Peterson is a Pro on the go

by Paul V. Arnold

Nine hours a day, six to seven days a week, Bob Peterson 
is on the move at the Chrysler automotive assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill.

His job title is repairman, but as he traverses the plant floor in his yellow utility car, the 57-year-old speed demon could very well be mistaken for a test-track driver.

Vroom.  He dodges forklifts, barriers and machines pulling steel.

Theres a job to be done and Peterson tries to stay one step, one stomp of the pedal, ahead of the next call.

Things go fast around here, real fast, says Peterson, a 27-year veteran of the Chrysler plant and MRO Today magazines MRO Pro for October/November 1998.

I like getting around the plant.  I dont care about staying in the office.  I will when I have to, but Id rather be out helping the line.

The guy co-workers call Pete rarely sees the desk he has tucked in the back of the plants assembly tool crib and testing center.

I go there when Im all caught up, he says.

Since he receives 20 to 30 cries for help a day on the radio and has just two assistants per shift providing support, breaks are non-existent.  Not that Peterson is complaining.

I like it like this, he says.  I like keeping busy.

To maximize his time and minimize downtime on the line, Peterson developed a reference sheet that lists pertinent phone numbers and the procedure to follow when placing a service call.  A caller must provide his or her name, job description and job location, and a synopsis of the problem.

The caller must also place the job in one of six categories: Priority 1 (line stoppage, tool gun down in multiple or fixture tool); Priority 2 (gun fittings loose, gun broken); Priority 3 (tool is stripping fasteners); Priority 4 (tool experiencing abnormally low torque); Priority 5 (tool experiencing abnormally high torque); and Priority 6 (general maintenance).

With the information, Peterson rarely goes into a job blind, and he has the ability to prioritize his stops.

The job and the demands on me have changed quite a bit over the years, he says.  When I first started in 1971, I was repairing air tools, air motors and gearing.  Now, Im doing all those, plus all the new electronic tools and motors we have.

Since 1994, the Chrysler plant has been converting pneumatic assembly tools to DC-powered tools.

Physically, its the same job, but mentally, its a lot tougher than it was a few years ago, he says.  Thats because of all the complex electronics in the new tools.

Peterson stays abreast of new tools and technology by attending training sessions put on by tool manufacturers.

I try to learn all I can, but then you just have to work with the tools, he says.  The real classroom is out on the floor.

On this particular August morning, Peterson gets a Priority 1 call.  A five-spindle DC tool that handles a critical assembly chore is down.  One of the spindles wont shut off.  Before he gets to the site, Peterson guesses the problem is either a bad spring or valve seal.

On the line, he turns the motor over and takes the valve cap off.  The spring is good, but the valve seal is shot.  A quick replacement and the tool is ready to go.

There hasnt been a problem that has beaten me in the long run, he says.  Sooner or later, Ill get it. 

This article appeared in the October/November 1998 issue of MRO Today magazine.  Copyright, 1998.

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