Work area

Work Area

Work benches and tool stands are meant to be well-organized and clean. Floors should be swept
daily. Every piece part should have a properly marked storage location. Parts should be stored
neatly in their containers. Good organization of a work area leads to low contamination and high
safety!

Work bench

Many contaminants will collect on a surface that is not cleaned periodically. A good practice is to
wipe a work bench off daily, especially prior to laying out any fittings, connectors, or seals that will
be used in fluid systems.

Unprotected Parts Collect Dust

Contamination prevention also applies to larger parts stored in your area on flats, totes, or other
containers. Parts that have sealing surfaces should be protected by plastic wrap. The surfaces are
usually protected with rust inhibitors.

New Fluids Contamination

Fluids used by an assembler to fill a system are also potential sources of contamination. Oils and
fuels are shipped in barrels and stored in tanks that are subject to oxidation and water
condensation. New fluids must be checked for acceptable quality level. This is usually performed
by testing samples in a lab – not by the assembler

Keep Fluids Clean

Your part is to keep grease guns, fuel pumps, and oilers clean, especially the dispensing nozzles. If
other containers are used for filling fluid systems and additives, they should be kept covered and
be clearly identified. Don’t use a can for multiple purposes.

Surface Contamination

Surface contaminants can be highly detrimental to the quality of finish paint processes. The quality
of the finished product is adversely affected by grease, rust, dirt and even tape or papers affixed to
areas they shouldn’t  be.

  Coating Processes

Electronic coating processes, used to paint engines require close attention to contamination
control. Immersion coating processes require caps, covers, clamps, fittings, and hoses must be
properly placed before an engine is painted.

Paint Contamination
The contamination shown in this image was caused by simply leaving an oil fill cap loose prior to
the paint process. Attention to details such as this can avoid costly rework and failures.

Contamination After Painting

After surfaces have been painted, they can still be contaminated by grease, rust, and dust. Decals
and labels will not adhere properly, which can cause defects and rework. While this may not affect
system performance, the outside appearance of our machines is a reflection of the quality within.

Piece Parts

The handling of the piece parts is also critical. Processes have been developed to ensure that
components are not damaged or contaminated prior to build time. Always use the proper racks,
totes, and containers to transport and store materials.

Lifting Devices

The lifting devices used during assembly can also be a source of contamination. They should be
cleaned regularly. Watch for excessive grease and paint that can loosen as the device is being
used. Always store chains properly when they are not being used.

Clean Parts after Storage

There are times when parts sit for long periods of time in storage. These should be well cleaned
prior to assembly in an area designed for that purpose. You should never used compressed air to
clean parts or to sweep a floor. Besides being a safety hazard, it causes contamination to spread
uncontrollably.

Equation for Success

The vision of contamination control at Caterpillar is to design, build, ship, and maintain a clean
machine. Learning and following the guidelines presented in this lesson will satisfy an important
part of the “equation for success”, and keep our customers satisfied with machines that provide
high levels of performance.