Development of support tool "process template"to pass on skills and its application for milling of sheet metal

Abstract

Due to the retirement of many middle-aged technicians, it is becoming important to pass on their skills to the younger generation. To support the passing on of these skills, a "process template," which can visualize, reveal, and store skills related to cutting techniques, has been developed. The process template is constructed with a flowchart to demonstrate sequences of machining process and tables to represent the detailed conditions of machining. To skills related to the milling of thin sheet metal are stored in the process template and applied in small- and medium-sized enterprise environments. The process template allows younger engineers to perform machining successfully because the template demonstrates how a skilled technician fixes the low-stiffness work material.