Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED)

Shigeo Shingo made a massive contribution to modern manufacturing and was a genius right! Listen to this: A functional clamp is an attachment device used to hold objects in place and nuts and bolts are the normal method of fastening a clamp. Let's assume there are six bolts each with a ten-turn thread, they are not tightened until the last turn and are loosened with the first turn. So what the heck are the other nine turns for (9 X 6 = 54 wasteful turns). That's why Shingo spent time developing one-turn attachments and one-motion methods. I told you he was a genius, just think how much more difficult it would be to assemble flat-packed furniture without the observations he made all those years ago. Oh by the way did I tell you he also developed Poka Yoke.

Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is a cornerstone of lean manufacturing and can help to reduce setup time and improve productivity enabling smaller batch sizes to be produced whilst reducing lead time.

Shingo's approach was to separate setup time into "internal" and "external" activities. An internal activity is one that can only be done with the machine stopped, an External activity is anything that can be done before or after the set up without stopping the machine. According to Shingo a simple approach to achieving a quick setup and changeover of the dies could be achieved by:

•	maximising external activities
•	converting internal activities to external where possible (I always pre-heat the oven before I put my pizza in to save time)
•	Engineering or streamlining all remaining internal activities

Massive gains have been achieved by using the SMED system and this was clearly illustrated in 1982 at Toyota, when the die punch set up time in the cold-forging process was reduced over a three-month period from one hour and forty minutes to three minutes. Wow!

The Impact of Dr Shigeo Shingo on Modern Manufacturing Practices
A really great (pdf) paper about Shingo and his work written by Dr. Stephen B. Vareman...

Four "Must See" Presentations
Four superb Powerpoint™ Presentations on Quick Changeover (SMED), 5S, Lean / Kaizen and Mistake Proofing provided by Learning & Productivity Pty Ltd who specialise in support resources for manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand...

Some Simple Ideas For Setup Reduction
Long setup times are still a reality in many companies. Setup is one of those activities that adds no value to a part and, therefore, needs to be as short as possible. Excellent article discussing ways to reduce setup time by Wayne S. Chaneski...

Setup Reduction/Rapid Changeover
Setup reduction and fast, predictable setups enable Lean Manufacturing. Setup reduction reduces setup cost, allows small lot production, smoothes flow, and improves kanban. Some great resources to help you achieve setup reduction and rapid changeover from Strategos, Inc...

Further reading
A Revolution in Manufacturing: The SMED System Shigeo Shingo
The heart of JIT is quick changeover methods. Dr. Shingo, inventor of the Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) system for Toyota, shows you how to reduce your changeovers by an average of 98 percent! By applying Shingo's techniques, you'll see rapid improvements (lead time reduced from weeks to days, lower inventory and warehousing costs) that will improve quality, productivity, and profits. The book is a marvelous source of ideas and contains hundreds of illustrations and photographs, as well as twelve in-depth case studies. A must buy. A great in depth review by Brad McEnroe
Buy UK	Buy US

Links
A revolution in manufacturing - the SMED system
This website provides some additional information on the SMED concept...

Just In Time, Toyota Production & Lean Manufacturing
A useful website for further research into the origins & history of lean manufacturing...

Shingo Prize
The Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing was established in 1988 in honour of Shigeo Shingo. The Prize promotes world-class manufacturing and recognizes companies that achieve superior customer satisfaction and business results. The philosophy of the Shingo Prize is that world-class business performance may be achieved through focused improvements in core manufacturing and business processes...

top of page