Design DNA looks at the Wenger Swiss Army Knife

gustophersmob · **Reply #1 on:** March 19, 2011, 01:27:25 AM

Very cool, thanks for posting!

The grinding machine was interesting. The videos I've seen of Vic's factory left me with the impression they did the grinding by hand.

J-sews · **Reply #2 on:** March 19, 2011, 02:27:35 AM

Great video

They keep adding automation to the process, but I bet they will never be able to replace the human at final assembly.

gustophersmob · **Reply #3 on:** March 19, 2011, 03:48:44 PM

Quote from: J-sews on March 19, 2011, 02:27:35 AM

Great video

They keep adding automation to the process, but I bet they will never be able to replace the human at final assembly.

Quote from: LightFR on March 19, 2011, 08:51:03 AM

I'm leaving not very far from the Wenger factory, and I can tell you that today only the big knife are made by hand. All the other are automate made. When you make the visit of the Wenger Factory they do not show you the hand made process, they mainly show you the automate who do every thing by itself (they insists that their automates are made and engineered by Wenger)

IMO, this is a good thing. While I do understand the mystique that "hand-made" carries, I think the idea that a hand made item is necessarily better than a machine made one is largely a myth.

Working in a high-reliability manufacturing environment has taught me (along with many books studying the way Toyota and Honda build cars vs. other, more human-intensive makers) that any time a human has a task to do, the possibility of uncontrolled error is introduced. Of course, this possibility is there with machines, but it is significantly reduced. Not to mention the fact that machines can build to much higher tolerances.

J-sews · **Reply #4 on:** March 19, 2011, 06:52:33 PM

It just seems like it would be nearly impossible to design a robot/automated process that could do everything that is required at the final assembly step.

Jmora · **Reply #5 on:** March 19, 2011, 09:55:33 PM

Quote from: gustophersmob on March 19, 2011, 03:48:44 PM

Quote from: J-sews on March 19, 2011, 02:27:35 AM
Great video

They keep adding automation to the process, but I bet they will never be able to replace the human at final assembly.

Quote from: LightFR on March 19, 2011, 08:51:03 AM

I'm leaving not very far from the Wenger factory, and I can tell you that today only the big knife are made by hand. All the other are automate made. When you make the visit of the Wenger Factory they do not show you the hand made process, they mainly show you the automate who do every thing by itself (they insists that their automates are made and engineered by Wenger)

IMO, this is a good thing. While I do understand the mystique that "hand-made" carries, I think the idea that a hand made item is necessarily better than a machine made one is largely a myth.

Working in a high-reliability manufacturing environment has taught me (along with many books studying the way Toyota and Honda build cars vs. other, more human-intensive makers) that any time a human has a task to do, the possibility of uncontrolled error is introduced. Of course, this possibility is there with machines, but it is significantly reduced. Not to mention the fact that machines can build to much higher tolerances.

could you explain this last bit a bit? I'm not very knowledgeable about manufacturing. I think I agree about hand-made mystique. Every hand-made solingen knife I've bought has been shamelessly asymmetrical, I can tell a hand-ground blade because it is uneven.

Santos · **Reply #6 on:** March 19, 2011, 11:26:55 PM

I think its amazing that wenger can do all that in house to produce a quality tool that is essentially cheap as peanuts.

gustophersmob · **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2011, 02:33:36 AM

Quote from: J-sews on March 19, 2011, 06:52:33 PM

It just seems like it would be nearly impossible to design a robot/automated process that could do everything that is required at the final assembly step.

Sorry about that, I wasn't really clear.. I wasn't directing my comment towards the final QC step. What you guys were saying just got me to thinking about man vs. machine.

gustophersmob · **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2011, 02:38:41 AM

Quote from: Jmora on March 19, 2011, 09:55:33 PM

could you explain this last bit a bit? I'm not very knowledgeable about manufacturing. I think I agree about hand-made mystique. Every hand-made solingen knife I've bought has been shamelessly asymmetrical, I can tell a hand-ground blade because it is uneven.

It sounds like what you're describing is what I was trying to say, basically. With the right machines for the process, you can make an almost 100% uniform product built to more exacting standards than can usually be done by hand.

However, I do understand the appeal of hand made things. They do seem to have a "soul" unlike more mass-produced models. I think that feeling of a "soul" comes from the little imperfections that let you know that some other person invested themselves into crafting it.

Jmora · **Reply #9 on:** March 20, 2011, 09:31:31 PM

that makes sense. I can see what you mean with hand-made products being special. I think my issue is more with Solingen, where some makers ask you to put up with unacceptable flaws with the excuse 'that's german hand-craftsmanship'. That belongs to another topic or forum...meanwhile back at the SAK forum