SMED for quick changeover in manufacturing industry - a case study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to uncover the significance of SMED in manufacturing environments. Design/methodology/approach The paper gives setup instructions and guidelines to prepare the standardized setup procedure without ignoring actual constraints in production environment. It uses a case study in a small-scale manufacturing unit of northern India to generate an integrated setup reduction approach, utilizing Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED)-based industrial engineering tools to achieve faster setups. It describes the feasibility of quick changeovers in small enterprises based on an SMED approach. Finally, the paper carries out empirical analysis of the financial/non-financial benefits incurred from setup reductions. Findings Setup activities are a vital part of the production lead time of any product and so affect overall product cost. Industrial engineering techniques have been used to analyze the existing procedure of setups. A SMED approach can help eliminate unwanted activities, externalize the internal activities, if possible, and reduce them by simplification or standardization. Originality/value The paper demonstrates the practical application of SMED showing how it can bring real breakthroughs in reducing setup time in small-scale manufacturing.