Working on optimizing the rocket project again today and focused on improving the time for the second operation.
I'm honestly a bit conflicted about how much time I should be dedicating to shaving downtime on the run time as there aren't too many plates left to do, and the project will be over very soon. I'm thinking mostly of the long-term what would be the most beneficial long term, so an investment now isn't as much if it pays off.
My boss is very much orientated to getting the projects done with speed and quality; the program itself doesn't have to look pretty or necessarily be re-used. He does many more manual changes on the machine and will make small edits that you would have to remember if you were to re-use it. He's very much an "If it works, it works" kind of guy. And he knows what he is doing too, he can put out parts like nobody's business, but he has a ton of experience too.
He teaches me in his outcome method, which is to get a program running and not try to 'optimise' everything. However, since I don't have the kind of experience he does, I have to think a lot more about the projects, which add a ton of time to each job, and if I only focus on what works, I won't learn those few small tips that might make huge differences.
I think he has the right concept for prototype and small-time production, and I still want to know those little tricks that speed things up and reduce machine wear. Which is the primary reason I am taking as much time as I am on this production and working through getting the program down with as little waste.