pushed through automatically. This insures a very even heating of the bar, reduces the manual labor to a minimum, is economical in the use of fuel and, per- haps most important feature of all, does not re- quire the highly skilled labor called for by all the other types of pair heating furnaces. In the rolling of the black plate perhaps the most important single operation is the heating of the bars. These must be brought up to the rolling temperature with a slow, even raise of temperature. A sudden heating scales the bars, and this scale is rolled into the pack, spoiling the sheet. Under all the older system the heater had to move his bars from one part of the hearth to another, turn them and edge them; this not only required experience and skill but a very considerable amount of manual labor, during which the heater was exposed to the heat of the open furnace. All this is obviated by the Allis furnace, the bars come through on edge so that they have practically all surfaces exposed to the action of the heated gases. At the end of the V grooves there is a short fore-hearth which heats up any black spots caused by contact with the grooves, and all the heater’s helper has to do is to open the furnace door and take out a pair of bars and pass these to the roller, a few seconds’ exposure only. The heater simply attends to the pusher and regulates the heat of the furnace by means of his control dampers. These Allis furnaces were illus- trated in the author’s article on tin plate published in the issue of Jan. 3, and the mill which is the subject of the accompanying plan has the tandem sheet and pair furnaces mentioned. Arrangement of the Rolls The mill train, as indicated, has six stands of rolls on one side of the drive and four stands on the other. This refers to finishing mills. This mil! is designed for a highly varied product ranging from 36 in. wide and No. 31 gage to 48 in. wide and No. 12 gage. To take care of this large variation and assum- ing that rather more than one-half of the demand THE IRON AGE March 14, 1918 would be for short and light sheets, one side of the mill was laid out for these lighter sheets and ar- ranged on the tin mill style, roughing and finishing on the same stand. On the opposite side of the mill there are arranged roughing and finishing stands. The light side of the mill train has mills ar- ranged as follows: The lead mill, that is the mill nearest to the drive, is 48 in. long on the body; the next is 42 in. and the next four are 36 in. The end stand is a cold mill, that is to say a mill for cold rolling which process is treated later and takes the place of a drag. Its length on the body is 42 in. All the rolls on this side of the mill are chilled. On the heavy side of the mill the lead mill is 54 in. body length and is a chilled finishing mill. Next to it is a pair of pinions and next again a stand of 54-in. sand roughing rolls, which are balanced and both top and bottom rolls driven, the pinion drive enabling the roughing mill to take bars up to 2 or 214 in. thick and thus roll out the heavier and longer sheets from a standard 7 or 8-in. bar; the next stand is a 54-in. chilled finishing mill. The next stand is a 48-in. chilled finishing mill and between it and the next is a 48-in. sand jump rougher, and next comes a 48-in. chilled finishing mill followed by a 54-in. chilled cold mill. All the mills are 30 in. in diameter and run at 30 r.p.m. The drive is of various types: Steam engines run at comparatively high speed and connected by means of gearing to the leading spindles. Steam engines run at comparatively high speed and con- nected to the leading spindles by means of a rope- drive reduction. Steam engines run at low speed directly connected to the leading spindles. Electric motor connected by means of helical cut gear reduc- tion to the leading spindles. All the drives men- tioned are in practical and successful use, but all modern mills are being equipped for electric motor drive. The matter of power is extremely local. If a source of electric power, either hydro-electric or large public distributing station, is available, there can be no question as to purchasing power and using electricity entirely. In a medium to large plant (10 to 20 mills) the first condition not being ex- istent, to generate electricity by turbogenerators is advised and only in small plants is direct steam even partially economical. The housings of the mills are secured to heavy shoe plates, which are bolted together to make a continuous bed from drive to end mill on each side. The foundation of the mill train and the drive should be in one mass. Returning to the heating of the bars. After they are heated to the required temperature they are taken out of the furnace by means of tongs two at a time; the heater throws them to the roller down the standing, which is sloped toward the rolls. The roller takes first one bar and then the other, pass- ing them through the rolls twice or thrice to the catcher, who returns them over the top roll, using its direction of rotation to assist in this operation; after two or three passes, the roller places one of the now embryo sheets on the top of the other and they are given as many passes as the heat, now rapidly diminishing, will allow. The next stage is reheating. As the sheets can- not be rolled thin enough in two thicknesses (except in the heavier gages) they must now be doubled. This is accomplished by taking one end of the sheet and bending it over. Then a doubling machine, which is a plunger press is used to close down the sheets, one on the other. The result is a pack of four sheets but practically cold. 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When this is accomplished the pack again goes to the roller and is passed through the rolls again and again until the heat is exhausted or the desired thinness is obtained. A pack of sheets, 4 or more in thickness, of ragged outline and closed at one end, is the final product of hot rolling. The next process is to shear this pack to the size called for in the order. This is done in what is known as a squaring shear (which has an essentially long knife but compara- tively little shearing power, about 14 in. of soft steel being the usual capacity). This shear is provided with a system of graduated guides which enable the size of the sheets to be readily fixed by the shear man and precludes the possibility of sheets of one order varying in size. The pack now has to be opened, that is, sepa- rated into individual sheets. If the rolling has been well done at the proper heat, this is a matter of little difficulty. After the sheets are opened the first inspection is given them. This consists largely in a superficial examination for blisters, dirt or scale. The result of all the processes hereinbefore de- scribed is a number of hard, black sheets of sup- posedly uniform size and thickness. These are loaded on bogies: or trucks and taken to the anneal- ing furnaces. The scrap is collected, bundled and returned to the open-hearth charging floor, or sold if the sheet mill is being operated independently of a steel works. Annealing the Sheets Annealing is of vital importance, and although manufacturers have sold hard sheets in the past, they have not continued the practice. There are two systems of annealing: nealing and close annealing. The former is now almost obsolete. It is performed by heating the sheets in an open muffle furnace to a dull red heat and then piling them on the ground, sometimes cov- ered with sand, and allowing them time to cool off. As before stated, this method is very little used to-day; it saves a little money, sometimes, but does not soften the sheet sufficiently for the working-up quality. Open an- The Matter of Fuel There are many kinds of fuel in successful use: Gas, natural and produced; coal, hand-fired and stoker-fired, and latterly, pulverized coal. For this latter, great economies are claimed, but it cannot as yet be said to have reached the commercial stage. Bearing in mind that the primary requisite is slow, even heating and that the final temperature is not high (seldom exceeding 1800 deg. Fahr.), t