From
two-slice toasters to Boeing jets, tools and dies are omnipresent
staples of manufacturing. And where there are tools and dies, there are
idle employees and lost production.
Three decades ago, Dr. Shigeo Shingo largely solved this problem with
the introduction of single-minute exchange of dies (SMED), a lean
manufacturing technique that was designed to reduce the amount of time
tooling and die changes require. Single minute means a time period less
than 10 minutes – a single digit time. Dr. Shingo's innovations continue
to influence the automotive and other industries.
"SMED is about an attitude of continuous improvement and never becoming
complacent with the status quo," said Bob McClintic, aka Dr. Die Cast.
Tools, dies and molds are fundamental to manufacturing. Tools are used
to cut and form metal and other materials. Dies are metal forms used to
shape metal in stamping and forging operations. Molds, which are also of
metal, are used to shape plastics, ceramics and composite materials.
Both low-pressure casting and high-pressure die casting use steel molds
called "dies" to produce products from automotive transmission cases to
aluminum wheels.
In manufacturing, tooling and die changes take a considerable amount of
time. While tooling or die changes are being made, production lines are
shut down. This lost time and associated costs must be covered. In
addition, the downtime for changing tooling or dies impacts other
production decisions. The more time it takes, the longer the production
cycle. Operations personnel increase lot sizes and run longer in order
to reduce the impact of setup costs.
Lean Manufacturing 7S
There are advantages to having the tool or die out of the machine that
may not be apparent at first glance. Molding, stamping, tooling and
cutting are processes that all produce soils that can affect the
performance of the process to make quality parts.
According to Mike Bangasser of Best Technology Inc., the best time to
clean the die or mold is as it comes out of the machine – not when it's
time to try and re-install it in the machine.
"Cutting fluids, slag and other particulates will accumulate on the
surface of a mold or die during normal usage," Bangasser said.
"Especially in precision applications, it's critical to clean the
working surfaces to ensure correct tolerances are maintained. Letting
soiled tooling sit on the shelf is like letting your dinner dishes, pots
and pans sit on the counter overnight before trying to wash them."
Tool and die companies, which are typically small businesses staffed by
skilled craft workers, make it possible for their customers to
manufacture innovative products, from auto parts to household appliances
to fighter planes. High-volume tool and die shops have incorporated
"quick change" fixtures to reduce setup time and increase accuracy
between machining processes. However, when tool and die changes take too
long, complications arise including higher manufacturing costs, lower
quality levels, excessive test runs and pulling people off task to find
tools.
By contrast, employees at Honda's plant in Anna, Ohio, are superstars
when it comes to die changes, completing changes on 3,500-ton
die-casting machines in 15 to 20 minutes. Others may take up to four
hours to perform similar operations.
SMED Benefits
With SMED, increased production is achieved without purchasing new
equipment or hiring additional employees. In addition, because SMED
reduces the number of items that must be produced in a production run,
the production line becomes available to produce other products.
Because SMED reduces changeover time, it becomes economically possible
to have smaller production runs. This provides a number of advantages:
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Less capital is tied up in inventory and less warehouse space is needed.
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Less work in progress, reducing costs further.
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The ability to quickly respond to market changes.
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Improved quality and less waste. Defects can be identified and the
problem corrected without large quantities of defective product being
carried in inventory.
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Product innovations, which provide a competitive advantage, can be
brought to the market sooner because inventories of the older product
are smaller and will be sold off quicker.
Using SMED to reduce changeover times provides a number of benefits
that go right to the bottom line, including improved productivity and
greater equipment utilization, but don't expect instant results.
"These kinds of transformations take planning," said Steve Udvardy,
director of research, education and technology for the North American
Die Casting Association. "Management is often so busy putting out fires
with concerns about detracting from what we're doing today to think
about how these kinds of shifts will make things better in the long run.
Upper management has to set the tone, take the time and discipline to
help foster a culture of change and understand that there will be
hurdles to overcome."
Not Just Tools and Dies
Being in tune with SMED is like being the producer of a Broadway show.
As everyone knows, the show must go on – even if you have to rehearse a
few times with all the necessary players and tools in place.
"The No. 1 way that SMED changes human behavior is making one more
conscious of waste," said Udvardy. "If you can reduce eight turns of a
wrench to one-quarter turn of a wrench to tighten a clamp, then that's
progress."
SMED Tools and Visual Communications
Clear communication is vital throughout this process. Checklists should
be provided to ensure everything is ready before the shutdown begins.
Procedures should be readily available. Safety warnings and information
must be prominent, including labeling tooling as "ready to set" or "not
ready, work order incomplete."
Utilize your smartphone's video camera to record details of all team
and changeover activities. Capture activities from both the operator and
helper sides of the machine. Record elapsed time. Install a sign that
reads, "Cameras are recording work for learning purposes."
Use stop watches to record incremental changeover activities with
timelines. This information can be helpful to measure time data in the
changeover process with people, machines and equipment.
Create and post charts and graphs for recording data. Correlate
activities on the Y axis and incremental time/elapsed time on the X
axis. Capture data from team members and record and share with your
teams. Break activities into specific actions/activities such as "move
die to machine, align die with keyways, clamp die, connect hydraulics
and/or electrical switches." This will allow you to identify areas where
more practice is needed or simpler methods can be developed.
Like all changes, achieving proficiency in SMED is not an overnight
exercise. Instead, expect a few bumps in the road. Training, review and
reassurance will be necessary. Help your team by communicating key SMED
messages with signs and labels that can be easily updated and relocated.