QUICK CHANGE OVER

Single
Minute
Exchange of
Dies

BY
DELO BENKA
HAILE SIME

Introduction
SMED- Single Minutes Exchange of Die
Developed by Shigeo Shingo ( in the late

1950s and early 1960s) chief engineer of

Toyota
A system designed to radically reduce the

amount of time to perform a changeover or

setup.
A rapid and efficient way of converting a

process from running the current product to

running the next product
Concept that says all setups should and can

take less than 10 minutes

What is SMED?
SMED

Single Minute Exchange of Dies

(Changeover

Reduction)

is

tool

supporting Lean Manufacturing. It is used to control

and decrease downtime due to changeovers.
SMED

supports

the

concept

of

continuous

improvement through the removal of waste.

SMED will make the job more structured, repeatable

and easier.
SMED will take care of our Customers better than

we do today.

What is SMED?

Single Minute Exchange of

Dies
SMED is about increasing productivity by decreasing the

time from the last good product to the first good product.
The time elapsed between the last good piece of product A

comes off and the first good piece of product B starts.

First Good Product

Changeover

Last Good Product

Running Product A

Running Product B

TRANSFORMATION
TRADITIONAL
VS
SMED

How
How long
long
does
it
does it take
take
to
change
to change
the
the tire???
tire???

Using a team to parallel process the setup

Steps to Implementing SMED

1. Observe the current methodology
Watch a full changeover at least once more

is better
Videotape is best

Identify internal and external

elements,

waste/lost time,
variances from the standard
process

Steps to Implementing SMED

2. SEPARATE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
ACTIVITIES
All Setup

II

Externals

II

Run

Activities

II

Internals
Internals

Post-setup
externals

II

Run

Run
Externals

Internal elements:
operations that must be performed while the machine/process is stopped
External elements:
operations that can be performed while the machine/process is running

Steps to Implementing SMED

3. CONVERT INTERNALS TO EXTERNALS ACTIVITIES
Externals

Internals
Internals

Run

Externals

Internals
Internals

Run

Externals

Eliminate adjustment
Externals
Externals

Internals
Internals

Run

(pre-heating of tools is a good

example of this).
Internals
Internals

Internals
Internals

Run

Run

How to convert internals to external ?

Eliminate search-and-find work
Arrange tools & materials beforehand
Complete

prep

work

before

starting

changeover
Standardize settings
Make visual marks vs. trial and error
adjustments
Eliminate trial runs
Postpone put away work

Steps to Implementing SME

4. STREAMLINE ALL ACTIVITIES
Last good piece of
product A
Machine
running

First good piece of

product B
Machine
running

Internal and external elements

BEFORE

Total setup
Last good piece of
product A

First good piece of

product B

External elements

External elements

Internal
elements

Machine
running

Machine
running

AFTER
CHANGE
OVER

Total setup

Last good piece of

product A
Streamlined
External
elements

Machine
running

First good piece of

product B
Streamlined
External
elements

Streamlined
internal
elements

Total
setup

Machine
running

STREAM
LINE

STREAMLINE
INTERNAL PROCESS
Create

Parallel
steps

completed at the same time

Reduce
complexity
and
eliminate waste
Use

functional

fixtures and

jigs

STREAMLINE
EXTERNAL PROCESS
Adopt functional standards
Visual

factory locations for

tools
Color coding
Standard set ups
Checklists

one motion fasteners

levered or one-turn fasteners
interlocking wedge or slot

Eliminate

adjustments

use angle and flat

use

preset
notches etc.

pins,

guides,

ADOPT
QUICK DIE
CHANGEOVER
( QDC)
HARDWARE

 Focus on fixings - Shigeo Shingo rightly observed that it's

only the last turn of a bolt that tightens it; the rest is just
movement.

1. Only the final turn on a bolt

adds

value
2. The

interrupted

screw

(or

interrupted thread) provides

one

means

of

clamping

and

unclamping something quickly. Artillery

breeches have been sealed in this
manner since the nineteenth century.

Steps to Implementing SMED

5. DOCUMENT INTERNAL & EXTERNAL PROCEDURES

Make adjustments, as needed

Re-test, if necessary

Steps to Implementing SMED

6. Do it all again:
For each iteration of the
above process, a 45%
improvement
in
set-up
times should be expected,
so it may take several
iterations to cross the tenminute line.

Why is SMED important?

Improper set-ups can have negative effects

on equipment reliability, safety and quality.

SMED

supports

TPM

(Total

Productive

Maintenance)
Uses Mistake Proofing or (Poka Yoke)
Reduces injuries due to machine failure
Establishes Standard Work for all operators
Assists with new operator training

Where should SMED be used?

SMED should be used on a machine or

process which requires a complicated

or time consuming set-up. (On the
average

86%

of

process

is

waste.)
SMED is supported strongly by TPM, 5S

and SW. It should be used in an area to

support Visual Management practices.
SMED

reinforces

other

Lean

Manufacturing tools and should be used

as part of an on-going move toward
continuous improvement.

IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Slot
address

Model

Slide
value

ORGANIZE & STORE IN

PROXIMITY

Cover
Slot address labels

Part

Line #

Block
gauge #

SMED
No/Low Cost Solution: One-Turn Methods
Pear-Shaped Hole Method

Tighten Here
Attach and
Remove
Here

SMED
No/Low Cost Solution: One-Turn Methods
Speed Nut

SMED
No/Low Cost Solution: One-Turn Methods
Wing Nut Method

Just-in-Time
No/Low Cost Solution: One-Motion Methods
Cam Method

Th

k
an

u
yo