MEMORANDUM

To:          Katalin Voros, Operations Manager

From:       Ben Lake, Cory Hall Machine Shop Sr. Superintendent

Subject:   2008 Year-End Report

Date:       13 January 2009


My responsibilities as Sr. Superintendent of the Cory Hall Machine Shop last year were to manage day-to-day operations and provide support to Material Science Engineering’s (MSE) machine shop.   The Shop supported fifty-three Principal Investigators from various departments including EECS/ERSO, Physics, ME, ChemE, BNC/QB3, CNR, Astronomy, Life Sciences, NuclearE, ESPM, Biology, UCSF, LBNL, BMLA, and MSE. The following report summarizes the activities and accomplishments for 2008.

I.       MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION

The Cory Hall Machine Shop is a 100% recharge operation under ERSO management. In 2008 the unit consisted of one Sr. Superintendent, B. Lake Jr., one Principal Laboratory Mechanician, J. Gavazza, two Development Technician V’s, R. Amaral and A. Peterson, and a half-time Administrative Assistant III, N. Peshette.  All projects are submitted to the Shop in the form of work orders. Our accounting system consists of two major parts, the Machine Shop Job Management System (MSJMS) and “Time Logs”. This system allows for accountability for all expense and income. We have housekeeping assignments and responsibilities that range from servicing machines, monitoring shared equipment for condition and proper guard settings for grinders, bandsaws and sanders to cleaning specific areas such as shared work surfaces, machine tools and the sink. These responsibilities are rotated monthly. The MSE unit consists of two Principal Laboratory Mechanicians, K. Yee and S. Montalvo. They report to C. Kumai, Principal Development Engineer in MSE.

The MSJMS program maintains a log of all work orders that are submitted to the shop. It records several important pieces of information that enable me to prioritize and assign projects to Shop personnel. It keeps an on going record of current work load information. The “Time Log” is a program which allows me to determine: who worked on what project, when it was worked on, and how long it took to complete. When we combine the “Time Log” document, submitted work order, and a copy of any material ordered, the loop is closed. All questions can be answered, including time spent and what materials were used at what cost. This system is the cornerstone of the business end of our operation. The individual documents are updated daily and are reviewed twice a month by me to ensure all information is current and accurate. I also use this system to provide vital information for yearly performance appraisals, which were submitted on time in 2008. 

I meet bi-weekly with the Microlab and Machine Shop Operations Manager, K. Voros, to discuss workload, job priority, and general shop business and activities. I chair monthly Shop meetings, which are attended by my supervisor, K. Voros, and shop personnel including MSE staff. We have an agenda and discuss financial status, open items from previous meetings, projects specific to the safety and development of the Shop, general housekeeping issues and other items as needed.

II.                 PRODUCTION & SERVICES

The Cory Hall Machine Shop completed 387 jobs for 53 PI’s and the Microlab in FY 2007/2008. There were 132 jobs submitted in the form of job requests from the Microlab. In addition we provided 239 hours of Proforma work for EECS, which included support for instructional laboratories and classrooms, removing and remounting shelving, engraving plaques and nameplates, and installing audio/visual equipment.

Our website, http://mshop-erso.berkeley.edu, features our capabilities, lists contact information, and has job request forms and general information such as photographs of completed jobs.  It has streamlined our operation by answering some frequently asked questions and gives our customers an easy way contact us.  It is now even searchable through Google as Cory Hall Machine Shop or ERSO Machine Shop.

Safety is always a concern and I work with the campus EH&S department to stay current with information regarding our responsibilities as a machine shop to provide a safe working environment. I pride myself in keeping a safe, well-organized, clean and alert machine shop. I am a participant on the Cory Hall Safety committee, which helps me stay tuned to the changing environment we work in and allows me to pass on important information and guidance.

III.               FINANCIAL STATUS

The recharge rate is calculated to include all known and projected costs. R. Spivey, Administrative Manager, supervises this activity. During fiscal year 2007/2008 the Cory Hall Machine Shop accumulated a debt of $34,105.00 (8.8%). This total is beyond the campus’ acceptable tolerance for a recharge operation but a waiver was granted.

To avoid going further into arrears, several adjustments were made with regard to funding FTE’s. Effective July, 2008, 50% of Sr. Supt. position is funded by CITRIS, effective May, 2008, 100% of one Dev. Tech V and the AAIII positions are funded by the Microlab.

Finances for the two components of the joint shop, ERSO and MSE, remain separate except for some shared supplies which are split 65% ERSO and 35% MSE.

I.                              COMMENTS

One project I enjoy working on is the continued up-grading of the Machine Shop’s equipment, tooling and work environment. I am currently evaluating all the machine tools to provide estimates on refurbishing vs. buying new equipment for those units that fall short of minimum accuracy standards set by their manufacturers. Ergonomics has become increasingly important. As tooling, jigs, and fixtures have become heavier and more awkward to lift and position onto our machine tools, ergonomic and safe storage review is required. One goal of mine this year is to address and resolve these issues in an effort to ensure that our machine shop continues to be safe, well equipped, organized, efficient, and as professional as possible.