What is SMED
SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Dies) is a series of techniques to facilitate changeovers of production machinery as fast as possible but at least in under 10 minutes.
Why SMED
General advantages
- Reduces change over time leading to:
- Increased availability
- Greater flexibility to meet customer demand
Reduces waste types
When to use SMED
Essential conditions
5S
Because all required material and manpower needs to be in place for it to work
Non-essential conditions
None
N/A
How to implement and use SMED
Implementation
General:
- Changeover activities are split into:
- Internal activities → Take place while the machine is down
- External activities→ Take place while the machine is running
- The goal is to move as many activities from internal to external, thus minimizing downtime.
- Be aware that implementing it may initially require resources to be invested.
Process steps:
- Identify & classify activities (internal/external)
- Make a video of the current changeover process
- Analyze and separate activities (internal/external)*
- Convert internal- to external activities
- Use engineering changes to convert remaining internal- to external activities
- Minimize external activity time
*) Use can use the Template SMED.
Use
- Keep continuously improving the situation with the long-term objective of zero changeover time.
Where to find it
IASSC Body of Knowledge:
Lean: 17
Yellow ➔ N/A
Green ➔ Apply
Black ➔ Create
Lean Six Sigma: –
Yellow ➔ N/A
Green ➔ N/A
Black ➔ N/A
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About the Author
Floris Lap is an IASSC-certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and founder of Procestimal. He empowers organizations to maximize value and reduce waste through practical Lean Six Sigma solutions—contributing to a more sustainable world where businesses thrive with minimal resources. Contact us
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