Single Minute Exchange Of Die Research Articles

Setup Time Reduction of an Automotive Parts Assembly Line Using Lean Tools and Quality Tools

The business world is becoming more competitive. Therefore, it is crucial to increase the flexibility of production by decreasing the time used in the processes of preparing the production lines for new items’ production, reducing changeover and setup times. This paper presents a case study where the main goal is to reduce the setup time of welding robots. Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) was implemented, using other tools such as the Spaghetti Diagram, ERCS Analysis (Eliminate, Rearrange, Combine, Simplify), Gemba Walk, Standardized Work, Flowcharts, and Pareto Diagram. The setup time decreased by 36% in the welding robots studied, decreasing the motions by 43% during the changeover process and reducing the time from the categories: “transportation”, “main”, “other”, and “waiting”. In addition to SMED implementation, this study offers an integrated study of several Lean tools and Quality tools to achieve the maximum reduction of changeover and setup times.

A Model to Reduce Machine Changeover Time and Improve Production Efficiency in an Automotive Manufacturing Organisation

One of the key postulates of the modern automotive industry is the increase in production efficiency while minimizing costs. In the opinion of experts from the automotive industry, meeting this condition may be the first stage on the way to preventing waste generation and implementing a circular economy model. The article presents a case study of issues related to the lean manufacturing methodology in terms of the impact of shortening the changeover time of the assembly line on the overall production efficiency. The presented considerations focus on the optimization of the production process using the SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) technique of a selected spare part. From the point of view of the Lean Manufacturing concept, the main goal of the SMED technique is to increase the flexibility of responding to changing customer needs by shortening the changeover times and faster responses to changing orders. The article describes the stages of implementing the SMED method and its impact on the increase in the OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) index, which allows for the percentage recognition of the degree of machine park utilization, which is one of the key factors for assessing energy efficiency. In addition, the benefits that have been achieved by using this method in terms of time and economy have been presented. The theoretical aspects related to the method used were supplemented with its practical implementation in order to improve the changeovers in a manufacturing company in the automotive industry. Based on the obtained test results, an analysis of the effectiveness of the measures taken to reduce the changeover time was carried out. The use of the SMED methodology contributed to a significant reduction in changeover time—by as much as 291.4 s. The burden on operators was significantly reduced—the total time and number of operations performed by them (both internal and external) was reduced. Operator paths have also been shortened using simple procedures such as changing the layout of the lines and modifying the changeover tool trolleys and tool locking system at the stations. The presented research may be helpful in answering the question whether the implementation of the SMED idea may be the key to effective resource management and, at a later stage, to the implementation of the circular economy model. In addition, the research results can find their practical application among both manufacturers of spare parts and the vehicles themselves, considering introducing process changes on their production lines in order to increase production efficiency and implementing the idea of industrial sustainability.

Improvement of the efficiency in the injection process in a company of the automotive sector through the implementation of the SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) methodology

This work was carried out in order to reduce the excessive time in the changes of injection molds, both for aluminum and wood, each of these in their respective pilot areas that were implemented within strategic points were of great help to detect other areas of opportunity for injection in general. However, the equipment and molds used in the injection process are expensive, therefore, the use for product customization in the automotive industry forces the companies that supply inputs to the assemblers to reduce defects and downtime. The results obtained with the implementation of the present methodology generated positive numbers with respect to the time for mold change, obtaining a record change time of 15 minutes, demonstrating that if we look for the appropriate conditions and the necessary tool, we can have the minimum time in addition to obtaining also a maximum time of 3 hours and obtaining a saving of over 93 % equivalent to 255,549.37 USD

Reduction of changeover time through SMED with RACI integration in garment factories

Purpose Shorter lead time with low price and quality product demand is pivotal in the garment industry. Pressure on production lead time stresses the importance of reducing style changeover time in manufacturing factories, and this paper aims to contribute to solving the challenge by showing how the single minute exchange of die (SMED) methodology in practice can be adapted to garment factories in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach The paper investigates three cases of SMED implementation integrated with responsible, accountable, consulted, informed (RACI) matrices in garment factories in an action research approach. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied. Findings The study shows a reduction of 50% to 64% of changeover time with SMED implementation measured with two key indicators – throughout time and time to reach peak production. Moreover, the implementation depends on the application of the RACI matrix for the distribution of responsibility as well as integration with the basic production flow before and after the application of SMED. Practical implications The study can guide better SMED implementation in garment factories with limited investment by stressing the need to adapt to the specifics of the garment industry, secure the division of responsibility and integrate SMED in the production flow before and after the changeover. Originality/value Limited research on the application of SMED in the garment industry. This paper contributes to understanding the specific conditions for successful implementation in the garment industry in developing countries and addresses additional activities that help secure a sustainable implementation process.

A new Lean tool for efficiency evaluation in SMED projects

The ability of companies to rapidly conduct a changeover from one product to another as part of a production process is a fundamental step towards a more flexible production system that can deal with an increasingly dynamic and competitive market. Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is the best-known lean tool that aims to reduce time consumption in the changeover process. This paper presents a new lean tool called Set-up Saving Deployment (SSD), which improves set-up efficiency by classifying, analyzing, and removing set-up losses within a changeover process, and which supports decision-making for SMED implementation. SSD uses three matrices, constructed sequentially from the first (L-Matrix) to the last (ECE-Matrix), in order to assess the possible time savings that can be achieved by eliminating losses and, in addition, to forecast possible improvements resulting from implementing a SMED project. SSD also provides a new basket of tailored set-up efficiency indicators that allow the analysis team to correctly assess set-up efficiency and compare the “as is” condition with the subsequent “to be” condition from an operational perspective. The effectiveness of SSD in addressing set-up losses and predicting time savings is illustrated using an industrial case study of a resin-doming machine. Thanks to its structured step-by-step procedure, SSD significantly improves the efficiency of the changeover process.

Reduction of Manufacturing Lead Time by Value Stream Mapping of a Selected RMG Factory in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a fast-growing economy powered by the readymade garments (RMG) industry which has promoted the country in the world through the motto ‘Made in Bangladesh’. The RMG industry has become the lifeline of the economy of Bangladesh. However, this industry faces several significant obstacles to its continued, sustainable expansion. The trading climate has become very competitive because of the phase-out of the export quota system. Additionally, with today’s rapid fashion, consumers want items with short lead times and affordable prices. Adopting the lean methodology across the board in the garment business is essential for long-term sustainability in this cutthroat context. Lean manufacturing is a philosophy to deliver the finest goods on time with minimum endeavor and less price. Lean manufacturing aims to cut lead times and remove wastes that don’t impose value on products. The purpose of this research is to identify wastes and to reduce manufacturing lead time by eliminating or reducing the excess tasks that cause higher lead time by implementing lean concepts. But implementing lean philosophy is a difficult task. During the visit to the selected RMG factory, the Short Sleeve T-shirt, one of their products, was selected for conducting this research. All the processes were observed required for the transformation of raw materials into a finished T-shirt. During the observations, the methodology of time study was applied to collect the data. Necessary information was gathered by observing the processes and interacting with the executives. Then, the current state of the value stream mapping was drawn. Wastes, responsible for a longer time, were ranked by taking the help of an 80-20 rules diagram. After this, root cause analysis was performed to find the reasons for the unwanted time consumption. Improvement strategies were introduced to reduce waste. Lean tools like Kanban to reduce WIP, Single Minute Exchange of Die to reduce changeover time, and Total Productive Maintenance to reduce machine breakdown were used to minimize the waste. Based on improvement strategies, The value stream mapping’s future state was illustrated, showing the refinement where total manufacturing lead time was reduced by 61.20%. Finally, this research has suggested some recommendations to the management of the selected RMG factory to minimize waste and increase efficiency and reduce waste in the operations. This research illustrates the usual conditions of the RMG industry of Bangladesh by presenting the current state of the value stream. The Bangladeshi clothing sector must completely embrace lean principles and embark on the direction of sustainable growth.

ANALISIS PENURUNAN WAKTU SETUP DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN SINGLE MINUTE EXCHANGE OF DIE UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PRODUKTIVITAS PADA AUTOMATIC MOULDING MACHINE

PT XYZ is a company that has been engaged in metal casting for a long time. This company produces products in the form of wingnut spare parts. The production system used is make to order production. The obstacle faced by PT XYZ was that it was found that the setup operation process activity took quite a long time on average 40 minutes. If it continues to occur it will have an impact on delays. With these problems, PT XYZ reduced the setup time to overcome delays in completing the automatic molding machine wingnut product. Utilize the Single minute exchange of die (SMED) method to speed up setup. The SMED approach distinguishes between internal regulatory and external regulatory activities. Adjustment activities that only Internal adjustments can be made while the machine is stopped. The External Setup setup activity can be performed while the machine is running or operating. By switching to external setup instead of internal setup, setup tasks that were completed when the machine was stopped can now be completed while it is running, thereby reducing setup time. the setup operation of all these activities is carried out when the engine is off or the internal setup produces an average of 101 molds. Meanwhile, the setup time after implementing SMED can be reduced to 26.78 minutes or a decrease of 47.61%. This decrease in setup time increases productivity by 2 molds/day and if in a month with 26 working days it can add 59 molds so that in total it can produce 159 molds/month.

Process improvement and efficiency analysis using the Single‐Minute Exchange of Dies method applied to the set‐up and operation of screen‐printing machines

AbstractLean manufacturing methods are concerned with simplifying the production process and thus maximising efficiency and minimising wastage. All production processes contain several steps, which include sub‐steps such as cleaning and changing devices and preparing the production areas for later steps. Most of these sub‐steps require that machines are stopped and therefore they must be performed as quickly as possible. This downtime causes a decrease in efficiency, while increasing the costs and production time. Single‐Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) is a lean manufacturing strategy that has been applied successfully in many sectors to minimise excessive downtime. In this study, the SMED technique is applied in a textile screen‐printing company for the case of changing the screens between each design. The steps are evaluated and designated as either external steps, which are performed without downtime, or internal steps, which take place during downtime. The number of external steps is increased while being decreased for internal steps. Also, the production time decreased by 54% and a 32% increase in efficiency was achieved during the screen‐printing production of a sample t‐shirt.

Single Minute Exchange Die (SMED): A sustainable and well-timed approach for Bangladeshi garments industry

Single Minute Exchange Die (SMED): A sustainable and well-timed approach for Bangladeshi garments industry

Lean Manufacturing in Industry 4.0: A Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing System

Background: Exploring the impact of combining Industry 4.0 technologies and Lean Manufacturing tools on organizational performance has been a popular topic in recent years. Design/Methodology/Approach: We propose a novel Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing System (SSMS) to provide management insights related to social impact, economic performance, and environmental impact. Some tools called Dynamic Lean 4.0 tools, such as Sustainable Value Steam Mapping (VSM), Extended Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), and Digital Poka-Yoke, are presented as outputs of synergistic relationships that optimize production processes. Originality/Research gap: There are few studies on the application of SSMS. This work presents a case study, aiming to fill this gap. A case study of vacuum degassing equipment fabrication is presented to demonstrate the improvement of utilizing the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) method with Digital Poka-Yoke. Key statistical results: The implementation of this project increased the process capability index, Cpk, from 1.278 to 2. Practical Implications: It was concluded that the company successfully implemented a smart and sustainable manufacturing system, and created a safer working environment and new job opportunities, while increasing production yield from 99.44% to 100%, improving worker utilization, and directly saving NT$68,000. Limitations of the investigation: This paper is the use of a single case study. More applications of Dynamic Lean 4.0 tools in SSMS should be explored.

Evaluation of SMED Industrial Method to Increase the Crop Yield of Asparagus Based on Control of pH of Soil and Water in the Agricultural Industry of Mexicali Valley

In this scientific study was made an evaluation to analyze the process to make the setup change in the agricultural industries and improve the times of this change to have a better flow process. This investigation was made in an agricultural industry located in the Mexicali Valley, which is part of the Mexicali city that is located in the northwest of the Mexican Republic and is a border zone between Mexico and Unites States of America (USA) and is a commercial region with the California State of the USA. In this scientific study was evaluated the three principal types of variety of asparagus of agricultural machines as cutter, count and of package of agricultural products as asparagus in an agricultural industry located in the Mexicali Valley, which is necessary change the type of structures of each activity (cutter, count and of package), being the setup change, and make as soon as possible this action. Each structure to each type of asparagus evaluated in this investigation, have size and a time to installed, and to know if was installed the correct structure to each asparagus is necessary control by a computer system to avoid any damage to asparagus products and the agricultural machinery. The method used to evaluate the crop yielding of asparagus and with this the productivity and quality indices, was the Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) as an industrial engineering method in the agricultural industry. Also, in this scientific study was made an analysis of the occurrence of corrective, preventive and predictive maintenance and obtain data of the size of asparagus, time of cut and package and the weight and quantity of asparagus cropped, cut off and packaged. This data was obtained by electronic sensors, which are coupled to a computer systems and stored the data obtained to be evaluated with statistical methods with graphs and tables. This scientific study was made in 2022. This investigation was made in the Mexicali Valley, which is located in the northwest of the Mexican Republic.

Applying the SMED Methodology to Tire Calibration Procedures

Due to the automotive industry’s strict demands, customers submit constant production pressure, leading to the adoption of new methodologies, techniques, and management ideas. The goal is always to minimise losses and waste. These demands also affect the maintenance department, which has to keep the balance between machines’ availability for production and ensuring that the machines’ proper running conditions translate into excellent-quality products. Thus, continuous improvement and correct management of maintenance activities are crucial for a company to maintain effective production, without defects, breakdowns, and accidents. Nevertheless, some maintenance activities should also prevent the degradation of equipment conditions in order to produce high-quality products. This paper presents an improvement of maintenance activities conducted on equipment that produces large tires. The main problems and technical difficulties of Machine Tolerance Check (MTC) activities are explored by analysing existing documents, internal knowledge, and changes to working methods. We discuss the implementation of the SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) methodology in calibration procedures, as this method is commonly applied to machines’ setups to reduce downtime. At the end of the study, a 31% decrease in the duration of machine tolerance check activities was achieved, which led to a significant increase in the equipment’s availability.

An Interval Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy AHP–TOPSIS Integrated Model for Ergonomic Assessment of Setup Process under SMED

Single-minute exchange of dies (SMED) is one of the most significant lean tools which reduces the required time for setup operations. The consideration of appropriate ergonomic interferences during the SMED implementation improves working conditions, productivity, and flexibility. The SMED literature has an opportunity for expansion with ergonomic assessment. Moreover, ergonomic assessment studies have various limitations in terms of a broad hierarchy of ergonomic factors and their weighting. Therefore, this study enriches the literature by providing the ergonomic assessment of the setup process through integrating multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) into SMED. In this context, a wide hierarchy of ergonomic risk factors is compiled for ergonomic assessment. The Interval Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IVPF-AHP) method is used to determine the weights of factors. Then, Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to prioritize setup tasks in terms of ergonomic factors by using the Interval Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy Sets (IVPFSs). The proposed model was validated by applying it to a real-life manufacturing system in the white goods supplier industry. The application results justify the proposed model with a setup time reduction of 58% and an ergonomic improvement of 19%.

Eliminating production losses in changeover operations: a case study on a major European food manufacturer

With the application of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMTs), food manufacturers can operate outside of traditional volume-variety diagonal positions without the predicted performance penalties. Although food manufacturers produce high-variety and high-volume products with low cost and high quality, it is unavoidable that their high-variety production processes experience a high changeover frequency. Changeovers are not only time-consuming but are also accompanied by production losses. While the literature has emphasized the technical and technological aspects of changeovers, e.g. the Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED), most of these studies focussed on flexibility, time, and product quality. As food manufacturers’ production is capital-intensive with low-profit margins, it is essential for them to improve changeover efficiency and reduce changeover losses. This paper thus aims to understand changeover activities, identify the key factors influencing food losses during changeovers and develop a mechanism for improving overall production efficiency. To that end, an in-depth case study is conducted with a major European food manufacturer. This study identified nine key factors influencing changeover losses and developed an improvement framework with three key themes (working methods, knowledge management, and organizational design).

The Impact of Single Minute Exchange of Die and Total Productive Maintenance on Overall Equipment Effectiveness

Due to intense global competition, manufacturing companies need to improve and optimize productivity, increase production and flexibility, and gain competitive advantages. Companies have begun to look for new approaches and strategies in the field of production management. This includes tools like Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), which aim to manage machines and equipment, reduce waste and lead time, and ensure and enhance competitiveness. The main objective of this study is to explore the connection and the context of the use of industrial engineering tools, namely SMED and TPM, and to monitor and evaluate Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in industrial companies in the Czech Republic. A comprehensive questionnaire survey of 200 companies and a detailed evaluation of the operational performance of 92 companies were carried out from the third quarter of 2019 to the third quarter of 2020. It was found out that 20.5% of companies implemented SMED, 26.5% of companies implemented TPM, and 54.0% of companies did not monitor and evaluate OEE. The research confirms the theoretical link between SMED and OEE and between OEE and TPM. The statistical significance of the use of SMED and TPM separately was not demonstrated. However, the mutual interaction of using TPM and SMED on the OEE level was proved.

Optimising Changeover through Lean-Manufacturing Principles: A Case Study in a Food Factory

Operations management is a key aspect in any manufacturing business. Optimising the management of manufacturing operations allows improvement of the productivity and efficiency of industrial activities. To achieve this, reducing waste from manufacturing processes and, therefore, implementing lean-manufacturing principles, is key. This article presents a case study to reduce waste in changeover processes at a ready-meal manufacturer based in South Yorkshire, UK. We identified a large number of activities as part of the changeover process. We applied the Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) methodology to reduce and, whenever possible, eliminate changeover, and line hopping to further optimise changeover. After implementing improvement measures, changeover time was reduced by nearly 30%, OEE was increased to over 70%, and labour costs were reduced by 10%. This shows how lean principles can aid in implementing more effective and economically sustainable manufacturing operations.

Implementation of Lead Time Improvement in the Cutting Production Process using Clustering Data Mining and Lean Manufacturing

In steel companies, there are some processes in the production such as cutting, machining and heat treatment. The production process begins with cutting process and then machining process and the last one is the heat treatment process. It becomes a background that gives the challenge and needs continuous improvement on all aspects, mainly in the cutting process. The research is conducted at one of steel companies located in Pulogadung Industrial Estate. The purpose of the research is to know the factors which cause process lead time cannot be achieved. The methods used are clustering data mining and lean manufacturing. Clustering method can be used to focus on big data and find out clusters or the same pattern. Those clusters are processed with Weka software and using K-means algorithm. Improvement ideas will be implemented to the formed clusters using lean manufacturing such as Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) which have been mapped through value stream mapping, 5S, and Kanban beforehand. The materials’ dimension on the production process is affecting the cutting process lead time. The thicker material diameters will need a longer time to process. With the methods used, lead time of cutting process increased from 3449 minutes to 2165 minutes (3 days to be 2 days). Meanwhile if the “SMED” activities are implemented, the cutting process lead time increased from 187 minutes to 136 minutes.
 Keywords: Clustering; SMED; Lean Manufacturing; Process Lead Time; Value Stream Mapping

Reducing Changeover Time Between Surgeries Through Lean Thinking: An Action Research Project.

BackgroundMaximizing the utilization of the operating room suite by safely and efficiently changing over patients is an opportunity to deliver more value to patients and be more efficient in the operating suite. Lean Thinking is a concept that focuses on the waste inadvertently generated during organization and development of an activity, which should maximize customer value while minimizing waste. It has been widely applied to increase process efficiency and foster continuous improvement in healthcare and in the operating room environment. The objective of this paper is to provide insight on how healthcare professionals can be engaged in continuous improvement by embracing Lean Thinking and ultimately reducing changeover time between surgeries.MethodsUsing an action research approach, Lean methodology such as Gemba walks, Process Mapping, Root-Cause-Analysis, and the Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) system was applied to understand the causes of variability and wastes concerning changeovers and improve processes in the context of gynecological- and general surgery. Data were collected and analyzed through observations and video recordings. Problem and issue have been raised to management team attention and included in the annual balanced scorecard of the hospital. This initiative has been also made relevant to the team working in the operating suite and related processes before and after the entry of the patient in the operating suite.ResultsImproved patient flow and inter-professional collaboration through standardized and safer work enabled effective parallel processing and allowed the hospital to reduce changeover time between operations by 25% on average, without changes in terms of infrastructure, technology or resources.ConclusionLean thinking allowed the team to re-evaluate how the whole operating suite performs as a system, by starting from a sub-process as changeover. It is fundamental in order to improve further and obtain sustainable results over time, to act on a system level by defining a common goal between all stakeholders supported by a management and leading system such as visual/weekly management, optimizing planning, implementing standard-works to be followed by every associate and guaranteeing the role of the surgeon as process driver who pull performances.

Analysis of the Implementation of the Single Minute Exchange of Die Methodology in an Agroindustry through Action Research

This work aims to implement and analyze the effect of the Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) implementation in the bean packaging operation in a company in east Minas Gerais, Brazil. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research methodology used was action research. Two cycles of action research were conducted; the first to carry out phase one of SMED, and the second to execute phases two and three. Originality/Research gap: There are few studies on the application of Lean Manufacturing tools in agroindustry. Some works present case studies, mainly in the food supply chain aiming to fill this gap. Regarding SMED applied in agribusiness, no work was found. Key statistical results: The implementation of this methodology allowed the reduction of setup time by around 58%, the distance travelled by operators in the process by approximately 50%, in addition to gains in a production capacity of 14%. Practical Implications: It is concluded that the application of the methodology caused an increase in the company’s productivity, as it was possible to obtain gains in productive capacity without changing the amount of hours worked or the number of employees involved in the production process. Limitations of the investigation: This methodology was applied only once and the challenges encountered were not documented.

Single-Digit time: Toward a Quick Change-over Process with The SMED method using The Vision System

Increasing the speed of the product change-over process is critical by implementing the Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) effectively. The smallest activity variation between operators, activity speed, and process accuracy are identified research targets. This research was developed in the electronic component industry, where the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) and Hierarchy Task Analysis (HTA) methods can describe the most crucial and key activities. Therefore, it takes accuracy and reliability between operators to carry out this activity. This paper presents the acceleration of the product change-over process by developing an automated non-contact inspection method in the assembly area using a vision system. The results of the study illustrate that the change-over process can be carried out in single-digit minutes (7 minutes), or reduced by 81%, and the speed of change-over activities between operators is the same.