SMED stands for Single Minute Exchange of Die, a term commonly used in manufacturing industries. It refers to a lean manufacturing technique designed to reduce equipment setup or changeover time to single-digit minutes or in other words, within a single-digit number of minutes, usually less than ten. SMED aims to optimize the process of changing from one product or production run to another, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
The concept of SMED was developed by Shigeo Shingo, a Japanese industrial engineer and one of the pioneers of the Toyota Production System. The primary objective of SMED is to eliminate or reduce unnecessary activities during the changeover process, such as locating tools and materials, adjusting equipment, or performing non-value-added tasks. By identifying and eliminating these inefficiencies, SMED enables manufacturers to achieve faster changeovers, reduce idle time, and increase overall equipment effectiveness.
The key principles of SMED involve separating internal and external setup activities, converting internal tasks into external ones, and eliminating or simplifying tasks whenever possible. This allows setups to be performed while the equipment is still running, reducing changeover time considerably.
SMED has proven to be an effective tool for enhancing manufacturing agility, flexibility, and responsiveness. It enables manufacturers to efficiently respond to customer demands for smaller lot sizes, frequent product changes, and varied production requirements. By implementing SMED techniques, organizations can achieve quicker changeovers, reduce costs, and improve their ability to deliver products on time.
