Toilet Paper - It's the Little Things

Since taking on my new role at MoldMaking Technology, I have had the opportunity to tour a few mold manufacturing plants to see the latest technologies they are using to build some pretty impressive tools.

I hadn’t stepped foot in a shop (other than my dad’s) for some time, and as I walked around I began noticing what some would consider unexpected paraphernalia purposefully set around various departments’ benches and machinery.

I’m talking about rolls of toilet paper here.

Yes, toilet paper comes in handy for more than just one’s use while on the proverbial throne. In the shop it is used for wiping or cleaning mold components because it will not scratch and damage surfaces. In a pinch it’s a handy tool that’s also economical to buy.

This got me thinking about what other items I might find out in the shop that are regularly used for something other than their intended purposes. I know many shops use Q-Tips – not for their ears as intended but for scratch-proof cleaning in tight spaces, nooks and crannies on tooling.

Mold manufacturing is so advanced, so sophisticated. We all love seeing the latest CNC, EDM and QC equipment when touring a plant. It’s fascinating. But it’s those little, everyday things, like TP and Q-Tips, that tend to get overlooked in the scheme of a shop’s operations, and these little things serve big purposes.

What other items have you put to work on your shop floor for “unexpected” uses? Are there small but important implements being utilized for mold building or repair that your employees can’t do without? Let us hear from you!