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SMED manufacturing: Lean guide

SMED manufacturing: Lean guide

Author NameBy Nicky Liedtke
•
August 28th, 2024
• 13 min read
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Table of contents

  • What is SMED?
  • What Are The Benefits of SMED?
  • Implementing SMED
  • Examples of SMED
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Summary

Unlock the full potential of your manufacturing processes with our comprehensive guide on SMED Manufacturing. Learn step-by-step methods to reduce changeover times, enhance efficiency, and drive productivity in your production lines.

SMED manufacturing is pivotal for companies aiming to boost efficiency and reduce downtime in production processes. By implementing Single-Minute Exchange of Dies, your company can significantly decrease changeover times, allowing for quicker response to market changes and enhancing overall productivity.

This guide will delve into how SMED can streamline your operations, offering your team a way to increase output while minimizing operational costs. Learn to optimize your production setup transitions effectively, ensuring your business remains competitive and agile in a demanding industry.

What is SMED?

Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is a powerful manufacturing tool designed to minimize equipment changeover times in production plants. The term “changeover time” refers to the duration required to switch from one piece of equipment to another while manufacturing different product types. This process is crucial when various components or parts of a product are made using different equipment at different stages.

The acronym SMED stands for “Single-Minute Exchange of Die.” The acronym is composed of the following components:

  • Single-Minute: This part of the acronym emphasizes the objective to reduce the changeover time to less than 10 minutes.
  • Exchange: Refers to the swift transition from one die to another during the production of various products.
  • Die: Denotes a specific piece of manufacturing equipment used for various functions such as stamping, cutting, bending, forming, drawing, and squeezing. This equipment shapes the design, form, size, and features of a product.

In essence, SMED is an approach adopted in certain production environments to enhance the efficiency of die changeovers, ensuring they are completed swiftly—within a single-digit timeframe. As a part of Lean manufacturing practices, SMED shares its core objective with other methodologies like Six Sigma, Poka-Yoke, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and Kaizen, aiming to streamline processes and improve operational efficiency.

Who needs SMED?

The SMED approach might not be the right Lean tool for your production plant needs – but how can you tell? Depending on your production process and what type of product you’re manufacturing, SMED might not be applicable for efficiency or any improvement purpose.

Here are things you need to consider before deciding to apply the Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) approach:

  • As a manufacturer, you need to consider having a system that measures manufacturing performance data. There needs to be a metric that estimates customer and employee satisfaction, internal process quality, equipment ROI, product business and technical performance, e.t.c.
  • Should you have a system that measures manufacturing performance data, does it measure overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)? OEE is a gold metric for determining the effectiveness of equipment and manufacturing productivity. It focuses on 3 main elements, which are availability (how well a process runs), performance (how fast a process runs), and quality (how many good parts are being produced).
  • You must have collected manufacturing performance data of at least 14 days.
  • You need to consider the production time lost due to the changeover.
  • After calculating the percentage of lost productive time due to changeover and discover that it is below 20%, then you should consider implementing Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) techniques rather than SMED.
  • Is there familiar equipment in your plant with constraints that take an hour or longer for changeover? And does this changeover happen more than once a week?
  • Is there control of inventory?

If all of the following requirements above have been met, then you can proceed to implement SMED on the changeover of equipment and reap the benefits of SMED.

The 5-step SMED process

SMED’s core principle is to upgrade manufacturing efficiency and quality by simplifying the process changeover time and reducing the time of uniformity and irregularity.

To successfully implement SMED in your production plant, you must follow a series of steps or processes that will help you organize your activities in order of preference. SMED involves finding out what you need to do on the machines or as a human to reduce changeover time. This goal can be achieved by adhering to the following 5 steps:

1. Identify the process

Identifying the current state of your changeover process is crucial. It involves analyzing both human and mechanical elements that influence efficiency. Quality managers should evaluate what adjustments are necessary, identify the causes of delays, and determine the quickest possible turnarounds. This introspection helps in pinpointing areas where your organization can enhance its operational efficiency.

After thoroughly assessing these factors, you will be able to distinguish all external and internal elements involved in the changeover process. Recognizing these elements provides a clear understanding of the existing inefficiencies and guides you on necessary actions to accelerate the die changeover process, ensuring a more streamlined operation.

2. Separate internal and external elements

External elements are the tasks to be done in a changeover process while the machine is still operating or in the middle of manufacturing a product. Internal elements, on the other hand, refer to the activities in a changeover that need to be done while the machine in question is shut down or not working on any product.

Separating the external from the internal elements will enable operators or managers in charge to understand what needs to be done or eliminated in order to increase the speed and efficiency of a changeover process.

3. Convert internal into external activities

Converting internal activities into external ones is a critical step in the SMED process. This conversion must ensure that the time saved outweighs the resources expended. If the resource cost exceeds the time saved, it undermines the efficiency gains intended by SMED, rendering the efforts counterproductive.

Internal activities are transformed into external ones using tools like intermediate or duplicate jigs. Employing a duplicate jig allows for the preparation of another product simultaneously as one undergoes processing. This strategy eliminates downtime associated with machine stoppages for changeovers, significantly enhancing operational efficiency by reducing unnecessary actions during die exchanges.

4. Standardize and streamline the process

Streamlining and standardizing the changeover process involves minimizing internal activities that cannot be converted to external ones. This approach enhances changeover speed by eliminating unnecessary actions. Effective communication among team members is crucial to ensure clarity on the changes made and the internal activities that have been externalized, enabling efficient task execution.

5. Train your team

Once all SMED processes are defined, standardized, and implemented, the crucial final step is training new members, employees, or operators. Proper training ensures that all team members understand the changes and processes, which is vital for the system’s success. Investing in human elements, such as creating technically proficient teams, is essential to enhance and sustain the effectiveness of the Single Minute Exchange of Dies, making it a durable and successful strategy.

What Are The Benefits of SMED?

As previously touched upon, the primary objective of SMED process implementation is to reduce equipment changeover time. However, this can also create a domino effect on other manufacturing and production areas. There are five main benefits of the Single-Minute Exchange of Die Process, which are:

  • Increased Work Capacity of Machines: The successful implementation of the changeover process will increase the capacity of work that equipment can do. If all unnecessary actions are eliminated, there is more time for machines to produce more goods.
  • Changeover of Equipment Completed More Often: When all the processes involved in equipment changeover are being streamlined regularly, changeover of equipment can be completed more often. This is because there won’t be room for any irregularity or intrusion causing a halt in action. Operators only need to know the suitable adjustments, techniques, and measures to be iterated while changing from one die set to another.
  • Reduces Production Lot Sizes: If SMED principles are being acted upon in a plant, it will cause more efficiency in the production of products because machines will only produce the amount of product demanded at the right quality and at the right time. This will reduce stock holdings, lower the level of inventory, and lessen the existence of waste. While there is less space and handling required, customer needs will be promptly addressed.
  • Standardization: The Single-Minute Exchange of Die standardizes changeover procedures by improving the quality and speed of machine work. In a more standardized process, there will be less room for errors, mistakes, or accidents. Machine productivity will be consistent, and there will be little to no room for defective products.
  • Low Production Cost: Thanks to proper planning and streamlining, production costs will decrease as machines no longer need much technical intervention. This means that the cost for periodic machine maintenance will reduce as equipment will not need to be checked as frequently as it used to. SMED also supports machine longevity, so all costs directed towards production and machine functionality will be minimized due to reduced equipment downtime.

Implementing SMED

Implementing SMED in your manufacturing operations can significantly streamline your changeover processes. By focusing on reducing the time it takes to switch setups, your company can boost productivity, reduce downtime, and respond more effectively to market demands.

Best practices

To effectively implement SMED, your team should start by analyzing current changeover techniques to identify inefficiencies. Streamlining these processes not only enhances productivity but also fosters a proactive workplace culture.

  • Prioritize clear documentation of each step. Ensuring that every step of the SMED process is well-documented creates a reliable reference that can be used to train new staff and refine existing procedures. Detailed documentation also helps in maintaining consistency across all shifts and departments, reducing variability in performance.
  • Train all employees on the new procedures. Comprehensive training for all team members is crucial to ensure that everyone understands and can effectively implement the SMED techniques. Regular training sessions not only boost competency but also help in identifying potential areas for improvement as employees become more familiar with the process.
  • Regularly review and refine the processes. Continuous improvement is key in SMED implementation; therefore, regularly scheduled reviews of the process are essential. These reviews allow your company to adapt and optimize operations based on real-world performance and feedback from the production floor.

SMED manufacturing with digital tools

Digital tools like Lumiform can revolutionize how your company implements SMED by providing a platform for real-time data collection and analysis. These tools enable your team to monitor changeover times and identify bottlenecks more efficiently.

With Lumiform, you can create custom digital forms that guide operators through each step of the changeover process, ensuring consistency and compliance with established best practices. The ability to assign tasks and track their completion in real-time helps in maintaining workflow continuity and accountability. Furthermore, Lumiform’s analytical capabilities allow you to gather insights from the data collected during changeovers. This information can be used to further refine processes and reduce changeover times, ultimately leading to a more agile manufacturing environment.

Lastly, integrating digital tools fosters a culture of continuous improvement. As your employees become more engaged with the SMED process through interactive digital platforms, their feedback can lead to innovations that continuously enhance productivity and efficiency.

Examples of SMED

To help you better understand the lean manufacturing tool SMED and its implementation, we will explore some use cases and show you how SMED can be implemented.

SMED in the automotive industry

In an automotive assembly line, switching from the production of one model of car to another involves numerous changeover activities. These can include the adjustment of machinery, swapping out tools and dies, and reconfiguring assembly stations. To apply SMED principles effectively:

  1. Identify Internal and External Activities: Separate activities that can be done while the assembly line is running (external) from those that require the line to be stopped (internal). For example, pre-setting tools and equipment for the next model can be prepared externally while the current model is still being assembled.
  2. Convert Internal to External: Shift as many setup activities as possible to be done externally. This might involve setting up a parallel staging area where tools and parts for the next model are arranged while the current model is still in production, ensuring a quick switch.
  3. Streamline the Changeover Process: Standardize the setup operations so that they can be executed quickly and efficiently. This could involve using quick-release mechanisms on machinery, training teams to perform specific changeover tasks, and employing visual management systems to ensure that every worker knows the steps involved in the process.

By reducing the downtime associated with model changeovers, automotive manufacturers can significantly increase the throughput of their assembly lines, reduce labor costs, and enhance production flexibility to respond to market demands more effectively.

SMED in healthcare

In healthcare, SMED principles can drastically improve the efficiency of operating room turnovers. By identifying internal and external elements, such as disinfecting and cleaning (internal) versus preparing the room or bed for the next use (external), the process becomes more streamlined. Converting tasks like room cleaning to external activities, where possible, ensures that the room is ready faster without compromising safety during disinfection.

To optimize the changeover process in healthcare settings, it’s crucial to standardize and streamline all activities. Ensuring staff are well-trained in efficient cleaning and preparation techniques and that they have functional tools at their disposal, helps minimize downtime between surgeries or patient admissions. This approach not only speeds up the process but also enhances the overall effectiveness of medical facility operations.

SMED in hospitality

In the hospitality industry, applying SMED principles can significantly enhance kitchen efficiency, especially when transitioning between different meal preparations. For instance, when a chef switches from preparing Meal A to Meal B, the changeover involves managing both the cooking tools and ingredients. Key to this process is ensuring that all elements for Meal B are ready and accessible (external elements), while the chef completes Meal A. This setup reduces downtime, keeping the stove and chef continuously productive.

To further streamline kitchen operations, it’s essential to prepare and organize ingredients and tools in advance. For example, pre-cutting vegetables and pre-setting cooking utensils for Meal B can minimize the transition time. By reducing unnecessary actions and optimizing preparation steps, the kitchen can maintain a smoother, faster service flow, enhancing overall dining experience and operational efficiency.

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Frequently asked questions

What is SMED in manufacturing?

SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Dies) is a methodology designed to reduce the time it takes to switch from one production setup to another, aiming to complete these changeovers in under 10 minutes.

Why is SMED important?

SMED increases manufacturing efficiency by minimizing downtime, enhancing productivity, and enabling quicker response to customer demands.

How does SMED improve production?

By streamlining changeovers, SMED reduces idle time and increases machine utilization, allowing for more flexible and efficient production processes.

Author
Nicky Liedtke
Nicky is a content writer and researcher for Lumiform. With her content writing and copywriting experience, she creates high-quality content across a variety of relevant topics. She aims to promote workplace safety, sustainable operational excellence, and continuous improvement in her articles. She is passionate about communicating how technology can be used to have a positive impact on the environment and helping organizations reduce paper waste and achieve their business goals.
Lumiform offers innovative software to streamline frontline workflows. With over 12,000 ready-to-use templates or custom digital forms, organizations can increase efficiency and automate key business processes. The platform is particularly user-friendly, offering advanced reporting capabilities and powerful logic functions that enable automated solutions for standardized workflows. Discover the transformative potential of Lumiform to optimize your frontline workflows. Learn more about the product

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