SMED

Quick Changeover in a Lean Enterprise

One of the kaizen bursts that jump out most often on a Value Stream Map is “set up reduction” or “implement SMED”. Increasingly customers today want an order size of one piece, lead time of ‘right now’ and the cost of large volume production. How can companies compete in this environment?

In the Future State of many Lean companies, flexibility, reduced inventories, and the ability to produced mixed models without adding changeover cost is a key element. Quick Changeover is the common element that links these things and makes them possible.

Quick Changeover is simply the ability to changeover from producing item A to item B with the minimum loss in time. There is a well developed approach to reducing changeover time from hours to minutes, and this is called “Single Minute Exchange of Dies” or SMED.

Quick Changeover Action Pack

We have created a tool that allows you to learn and do Quick Changeover on your own. The Quick Changeover Action Pack is the second in the series following the popular 5S Action Pack .

The QCO Action Pack  has everything you need to get started with observing and improving changeovers. This product will allow you to train people in a process for continually reducing changeover times.


Contents:

  • 2 CDs - training material
  • QOC Workbook (1)
  • Lean Manufacturing Posters (3)
  • Stopwatch
  • Measuring wheel

Description of Training Materials:

Module 1: Lean Strategy to Increase Velocity QCO and Lean Strategy

  • The true cost of changeovers
  • Typical changeover activity groups
  • SMED overview

Module 2: QCO Team Activities SMED Approach step by step

  • Video analysis of changeovers
  • The Seven Rules of Quick Changeover
  • …and more!

Module 3: Internal Time vs. External Time Definitions of internal time & external time

  • Exercises to separate internal from external
  • External preparation
  • Reducing internal time through quick attachment hints (diagrams, drawings, and more!)

Module 4: Point of Use Storage The essential link between 5S and Quick Changeover

  • Definition of Point of Use
  • Visual Examples of Point of Use

Module 5: Savings Calculation The 5 ways to measure QCO impact

  • Examples of each
  • Formulas for calculation
  • Other types of QCO savings

Module 6: Using QCO Worksheets The six essential QCO worksheets

  • Examples of worksheets
  • Instructions
  • Blank worksheets

Use this Quick Changeover product again and again to reduce downtimes on setting up machines and workstations. Involve your team in making both daily and breakthrough improvements using the proven SMED Approach.

The training material is also available as the Quick Changeover Tool Kit. (stopwatch, walking wheel and posters not included).