New Line

Today, I got shifted to a new line, and put on Nights. This means that I have to train for a new machine. That means, two more weeks of training! That's five weeks of training, total! Do they plan to train me until my temp contract runs out?!

It wasn't just me. They like... shuffled the temps.

This new place is way more relaxed, though, and it's kind of the same. I mean, they're different parts, different optimal levels, different offsets, different loads... So in a way, you could say it's completely different,but on the other hand... It's still loading parts into machines, repairing inserts, putting offsets, gauging, doing OPC, setting up for inspection, and cleaning up at the end of the day. The style is different, but the substance is mostly the same. Different methods to perform actions that fall into the same categories. My supervisor said I'd be loading by the end of the day, and I was. At my last station, they wouldn't let me load without being double-checked for two whole weeks, but inside an hour at this new place, I was going without supervision (although I misloaded a part once.

That doesn't mean I'm ready to take over, though. Being able to load is only stage one. I still need to learn the gauges, the paperwork, the offsets, and the inserts. Those are all harder than loading.

My old line was the "ladies job". Only me and one other person on that line were male. The parts were lighter, and the loading was placed lower to the ground, an advantage for shorter people. There was a lot of concern voiced by my coworkers about my back. When loading, my shoulders would touch either side of the machine. Meaning, I really had to squash in there.

I get over to the new line, and it's all "Finally got out of the ladies work, eh? Good for you! GRRR! Let's work like MEN!"

But, haha, it's so much lazier! The machines are right there, so you don't have to run back and forth. The quota is lower. The offset command options are all placed in a row, there's only one page of them, and they all mean something.

I voiced annoyance at having to learn a new machine after I'd just learned the other one. The guy showed me that offset screen. I wanted to kiss it.

At the other one, it was all:
"On the Left side, Column X, we deal with W03 and W05"
"What about W04?"
"DON'T TOUCH W04!"
"Okay, but why is it there? It's always at 0, and if I'm never supposed to offset it, why is it an option? Same with 01, 02, 06, and 07."
"NEVER, EVER TOUCH W04!!!"

But at this place, there are no red herring offsets. And because of that, you can fit it on one screen. Forget all those columns and letters!

The parts are like, five pounds heavier, but c'mon. That doesn't matter.

Yup, "easiness" seems to be the lead definitive trait for masculine work. Takes more skill to do ladies work. Every time my old trainer passed by, and saw me sitting around, waiting for my part to finish, she'd laugh.

Of course, this means that day class they invented at my dojo, maybe inspired by me, is obsolete. I can go during regular classes!