Are there any such People as Work Study Engineers now?

[flyer]

I think they used to be called Time and Motion study blokes. Anybody on piece work hated them, because they would try and reduse the time allowed for each job.

I think any left moved to China, but to be honest I loved them because they allowed me to use my inventive brain, jobs that had been done for 50 yrs was so easy to change I know I saved United Shoe Machine many thousands of pounds I never got a penny but stood me in good stead when later on I built many high speed machine's,one i built right off the 4yr old's tele program just had to see it once and start building next day

[bri bloomer]

Dont be so cynical peterdo not all work study engineers went out on jobs to skin the workforce,And a smart operator who knew is job would always find a way to cut corners after the W,S,E,or Fatefixer as they were originally known had gone back to his comfortable little desk to write it up and and slot it into the system.I know because i have done both jobs,When they brought in time and motion at Warren Lane Factory it made it a more level field,but the guys who were the best paid before generally still were,Bri Bloomer.

[shaunfl]

The " cauldron " of work study engs, I believe that was the collective name for them, were a very mysterious bunch at the company I started work for in the early 70s.

The grand Poo-Bar would hold court in the Shiny Sheff pub and the wannabes would turn up in their droves to buy his ale and wonder at the regalia. Stars adorned with £ signs, calculators were a no no, the machine man had these, so they invented their own version of a slide rule. Whatever the time was for the job was halved with a quick shuffle of the knuckles, we had to accept it because they were the only men that had time to perfect this manouvre. Another name for these men arose from this action, it doesn't spring to mind at the moment !!

In all the years I worked with these people, a group consisting of failed machinists, there were very few I would trust. :(

[USUK]

Remember when Tidmans recruited WSE to go and work in the US with promises of great wages.

 

When I was made redundent in 1998 it wasn't till 2003 I saw the first job advertised at Birds in Derby.

 

I remember that and actually knew some of the people who went. Some of them did Ok and stayed there, most came home

[LA Blade]

'Remember when Tidman’s recruited WSE to go and work in the US with promises of great wages.'

 

Yep, I was one of them. In the late 70's early 80's there were 30 to 40 WSE's from England in Southern California, I am still here and there are about 1/2 dozen who stayed on here. Interestingly, more and more companies are now advertizing for WSE's here - now called Industrial Engineers. Does Tidman’s still exist there?

[Bypassblade]

I can remember the time & motion man coming in when I worked at Tungsten Carbide Developments, when he timed me; I did everything meticulously just getting out work I needed & took time loading jigs up. When he'd timed me I got the number to about 100 an hour knowing full well I could make my number, and more besides pretty comfortably.

 

Its not their fault it's management that get them in, so you had to be as cute as they though they were.

[victormh]

Bypassblade - when were you at Tungsten Carbide Developments - presume you mean the one at the end of the lane, off the top of Coisley Hill - Woodhouse ? I remember - Gerald Biggin, Margaret Fidler, Jack Eyre, John and the girls in the office, Jack Heeley, Eric Hoole, Alan the progress chaser etc and many more. Can see their faces but their names elude me at the moment. I seem to remember that it was taken over by another company around 1965, possibly.

Regards - Grey Eminence - Subang Jaya - Malaysia

[chem1st]

I recently read that 'Kaisen' is Japanese for continuous improvement. British industry suffered for a lack of this in the 1970's and the Japs stole a march. Shame really.

 

Big shame, you just have to hope that unused machinery has been sold on to people who will use it. Whilst such capital may not be being used to make our society richer, once can only hope it makes others richer. We can always create new machinery I suppose.

[pigeon]

Are there any such people as Work Study Engineers now? At one time there were dozens about employed by the likes of the following:

James Neill

Sheffield Twist Drill & Steel Company(Dormer Tools)

Stanley Tools

Spear & Jackson

Easterbrook & Allcard (Presto Tools)

Rothervale Joinery(John Carr)(Rugby Joinery)

and many more.

 

I worked and trained originally at Sheffield Twist Drill for 9yrs then Moved to Rothervale Joinery in it's many guisers for 20 years.

 

Please get in touch if you were an engineer there I am certain we can connect a few old friends. Here are a few names: Michael Pennington, John Hinch, Richard Hardy, Brian McGrail, Derek Yeardley, Lewis Thompson, Alex Marsden, Ken Smith, Geoff Wood, Michael Bruck, Barry White, Barry Black, Maurice Owens, John Beeley, Ron Allen, Eddie Wing, Denis Dunne, Gareth Jones, Ken Wilson, John Dix,Terry Andrews, Tony Cowley, Roy South, Les Perkington, Peter Wright, Ken Mountain, Jim Allen, Pat Hopwood, George Hill, Gary Bullivant. Davi Hague, Julie Farrington, Malcolm Storey, Jim Hallam. Steve Cade, Keith Horner, Jim Patton

I am sure there are others I can remember the faces but the names have gone.

My last comment was removed the truth hurts

[wobblybob50]

They are still there but have rebranded themselves and become craftier and more devious in the way they get more out of the workers for less money!