Improving Productivity using SMED

Abstract

Single Minute exchange of Die is popularly known as SMED. The phrase is coined by Shigeo Shingo at Toyota Motors in sixties and used as a synonym for fast changeover of die. SMED was the result of a project that Toyota had assigned to Shigeo Shingo. It was realized that to succeed more than one model of car has to be made. Also it is realized that multiple car models meant multiple changeovers of stamping presses. Under this strategy, not more than 10 to 12 hour press changeovers. Shigeo Shingo had used standard industrial engineering techniques to analyze the changeover. These allowed Shigeo Shingo to reduce the typical press changeover from 12 hours to less than 10 minutes. The tools and techniques developed are widely known as SMED. This paper presents applications of similar SMED tools and techniques for improving productivity on 200 Ton press in an automotive component manufacturing industry. Overall productivity improved by 50% using some of the SMED tools and techniques.