Lean Setup Time Reduction
Of the many MUDAs (waste in Japanese) often identified in a manufacturing operation, setup or change-over time is considered one of the key time wasters. Because an operation has to be stopped during a change-over from one product to another, or during start-up phase in the beginning of a job (setup), productivity is directly affected by the downtime as a result.
World-class companies – regardless of their size – recognize the importance of setup reduction and therefore invests significant amount of time and resources minimizing the setup or change-over times. They understand that for every minute of setup time reduced, they gain one minute of usable, production time.
Unlike some simpler Lean Manufacturing methodologies, setup or change-over reduction (also called Single Minute Exchange of Dies or SMED for short) requires a structured, disciplined approach to systematically take the waste out of the process.
Benefits of reducing set-up time:
- Faster throughput, reduced lead times, and lower labor costs
- Faster customer delivery
- Reduced overhead and operating costs
- Improved cash flow
- Increased production capacity (both equipment and employee availability)
- Greater flexibility in dealing with customers’ low-volume, high-variety demand
Topics to be covered:
- Batch vs. one-piece-flow processes
- Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED)
- Types of setup activities
- Techniques for applying SMED
- Standardization