Running head: SOLVING THE PARTS CLEANING PROBLEM

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Solving the Parts Cleaning Problem
James Scott
PHL/458
November 23, 2013
Daryl Korinek
SOLVING THE PARTS CLEANING PROBLEM 2


Solving the Parts Cleaning Problem
Problem-solving is a skill that has been used by individuals at some point in his or her
life. The ability and desire to master this skill is important to the way problems or challenges are
handled in life. This essay will look at the problem-solving techniques that can be used for
solving everyday problems or in-depth situations. By using the problem-solving techniques
enables the user to focus on the problem and organize his or her thoughts to the conclusion that
best fits the problem.
There are two ways to confront a problem. The first is the easy mundane approach used
every day. This approach brings little expansion of the creative soul. The second approach is the
creative approach. This approach will challenge the mind and the boundaries of creativity. When
using the second creative approach, a creative process can be used to engage the creative skills
locked inside every individual. According to Ruggiero (2009), the most difficult process an
individual experiences when confronted with an issue or problem is recognizing the problem and
using a creative process to conclude the problem in a unique, creative way. This creative process
includes four stages: searching for challenges, expressing the problem or issue, investigating the
problem or issue, and producing ideas.
The first stage is searching for challenges. Challenges, in most cases, are presented
without the need to look for them. It is the open minded approach to the world that enables these
challenges to be seen. With practice and an open mind an individual can begin to recognize the
subtle clues of challenges all around the individual. The second stage, expressing the problem or
issue, enables an individual to ask the right questions to arrive at the most sound, pinpointed
conclusion to what the problem is. The third stage, investigating the problem or issue, involves
collecting as much data or information to work with the problem effectively. Education is key in
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the formulation of a problem. To search the right areas and conduct the right investigation is key
to analyzing the problem. The final stage, producing ideas, is when the individual brainstorms to
amass as many options or conclusions possible to arrive at the best solution to the problem. This
stage occurs when the creative mind truly takes hold. Brainstorming without limits is key. By
doing this the imagination has no boundaries and amazing ideas can be thought of.
Searching for challenges is the first stage and enables observation, dissatisfaction to how
things are done, and looking for imperfections. I am currently forward deployed in Afghanistan
and doing periodic maintenance on equipment without the use of a cleaning station is very
difficult. Laying cloth on a tarp and hosing down the parts and meticulously scrubbing off the
excess dirt is difficult when compared to using a cleaning station. By using the techniques in
chapter five, I was open minded and allowed the challenge to present itself to me. How can I get
a cleaning station in Afghanistan where even simple necessities are hard to come by?
Recognizing the problem led me to the second stage, expressing the problem or issue?
Expressing the problem or issue enables the creative thinker to look at the problem from
different perspectives. This is sometimes seen as a waste of time, yet this form of stepping
back utilizes a different approach that may result in the sounder solution. The key is to produce
as many questions as possible and to narrow them down into a workable question or questions.
My initial expression is as follows:
1. How can I clean these parts off the ground?
2. How can I get a cleaning station?
3. How can I make a cleaning station?
4. How can my having a cleaning station help me?
5. How can I fit a cleaning station in my workstation?
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The refined version of the questions I asked is as follows:
1. How can I make a cleaning station that will fit in my workstation?
By refining the questions I could come up with a solid question that encompassed all the
problems that may arise with building a cleaning station. By doing this I pinpoint the problems
that exist and work to find a solution.
The next step is to research as much information so that I may come to an informed
decision on what the problem is and how to handle the problem. Why is a cleaning station a good
thing? Does this cleaning station help the environment? Who will benefit from the cleaning
station?
A parts cleaning station enables an individual to clean parts at an ergonomically correct
angle while collecting the cleaning solvent in an environmentally healthy way. According
to "Effects Of Waste And Poor Waste Disposal" (2010), "Hazardous chemicals that get into the
soil (contaminants) can harm plants when they take up the contamination through their
roots (soil contamination). A cleaning station is a good thing for it sets the parts that need to be
cleaned at an ergonomic height enabling the user to clean the parts without bending over and
hurting his or her back. The conclusion found the overwhelming need for a parts cleaning station
that will fit inside the workstation that will be environmentally friendly as well as offer the user
more ergonomic comfort when cleaning parts. The maintenance team will be the primary users
of the parts cleaning station. With the investigation process done the next step in the process is to
produce ideas.
Producing ideas, the final stage, is the time the creative approach really comes together.
This stage requires thinking outside the box. For this particular project I need to take into
account that I am in Afghanistan and nothing is readily available. I could try to find a sink and
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turn that into a cleaning station but there are no sinks. I could dig a hole and line it with plastic
but that would not help the ergonomic effect. I could use a table slightly slanted with elevated
walls on either end and a bucket on the lower side of the table to catch the liquid. Getting a tent
and lining it with plastic and using a pressure washer with the floors slanted to the middle with a
container in a hole catching the cleaning compound. Sending the parts home to be cleaned.
Finding a bead blaster and using it on the parts. Not cleaning the parts. Finding a cleaning station
on the base and requesting permission to use the station. Forming up with other divisions and
creating a large industrial cleaning station for everyone to use. I could use an empty 55 gallon
drum to make the container to clean the parts in. The Granite environmental (n.d.)
website indicates that plastic 55 gallon drums are light weight, durable for numerous chemicals,
and can withstand the effects of corrosion over time. The website also indicates the dimensions
of a plastic 55 gallon drum being 23 diameter and 36 in height.
The best two decisions was the table slanted with a bucket catching the liquid at the one
end and the 55 gallon drum made into a cleaning station. These were the best potential decisions
because of the location and the lack of resources. These components of a cleaning station would
be easy to find. This is the key element to any design on a forward operating base. The items
must be capable of attaining that in many circumstances is very difficult to do. With an extreme
amount of ingenuity I could construct a parts cleaning station that is being used today. The use of
a 55 gallon drum, bed frames, old pieces of wood, a door hinge, and a handle enabled me to
build a perfect parts cleaning station that I can drain the excess chemical content into another
bucket. This process when looking back can be very effective when analyzing particular
problems and the research pointed me in the right direction to the benefits of making the change.
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When a problem presents itself it is important to face the problem with an open creative
mind. This will enable the problem to be analyzed from a creative perspective and in most cases
concludes with a unique angle on how to correct a problem. The ability to master this technique
is key to analyzing problems successfully in the future.



















SOLVING THE PARTS CLEANING PROBLEM 7


References
Effects of waste and poor waste Disposal. (2010). Retrieved from
http://www.eschooltoday.com/waste-recycling/effects-of-poor-waste-management.html
Granite environmental. (n.d.). 55 gallon plastic drums. Retrieved from
http://www.erosionpollution.com/plastic-55-gallon-drums.html
Ruggiero, R. (2009). The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought, (9th ed.).
Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database..