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Lean
at the wheel: Pit crews in action
NASCAR
race teams continue to show maintenance & reliability
best practices.
by
Bob Williamson
NASCAR
Nextel Cup racing has emerged as one of the best examples of
“team-based” maintenance and reliability for modern
manufacturing. Today’s pit crews demonstrate highly
planned and scheduled maintenance during each and every pit
stop.
While
most pit stops are planned preventive maintenance, there are
the occasional cases where emergency repairs command their
attention. In either case their goals are to “do it right,
and do it fast” — and never compromise doing things
right to save time. Why? The consequences of doing things
wrong are costly: accidents, injuries, NASCAR penalties,
unplanned downtime, etc.
We
have similar consequences in manufacturing, too. And, we can
learn many ways to improve our maintenance downtime from the
top NASCAR teams.
Anatomy
of a pit stop
No pit crew can execute a successful pit stop alone — it
takes the entire race team working together from the start.
For example, the crew chief calls the shots that define the
pit stop strategy; the spotter tells the driver when it is
clear to safely move out of traffic down pit road; the
driver positions the car in the pits. Pit support crew
members hold a sign board to attract the driver and show him
exactly where to stop, wash the windshield, get a drink to
the driver, clean the air intakes, hand tires and gas over
the wall, and retrieve tires and gas cans. The pit crews we
all see on TV and at the races are the “over-the-wall
gang” and only one part of a successful pit stop.
PM
on the fly
Pit crews are the “preventive maintenance department”
when the racecar is at the track. They have to arrive at the
track fully prepared with tools and equipment, parts and
supplies, skills and knowledge, and the plans and schedules
to do it right, first time, every time.
The
typical over-the-wall pit crew includes seven members: two
tire changers, two tire carriers (front and rear), a jack
man, a gas man, and a catch can or vent can man. Pit support
includes five to six team members responsible for tires,
fuel cans, cleaning, spotting the racecar in the pit area,
and of course the crew chief who is providing strategic and
real-time leadership.
So,
what does a pit crew really do? In a normal pit stop they
are tasked with changing tires, topping off the fuel, making
chassis adjustments, cleaning off the windshield, cleaning
the cooling air intakes, and providing refreshment to the
driver, all of this in less than 14 seconds. Wow! And to
think it used to take more than a minute.
Before
and after
But the pit crew’s responsibilities don’t end with the
pit stop. They are also responsible for maintaining the
jack, the race guns, the gas cans, and all their other tools
between pit stops. They make sure the jack lifts to the
right height with every pump and that the race gun operates
properly, with the right torque, in forward and reverse.
They check the nitrogen hoses, regulators and cylinders that
power the race guns used to remove the lug nuts. They check
the spring-loaded impact sockets that get slammed on each
lug nut without stopping and eject the lug nut after each
one is removed.
The
fuel cans are filled with gas, weighed, and labeled before
every pit stop. The dry-break nozzle that shuts off the flow
of fuel is double checked to make sure it is functioning
properly.
Attention
to details never ends. Everything has to be in working order
before the next pit stop — the signboard that shows the
driver where to stop the car, the windshield washing tools
and extension pole, the long brush used to clean off the
radiator and brake cooling air intakes, and the cup holder
used to pass cool liquid refreshment to the driver.
Timing
is crucial
Everything that happens in a pit stop is carefully timed.
The driver, working with the spotter, positions the car on
the track prior to entering and leaving pit road. The
slowest, and often the most dangerous, part of many pit
stops is the “in and out time” when the car is
decelerating coming onto pit road and then accelerating
after returning to the track.
Everything
that happens during the pit stop has to be done exactly as
planned. Each crew member must execute his tasks flawlessly
so everyone else can complete their tasks without conflicts
or interruptions. Plan your work and work your plan as an
individual, and as a crew. If you can’t standardize it,
you can’t improve it.
An
enormous amount of data is collected to measure the success
of a pit stop — how long it takes is just one measurement.
What actually got accomplished from the planned activities
is also measured. Each race has a budget, and the team’s
actual expenditures are compared to the planned
expenditures. This data is critical — if you can’t
measure it, you can’t improve it.
Preparation
Laying out both the pit road pit stop area and the
behind-the-wall pit area are critical to pit stop success.
Every tool, tire, fuel can, race gun, hose, pit cart and
tire stand has a precise location to assure safety,
efficiency, and accuracy.
On
the morning of the race, the exact stopping point for the
racecar is marked on the pavement in the pit stop area (pit
box) with spray paint. This spot sets the location for
everything in the pit area. A video camera is positioned
directly over the pit box to record every pit stop during
the race.
Communication
is essential
The pit crew is NOT an autonomous team that maintains the
racecar. They are an integral part of the race team.
Communication is key to their success — radios with
headphones and microphones are standard equipment. At the
race track, the pit crew is intently listening to the crew
chief, the driver, and the spotter as they make last minute
(sometimes last second) adjustments to their planned pit
stop work.
The
driver can also make or break a pit stop by where he
positions the car in the pit area. Visual communications
help make this happen every time.
The
driver also communicates to the crew chief from the
racetrack. This communication is essential if the pit stops
are to be successful. The only way the crew chief and pit
crew know what is happening with the racecar (other than lap
times) is when the driver communicates over the radio.
Effective communication demands that that the driver knows
his car inside and out. Oil temperature, oil pressure, water
temperature, fuel pump pressure, alternator output, and
engine RPM gauges all have to be monitored and interpreted
by the driver— while he’s driving.
He
also has to monitor and interpret how the car handles turns
and on straightaways, in traffic and in the lead. The
driver is solely responsible for communicating all of the
conditions from the track and the racecar to the crew chief
so the entire pit crew knows what must be done during the
next pit stop. Without this critical information, the pit
crew is just guessing.
The
right tool in the right place
In the pit, doing the right things the right way is crucial.
Over the years, many changes have been made to facilitate
efficient and effective pit stops in NASCAR racing.
Mechanics, car designers, fabricators and engineers have all
made modifications to improve the pit stop, including
error-proofing and quick changeover modifications.
Lug
nuts are tapped slightly oversize for ease of tightening,
and they are glued to the wheels the morning of the race.
Studs are modified to accept lug nuts quickly. The hub is
modified to align the wheel and five lug nuts quickly.
Each
gravity-driven 11-gallon fuel can (which weighs over 80
pounds) will empty its contents in about 5.7 seconds. Just
this simple feat took many hours of design and modification
back at the shop.
Pit
crews have also researched new tools and developed
modifications to the heavy-duty spring-loaded sockets,
high-speed race guns (impact wrenches) and one-pump jacks
they use during stops.
Transport
truck (hauler) drivers assure that all of the necessary
parts and supplies are inventoried and stocked in the truck
and the pit carts before the truck leaves the shop. A
“crash cart” contains all of the “quick change”
parts that can be swapped out for damaged parts. Teamwork
permeates everything.
Training,
training, training
Every pit crew member, pit support crew and driver must
train and practice every move to perfection. Individual
performance is the starting point. For example, a tire
changer can touch each lug nut with his eyes closed.
Next,
the pit crew has to perfect its coordinated effort. Lastly,
the entire race team and driver must hit the mark and make
everything happen as flawlessly as if one person were doing
it all. This type of teamwork is only possible when everyone
knows what everyone else is doing during the pit stop, and
nobody changes their methods — standardized work.
Training
and practice for every variable prepares the pit crew to
respond quickly and accurately. Aside from a “routine”
gas and tires pit stop, pit crews and support crews must be
prepared for un-scheduled pit stops such as during caution
flag laps (to top off the gas and change tires if needed) or
after an accident when the car requires repairs.
The
business case
There is a compelling business case for efficient and
effective pit stops in today’s NASCAR Nextel Cup racing. A
team can gain valuable track position by shortening pit stop
time. Track position is important, especially when the
checkered flag signals the end of the race. And, aside from
pit stop efficiency, effectiveness is crucial. Getting the
right adjustments made, replacing the tires with fresh tires
with the exact air pressure, getting all the fuel into the
fuel cell and assuring that all air intakes are clear add up
to a longer running time before the next pit stop.
Race
teams that finish in the top 10 get more than prize money;
they get sponsor recognition during the televised
broadcasts. And this is what NASCAR racing is all about —
sponsors’ advertising and entertainment. Without the
sponsors and the fans, NASCAR racing would not be the
advertising business that it has become.
Lessons
from the pit
What can we learn from NASCAR about maintenance and
reliability?
Recognize
the reality. The maintenance department alone cannot
take equipment performance and reliability to world-class
levels in a sustainable manner. Nearly 90 percent of major
equipment losses are outside the direct control of the
maintenance department.
Look
at the context within which your maintenance is
accomplished. All of the maintenance related, and
interdependent, variables must be addressed just as they are
in race team pit crews:
•
Have a compelling business case for maintenance efficiency
and effectiveness.
•
Prepare the tools and equipment. Make sure everything is
available and works.
•
Plan your maintenance work carefully, well ahead of time.
•
Have alternate plans to account for last minute changes.
•
Communicate between operations and maintenance, and all
involved personnel.
•
Set clear expectations. Standardize all critical tasks.
•
Train everyone involved. Practice, practice, practice!
•
Coordinate all schedules to facilitate maximum effort in the
time allotted.
•
Debrief after planned maintenance downtime: what went well,
what needs work.
•
Gather data and continually improve as the business case
dictates.
•
Avoid blaming anyone. Look for root causes and corrective
actions.
• Maintain the team’s integrity.
Race
team members and drivers have often told me, “We had a
great car. We had a series of great pit stops. We brushed
the wall but we came back strong. And we won the race, but
we can’t stop learning how to get even better.” s
Robert
(Bob) M. Williamson is a consultant, educator and author
with over 32 years training experience in more than 400
plant locations. His experience spans industries from foods
and pharmaceuticals to gold mining and discreet parts
manufacturing, from petro-chemical and primary metals to
NASCAR race teams. Robert helps business leaders improve
plant performance through team-based equipment operations,
maintenance, and reliability. He is a regular presenter at
public and corporate maintenance, reliability, Lean, and TPM
conferences. His articles have appeared in numerous trade
journals and publications since the 1980s. He can be reached
at Strategic Work Systems, Inc.; phone: 828-894-5338;
e-mail: RobertMW2@cs.com.
This article
appeared in the June/July 2005 issue of MRO
Today magazine. Copyright, 2005.
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