WHY WOULD I SEND A MAINTENANCE PERSON TO GED FOR TRAINING?
Maintenance is a “hands-on” business, and most techs learn best by diving in and working on a piece of insulating glass machinery. When a machine breaks down, it is imperative that it gets repaired quickly and correctly to avoid additional downtime.
The advantage of coming to GED is because:
- Trainees can take our time to get in and work on the machine, they can make adjustments and verify the work is correct.
- They can learn with the instructor’s guidance and without the pressures of time restraints.
- Attendees will sharpen their troubleshooting skills as the instructor simulates possible window and door machine issues and guides them though the machine logic, electrical diagrams, and instruction manuals.
- And the Techs can share their experiences with other techs from other companies further adding to their learning experience.
Trained technicians can ensure that the machines are fixed right the first-time enhancing productivity, reducing downtime, and increasing machine satisfaction.
WHY HAVE GED TRAIN OUR OPERATORS? WE CAN DO THIS OURSELVES
Since 1995 GED has offered both insulating glass machinery maintenance and operations training because we know trained operators are more productive and have less issues with their window and door fabrication machines and trained mechanics can fix them quickly and keep them running. GED offers both in-house and on-site for the operators.
As a member of GED’s Productivity Improvement Team, I see the results of insufficient training. With employee turnover or due to “forgotten knowledge,” IG (Insulating Glass) units may not be produced as efficiently as they could be. Steps are added to the process which are counterproductive, and may have forgotten, or have not been trained, how to properly operate the equipment to maximize throughput. Over my 20+ years as a trainer at GED, I have seen a sharp drop in operator training largely due to the high turnover rate in industry. The result is, people unknowingly make less than desirable product because they have not been taught the do’s, don’ts, how’s and why’s. I encourage Line Leads and Supervisors to get trained as these are the people who will likely be training new employees. I also encourage On-Site Operations and Productivity training as I can reach a larger audience.
Written By: Ken Collier
Ken has over 20 years of experience with GED as a Training Manager and Instructor teaching classes to customers in-house and on-site. He instructs operators, maintenance & quality tech and production leads on the proper use and upkeep of GED equipment supplementing the courses by developing “How to” videos which are available on GED’s YouTube channel. Ken has a BS in Industrial Technology Education from Kent State University.
