SMED – Changeover Reduction

www.optimumfx.com

Intent of Session

• Minimise impact of Changeovers

• Define the SMED methodology and process

• Outline the key benefits of carrying out changeover reduction (SMED) process

What is a Changeover?

The time taken to change-over a machine from the last “Good” part off one run to the first “Good” part off the next run (including all the adjustments needed to get the machine running to the correct production speed / cycle time).

SPEED

What is SMED?

• SMED stands for Single Minute Exchange of Die and is a process for effectively reducing the time it takes to change the parts on a machine.

• This process was developed by a man called Shiego Shingo for the motor car industry in 1969. He reduced a setup in Toyota Motor Company, Japan on a 1000 ton press from 4 hours to 1 hour 30 minutes in 6 months and then to under 3 minutes after a further 3 months. This was achieved through team work and following 4 simple steps.

Why SMED?

Consider the process of changing a car tyre:• You may change a tyre in15min• By using the SMED process Formula 1 teams achieve

the same changeover in 4.5s

“Pit Stop” mentality

SMED process

How does SMED work?

5 key stages:

1. Break the process into manageable elements

2. Identify the elements that can be prepared in advance

3. Identify how the remaining elements could be engineered out of the process

4. Reduce the duration of the stages that are left through team work and organisation, or with engineering

5. Document the changes as work instructions and training aids

The SMED ProcessStep 1: Identify elements• Record your changeover. We recommend using a video recorder and manual observation.• As a team break the changeover into 30-50 elements. Ensure that these are of a reasonable length

– if one element contains 5min of activity then you will need to break this down into smaller chunks.

 

Step 2: Identify internal and external elements• Internal elements are stages that can ONLY occur when the machine is stopped. External elements

are stages that can occur when the machine is running.

 

Step 3: Convert internal elements to external elements• Re-examine the operation and identify how EACH internal element could be made into an external

element.

 

Step 4: Streamline and standardise the remaining elements• How could each element be reduced in length either through tools, engineering or more people.

Step 5: Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)• Write detailed and easy to use operating procedures and train across all shifts

Step 1

• Record the changeover process – Use a Video Camera– Record all relevant steps

• Split into individual elements– Make steps reasonable length, aim to achieve 20-50 elements per

process (therefore single step in 60 min process would be between 1-2 mins)

Identify elements in changeover process

Step 2

• Decide which elements can be performed while the machine is still running and therefore these are now ‘external’ elements.

• As external elements can be done while the machine is running they can be eliminated from the overall change-over time.

• The elements that have to be performed when the machine is shut down are ‘internal elements’.

Distinguish between Internal and External Elements

Step 3

• Re-examine operations to see whether any steps are wrongly assumed to be internal and move to external.

• Find ways to convert internal elements to external elements

Internal External

Using innovation

Convert Internal to External Elements

Step 4

• Need detailed analysis of each element. Question the purpose of it, can the entire element be eliminated?

• If it cannot be eliminated what is needed in order for the elements to be easier to do and therefore take less time.

• Needs innovations and ideas i.e. machine stops and guides, butterfly bolts rather than hex, air tools.

Streamline all aspects of the Change-over

Step 5

• Define the best standard

• Create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

• Train all operators to the new standard

Streamline all aspects of the Change-over

Why is it effective?• Emphasis on preparation, correct procedure, teamwork, and organisation.

• Most engineering-based sites do some great engineering work to reduce time – very few put the same effort into team organisation and preparation….SMED teaches that this is the key opportunity in reducing planned downtime.

Engineering tasks – large opportunity but with huge time investment.

People + organisation deliver the largest improvement

The Benefits of SMED

6 key benefits:

• Greater levels of productivity

• Increased safety

• Increased quality

• Reduction in overtime costs

• Greater production flexibility

• Increased motivation

Greater productivity

• SMED directly reduces your planned downtime duration and increases OEE.

• Through analysing and applying SMED thinking to your existing set-up methods, you'll cut changeover time by at least 45%.

Increased safety

• The ultimate example of SMED application was the wheel changes that used to win or loose Formula One races.

• If I get a flat at the roadside, it takes me 15-20 minutes to change ONE wheel. A Formula One team on race day could change all FOUR wheels in less than one man-minute.

• Yet data from the Royal Society for The Prevention of Accidents shows that when I change a wheel, there's a 28 in 10,000 chance that I'll end up in hospital as a result.

• The comparative figure for Formula One is 6 in 10,000. In other words, it's almost five times safer.

• The lesson is that there's no point being fast, if you injure your team.

• So set-up methods that have been designed using SMED methods are SAFE, SYSTEMISED, and SPEEDY.

Increased quality

• A key output of the SMED process is that the changeover must be right first time

– Imagine the impact of your car wheel coming off after changeover…

• SMED specifies that not only should the changeover be faster – but it MUST be right first time

• All SMED procedures are fully documented to ensure that new operators can be trained to ensure right first time quality.

Reduced overtime

• Pretty much every manufacturing firm uses overtime to cope with peaks in demand from customers.

• Staff work longer hours, but at a premium rate, in order to keep up with demand.

• Overtime is typically paid at 25%-100% more than standard labour rate, so an reduction in the amount of 'work' that needs doing in a week, while still achieving the required output has to be worth doing.

• In a typical factory, applying SMED can reduce overtime bills by 69%, and the total labour bill by 16%.

• With costs that much lower, you can either undercut competitors, or significantly boost bottom-line profits!

Greater flexibility

• Customers are funny, aren't they, the way they always seem to phone on Friday afternoon, desperate for a rush order, or a change in the schedule. I'm sure it's not deliberate.

• Unfortunately, many companies choose to build a buffer between their production and customers. And in a world where product life-cycles are getting sorter and shorter (less than three months now for a lap-top, apparently!), that's a highly risky strategy.

• If your current set-up times are 90 minutes, last-minute orders from customers are probably a huge irritation, meaning re-scheduling or production and making trade-offs between efficiency and keeping the customer happy.

• Now imagine that using SMED, you've reduced your set-up times to 9 minutes. Are last-minute orders or changes to schedules something that you'd even worry about any more?

Motivation

• It's a question of what motivates people. Almost everyone goes to work in general for the money. If you stop paying, then they'll stop turning up!

• However, almost everyone chooses to work for a specific employer. The way they are treated, how they get on with their colleagues, and the respect they feel all have a powerful pull.

• You can only apply SMED successfully through tapping into the experience and creativity of the people who run the equipment you're trying to improve. Allowing people to be creative, express, and even try out ideas is a HUGE motivator.

• Indeed, this is one of the most common comments that clients make to us after a SMED programme - their staff are suddenly alive, and taking an interest in making their company more successful.