Int J Adv Manuf Technol
DOI 10.1007/s00170-015-7845-0
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Set-up reduction in an interconnection axle manufacturing cell
using SMED
Jonathan David Morales Méndez 1 & Ramón Silva Rodríguez 2
Received: 7 May 2015 / Accepted: 13 September 2015
# Springer-Verlag London 2015
Abstract This document is about how to reduce set-up time
using Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) on an actual
production process of interconnection axles, starting with a
production and indicators analysis, followed by time studies,
and then the rolling-out of all the SMED stages. The first
activity carried out was observation, second assessment, and
followed by implementation leading to standardization and
the generation of standard manufacturing documents. At this
point, training was carried out thereby enabling the validation
and assessment of the versatility matrix. Finally, the produc-
tivity of the manufacturing cell was evaluated by looking at
the new Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) indicator to
demonstrate the effectiveness of SMED in reducing start-up
times and the fine-tuning of machinery.
Keywords Cell . Production . Productivity . SMED . Time
1 Introduction
Over the last 20 years, trade liberalization and the consolida-
tion of the global economy have brought with them an in-
crease in competitiveness in diverse economic sectors, espe-
* Jonathan David Morales Méndez
moralesmendez09@gmail.com
Ramón Silva Rodríguez
ramonsilva@misena.edu.co
1
Industrial Engineer, Universidad Manuela Beltrán – UMB,
Bucaramanga, Santader, Colombia
2
Mechanical Engineer, SENA Centro Industrial de Mantenimiento
Integral (CIMI), Girón, Colombia
cially for the industrial sector which must maintain pace with
the daily changes in competitiveness in the global marketplace
[1].
In response to these challenges, the industrial sector has
had to embark on a process of transforming administrative
management processes and the organization of production
systems. According to Carrizo Moreira and Torres Garcez
[2], two clear lines of action can be distinguished: the first is
strengthening technological capacity at the machine and infor-
mation system levels which has enabled an unprecedented
increase in productivity; and the second, without which the
first would not have been possible, is developing human cap-
ital. By integrating these two processes, productivity increased
while times went down and organizational flexibility went up
[2, 3].
In the case of industry, this whole process necessitated the
development of innovative capacity within the company ori-
ented towards meeting market needs. By innovation is meant
the development of tools, equipment, and ways of working,
among other things, that allow for developing processes and
products that guarantee the best service and therefore compet-
itive advantage for the company [4, 5].
Introducing innovation will always require organizational
change, as is the case, for example, with implementing soft
technologies as with the Toyota production model. Thus,
Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), among others, will
always require some level of process innovation because de-
spite having defined components that must be implemented,
the processes need to be transformed by rigorously
researching the company and innovating within [2, 3, 6, 7].
SMED can be defined as a methodology for reducing set-
up times which requires innovation [8], thereby enabling a
company to respond rapidly and effectively to fluctuations in
demand while at the same time eliminating waste and reduc-
ing lot sizes [2, 6, 9, 10].

Nowadays, SMED is vital because it allows for the reduc-
tion of set-up and fine-tuning time that has a direct impact on
productivity and production efficiency [11]. Reducing set-up
times means that productivity is affected in a controlled man-
ner and to the least degree possible, which becomes key when
a company manufactures a wide range of products.
Despite the fact that SMED is nothing new, few studies on
the application of it are available and those that are have had
the exchange of ideas as their focus [12–15]. For this reason,
the objective of this document is to present the implementa-
tion of a pilot SMED process that was carried out in a metal-
working factory in the city of Bucaramanga, Santander, Co-
lombia during 2012. The development of a SMED methodol-
ogy for the manufacture of interconnection axles is shown:
how it was possible to reduce set-up times and directly affect
the efficiency and productivity of the production cell leading
to the establishment of new indicators that show the scope of
the work developed and the improvements that were obtained.
This article is divided into four sections: (1) an introduc-
tion; (2) materials, methods, SMED methodology and its ap-
plication to an interconnection axle manufacturing cell; (3)
results and discussion; and (4) conclusions.
2 Materials and methods
The implementation of SMED on a production line of one of
the components of a homokinetic shaft, in this case an inter-
connection axle, is shown in this article. This axle is a key
component given that it connects with the outer joint yoke (the
component coupled to the wheel of the vehicle) at one end and
the collar flange (component coupled to the vehicle’s gearbox)
at the other end.
2.1 Analysis of the interconnection axle cell
The line that was looked at consists of 12 machines, 7 opera-
tions and has the capacity to produce 40,000 interconnection
axles per month during 3 shifts of 8 h each, and a productivity
of 8 pieces per man-hour. The line already implements stan-
dard manufacturing programs based on the lean manufacturing
philosophy [16], including the 5Ss, standardized work, kaizen,
poka-yoke, and autonomous maintenance, among others.
The interconnection axle is constructed from calibrated
steel rods in accordance with the requirements of each model;
the raw material comes from international steel producers who
deliver lots of 6-m long rods. The manufacturing process for
the interconnection axles begins with cutting the rods into the
correct segment lengths based on the specifications of the
number of each part.
After cutting the rods, they are centered and the interconnec-
tion axle is redressed which implies giving it the final length for
mounting it on the machines used in the following operations.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
Next, the axle is milled or turned to give it a cylindrical
surface in accordance with the specific model using state of
the art computer numeric controlled (CNC) equipment, sup-
ported by computer programming which stores the exact spec-
ifications for each model of interconnection axle.
The piece then goes through the rolling process to produce
notches that are created using teethed blocks that pass along
the length of the axle in opposite directions, one above and
one below until the whole piece is notched. This process
should be carried out at both ends of the interconnection axel.
What follows is the machine process of making slots in the
notched surface where the retaining rings are located to pre-
vent the outer joint yoke and the collar flange from separating
from the interconnection axle. A slotting lathe is used for this,
which is made up of two tool carriers where the fabricated
tungsten tools for each width of slot are located.
A critical process in the production line is that of heat
treatment [17] by way of induction hardening machines that
use solid-state generators functioning at a frequency not lower
than 3 kHz. The magnetic field vibrates at the
abovementioned frequency causing intermolecular friction
that raises the temperature in a matter of seconds. This effect
is generated using a very expensive electrolytic copper coil.
The tempering process [18] is done by heating the piece to
temperatures ranging between approximately 800 and 900 °C
and then instantly cooling it in a bath of water and a special
tempering oil. The purpose of the heat treatment is to give the
piece a hard and tough exterior designed through engineering
and at the same time flexibility due to its soft core.
It is during this process that the traceability of the axle is
registered to facilitate determining the specific manufacturing
conditions during its performance.
The complexity of the process rests on the programming
and set-up, given the number of devices used and the destruc-
tive testing that should be carried out on the previously tem-
pered piece. The destructive strength test [19] consists of cut-
ting the piece into the required number of sections indicated
by the control plan for the specific reference that is being
programmed and then submitting each section to a polishing
process at a sanding bench followed by a metallographic anal-
ysis [20] in order to determine whether it complies with the
tempering specifications for each part number.
Lastly, the interconnection axle is subjected to an inspec-
tion for cracks that can form during the heat treatment or could
be a result of defects in the raw material. This is carried out
using a special machine which generates a magnetic field
around the piece, showers it with a liquid in which magnetic
particles are suspended, and at the same time emits ultraviolet
light which shows whether cracks or deposits exist that can
adversely affect the functioning of the interconnection axle in
the vehicle.
At this point, the final inspection must be carried out to
ensure that they comply with all of the technical specifications
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
in the final inspection document or control plan [21]. A certi-
fied expert operator for the production line must do this
activity.
The final stage is the packing of the interconnection axles,
taking into account the packing instructions which specify
how many are in each crate, as well as how many can be
packed in a batch so as to avoid congestion in the packing
area. In this way, ease of movement is ensured and accidents
can be avoided.
All material must be identified with its own certificate and
proof of quality control signed by the work team leader (WTL).
These documents are handed over in the warehouse where the
product is organized according to an inventory system.
Upon analysis of the phases and each of the manufacturing
activities for the interconnection axles, it was found that the
main challenge arises with the long programming times in the
cell using the tempering machine.
There are two tempering machines in the cell respectively
labeled TCC1 and TCC2. The set-up times for each machine
on average take 160 min. This implies a productivity index for
interconnection axles of 8.0 pieces/man-hour representing a
capacity of 30,800 units a month with three shifts a day and
one operator per machine, meaning 3 operators on each tem-
pering machine.
Evidently, the above creates a restriction in the production
process, which ideally should reach an optimum of 40,000
pieces, leading to an average deficit of 9200 pieces a month.
Looking at quarterly production, it was found that
reprogramming occurs randomly and on average 25 times
per month for each tempering machine. It was also found that
this value has a tendency to increase as a result of the diversity
of products demanded by Colombian assembly plants. In oth-
er words, on average 4000 min (66.66 h.) per month are spent
on reprogramming with a tendency to increase.
The real OEE [22] for the interconnection axle line is de-
termined by the cell with the induction hardening machines
TCC1 and TCC2. This indicator is affected by the set-up pro-
cess and is currently at 77 %, compared with the company
goal of 85 % for all mechanized lines at the plant.
In reality, the negative impact on the OEE is in the order of
43 % with respect to machine availability. The other 57 % is
due to other factors. Given that total available time is as
follows:
Formula 1 Total available time
h days week
TA ¼ 2mach  22:5  6 4
day week month
h−mach
¼ 1080
month
Source: authors
Since 66.66 h equals 43 % of stoppages, 100 % of stop-
pages equals 155 h/month. In addition, the availability factor
is as follows:
Formula 2 Availability factor
A ¼ ð1080 h−155hÞ  1080h ¼ 0:85
Source: authors
Where A is the availability factor
Furthermore:
Formula 3 Efficiency to quality ratio
E  Q ¼ 0:9
Source: authors
Where E is efficiency, Q is quality
Taking into account that the OEE is:
Formula 4 OEE
OEE ¼ A  E  Q
All these results are presented as percentages.
Looking at all these measures, it can be inferred that
efficiency and quality remain stable with respect to the
standards set by the company where 90 % is required at
minimum. The prime focus of this project is freeing up
set-up time in order to improve the availability factor
for the machine so that more can be produced in the
same amount of time, thus increasing the OEE and pro-
ductivity simultaneously.
It is important to clarify that the set-up procedures for the
tempering machines also implies destroying one or two pieces
in order to analyze their structure and tempered qualities. Even
when implementing a SMED program, it will continue to be
necessary to carry out these destructive strength tests on the
tempered pieces.
Analyzing the situation, it is possible to deduce that the
bottleneck in the interconnection axle production line is the
induction hardening machines where reprogramming time
takes 160 min. It takes this long due to the complexity of the
set-up which includes mounting and dismounting the coil in-
ducers, aligning the coils, and adjusting the tempering param-
eters such as heating time, cooling time, the temperature and
concentration of the tempering solution, the heat output, as

well as other time consuming tasks such as cutting, preparing,
and analyzing the test samples.
& Personnel involved in the process
It was found that only 30 % of the operators are trained
to a versatility level (meaning that they have the skills to
program the heat treatment machines) of 60 % [23].
Considering that the tempering process is one of the
most important and critical processes for the company,
the above shows that the human resource is lacking in
training to carry out this set-up. As a result, it is necessary
to develop technical competencies in a higher percentage
of operators in order to meet production needs while also
guaranteeing a higher production flow when demand re-
quires it.
Other negative factors include a high staff turnover due
to internal promotions or people voluntarily quitting. This
means having to train new operators all over again.
Lastly, it is important to mention that it is imperative to
have the capacity to react to changes necessitated by ur-
gent orders and not be negatively impacted by the set-up
times when attempting to supply a customer. In this re-
gard, implementing a SMED methodology is vital so as to
guarantee internal and external client satisfaction as well
as comply with the management goals and indicators of
the organization.
2.2 SMED implementation
Step 1 Selecting the process where SMED will be applied.
A number of prior visits were made to the plant to present
the project and focus attention on selecting an area or section
for the study. Detailed observation was made of the process,
and at the same time, trust was built with the group of opera-
tors involved in each step of the process described above [8,
10].
Following this, a diagnosis was carried out primarily using
Pareto Analysis in order to identify the main causes for pro-
duction stoppages. This confirmed that the set-up procedure
was one of the key problems in the production cell [24]. It was
possible to identify the deficiencies in the tempering process
in the line of production being studied as a result of this anal-
ysis.
During this stage, the research team applied basic tools
such as time keeping and observing the production process
in order to determine the key trouble spots in the manufactur-
ing cell so that the emphasis of SMED could be on these.
Time keeping data was registered for the critical points
allowing meaningful comparisons to be made from which
new proposals were generated to reduce the problems in ques-
tion and carry out standardization in each step of the process.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
Step 2 Initial analysis of actual set-up
Here, we filmed the whole set-up process from the
moment that the last piece of the model in production
is completed until the moment in which the first piece
of the next model is produced.
The next step was to bring the operator group to-
gether with a stopwatch and a log so that they can
carefully watch the video and note each activity that
is carried out along with how long it takes. The sum
of all these times is the total time it takes for the set-
up.
Step 3 Classifying activities as internal or external
Now, the research team classifies the activities as
internal or external. This step in SMED requires de-
tailed attention. In this case, 7 core activities were
identified:
& Internal activities
The theoretical concept, which says that the ma-
chine must have come to a complete halt before
performing the activity, was used to identify internal
activities. According to the set-up diagram and in-
structions, these activities are as follows:
– Call up and load the program: This requires a screen
where the list of all the part numbers is registered
making it impossible to carry out this activity on
the equipment.
– Dismounting of previous devices and mounting and
aligning all the fixtures required to process the first
piece of the next model: Here, the operator needs to
use the entire chamber of the machine to manipulate
and adjust the fixtures.
& External activities
These activities can be carried out without stop-
ping or turning off the machine. On the contrary, car-
rying out various operations at the same time can
speed up work.
– Print the control plan: The work team leader does this
while the operator continues with the set-up.
– Getting tools and fixtures ready: The work team lead-
er must know the number of the part that is going to
be programmed as well as get the corresponding
tools and coil ready so that the operator can continue
with their activities and not lose time.
– Cutting the test piece: the operator moves to the cut-
ting area; meanwhile, no piece should be produced
given that the result of the set-up is still unknown.
However, it is possible to make necessary adjust-
ments to the fixtures while programming the set-up.
– Metallographic analysis of the test piece: The opera-
tor takes the polished test pieces to the laboratory to
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
carry out the relevant analysis. Once this is done and
the results are known, the machine is ready for
production.
– Validating the set-up: Lastly, the operator notes the
results obtained as well as the measurements and the
machine parameters on the set-up log while the ma-
chine has already begun to produce the pieces.
Step 4 Standardization
All of these activities are carried out in order to
prioritize which ones need to be standardized and
improved.
Now, the internal activities are examined with an
eye to optimizing the order in which they are done in
the shortest possible time. Then, the external activi-
ties are looked at as well and the order and time are
specified. Given that the external activities are carried
out by a different operator from the one who carried
out the internal ones, clear responsibilities are laid out
for each.
The above becomes a draft standard that is then
trial run during the next three set-ups so as to do some
fine-tuning if necessary. Once the draft has been set-
tled, a new “set-up standard is written up.”
Once this has been done, an instruction manual for
the manufacturing standard is compiled, complete
with logs to ensure that the process complies with
all the steps as well as with the control plan. The most
important log is the one for the set-up and consists of
all the related documents. The point of the standard-
ization is to eliminate the waste of materials and time
that both affect productivity.
All this documentation must be fully completed
and kept for at least 1 year so as to guarantee full
client knowledge about the product that they have
acquired. Of course, it also serves as important evi-
dence for periodic audits that verify the traceability of
the process.
The implementation of the manufacturing stan-
dard leads to taking full advantage of the information
collected while carrying out SMED and the benefits
accrue on the Standard Manufacturing Set-up Log
(PMES). The document is identified via a consecu-
tive sequenced number focused on standardizing the
documents and being able to identify which produc-
tion line it belongs to.
The number sequence for this document is noted as
such: PMES-I-XXX-ZZ1 and PMES-I-XXX-ZZ2,\
and is interpreted “set-up manufacturing standard.”
The “I” refers to the production line, the XXX se-
quence for the operation according to the process di-
agram, and the ZZ1 correlates with the first PMES
document for the interconnection axle production
line; by the same token, the ZZ2 sequence correlates
with the second document for the interconnection axle
production line.
The specific set-up activities described in the doc-
ument relate to the same code assigned in the log for
this sheet. The activities to be realized by the first
operator are in the first document, and those to be
carried out by the second operator are found in the
second document.
The first operator executes the activities that re-
quire interaction with the machine (internal activities),
which are sequenced in a specific manner taking into
account the time required for each one, while the sec-
ond operator is charged with prior tasks and simulta-
neous set-up, with the goal of reducing down time.
Even so, these tasks are also standardized with the
time needed for achieving each one.
All of the activities are properly diagrammed in the
document so that the operator can easily associate the
activity with the image and is able to interpret it when
doing the set-up. Basic Excel tools were used to create
the diagrams (see Fig. 1 for an example of the PMES
sheet).
Step 5 Validation
A general training was carried out for all personnel
directly involved in the heat treatment process for the
interconnection axle line as a way to validate the
SMED methodology. The purpose of the training
was to roll out the necessary concepts and terminol-
ogy used in implementing SMED with the group of
operators. Here, they learned about relevant aspects
such as history, background, development, and im-
portant authors who developed and implemented the
tools in big companies. The process in which they
were shown the step-by-step implementation of
SMED was carried out with the operators of the tem-
pering machines.
The operators, who themselves are experts on the
issues affecting the overall running of the line of pro-
duction, demonstrated great interest in the progress of
the project and shared suggestions and expectations
during the explanation, thus demonstrating the im-
portance of their technical input in the project. At
the end, the tools that would be used to implement
SMED were presented.
Step 6 Training
It is vital in this activity to have all the necessary
documents related to applying the SMED methodol-
ogy to the set-up process, as well as refer to the
PMES sheets and related documents that then be-
come the operators’ manual when they carry out the
programming.
It is vital that the training for standardization start
 Int J Adv Manuf Technol

PMES ABBREVIATIONS CODE:

HEAT TREATMENT / TEMPERING N/P = Part Number EDITION:

SIMBOLS P.A.P = Set-up Point DATE:

LOGO Operator
environmental risk Quality control I = instrucon PAGE:
Safety

O.P.L = One Point Lesson OPERATION:

APPLICATIONS:ABC

Symbol
Reference
Activities Responsible Register Activity descriptions
documents

Start of opera on Operator

Place certain amount of pieces in the tray, press the black buon to
1 Wash and dry pieces Operator N.A.
start the wash cycle. Then dry with compressed air.

Remove the tempered

piece with the le hand
Standard and, using the right hand,
2 Locate the piece on E2 Operator N.A. locate the un-tempered
Operaon
piece in the support plate
at sta on 2.

Operang
Instrucons and Using both hands, press the side bu ons
3 Start cycle E2 Operator N.A. on control panel 2 at the same me in
Standard order to start cycle E2
operaon manual

4 Visual check of HT
The piece that has been removed from E2 should be briefly checked
to idenfy signs (tempering stains) that may represent imminent
Operator Visual Aid VI0315 N.A.
risks in the heat treatment, mainly temper penetraon that can
cause cracks to appear.

Remove the tempered piece from E1

Standard with the le hand, and with the right
5 Locate piece on E1 Operator N.A. hand locate the piece removed from
Operaon E2 for opera on 90 in the localiza on
plate.

Operang
Instrucons and Using both hands, press the bu ons on
6 Start cycle E1 Operator N.A. the E1 control panel at the same me
Standard in order to ini ate the cycle.
operaon manual

Following the P.C./

Check HT with magnatest The tempered probe removed from E1 is put onto the bobbin of the
7 Operator Standard PAP and
magnatest in order to check that the shell is hard and effecve.
Operaon

The flange is placed on the Teflon base in the case of a closed flange,
According to
8 Stamp the piece Operator N.A. or on the tripod in the case of an open one, so that the piece
control plan
remains staonary during stamping.

The operator measures the diameter of the

Following widest groove and that of the widest crack
Check for cracks and
9 Operator operaon 60 of N.A. using the gauges specified in P.C. For the
grooves in test probe corresponding opera on located at the
control plan
stamping table.

Finish the Cycle

Fig. 1 Standard manufacturing set-up (PMES) log. Source: authors of the project

from the point of versatility of the operators whom up in the versatility matrix, represented by “L”. The
must have at minimum a 40 % level in accordance training has three basic steps:
with the company standard, and this must be backed In the first step, the operator observes the expert
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
carry out the standard operation; in the second, the
operator carries out the operation alongside the ex-
pert; and in the third, the operator carries out the
standard operation autonomously with the expert
auditing it. The expert uses the training checklist as
a guide, with a level of 60 %. This process is carried
out in each workspace and according the items
contained in the document. The expert must ensure
that the operator executes each action as stipulated in
the training checklist before giving a passing grade.
Each point of the training should be evaluated se-
quentially without leaving out any of them until
100 % of the training has been covered. It is recom-
mendable to repeat the training as many times, and as
extensively, as necessary in order to guarantee opti-
mum performance on the part of the operator. Of
course, the training should not affect the normal flow
of the process.
Once the training has been completed, the work
team leader should register a 60 % versatility rating in
the matrix and represent this with a “U” for the new
operator able to set-up the tempering machines TCC1
and TCC2 on the interconnection axle line.
The versatility matrix (see Fig. 2) should be kept
up to date and signed by the work team leader and the
production coordinator as supporting documentation
for both internal and external audits.
3 Results and discussion
At this stage, it was possible to observe the differences in how
each of the operators in the three different shifts carried out the
set-up process. Important differences came to light in terms of
the sequence in which they did things. Also, the skill and ease
with which activities were undertaken had a direct bearing on
the final result and reflected personal qualities. For example,
one operator was much better at adjusting the fixtures and the
coil, while another was more skilled at getting the piece ready
for metallographic analysis. These differences facilitated the
tailoring of the subsequent standardization training of those
charged with the set-up process.
3.1 External and internal activities
The understanding of what external and internal activities are
lead the group to establish the need for a second set-up oper-
ator during each production shift. In other words, this lead to
establishing a primary operator specialized in the machine and
a support operator who specializes in the metallographic test-
ing. When the two are well synchronized, the optimal total
time can be guaranteed. Giving rise to the support operator
was not difficult to do given that while the set-up takes place,
the other line operators remain temporarily idle.
3.2 Layout of the work space
So as to reduce search times, it was concluded that it was
necessary to include key elements in the workspace such as
tools, coils, accessories, and measuring equipment. Thus, it
became necessary to assign a specific place for each new
component and modify the workspace using an activity fo-
cused on the 5Ss.
3.3 Optimizing the cutting zone and preparing the test
pieces
The principal objective of this study also forced the optimiza-
tion of processes carried out in supporting zones such as that
of cutting and preparing the test pieces. Circular saws and
sanding drums with various sanding grains and velocities are
found in this zone. In order to effectively support the set-up
process, it was deemed necessary to carry out a complete
maintenance program of the machines and include them in a
preventative maintenance program, as well as improve the
layout of the zone. All of this was necessary in order to ensure
more effective service, in other words, achieve a more rapid
flow of the test pieces through the analysis process. This re-
sulted in reducing not only the handling time for the test pieces
but also for all the other pieces in the factory that require
support from this zone.
3.4 Production started with quarantined pieces
The starting assumption here is that once a test piece is pre-
pared for the metallographic analysis (cutting the piece and
polishing it on the sanders for this purpose), it is possible to
observe the boundary between the soft core and the effective
shell (tempered zone). Thus, it is possible to measure the depth
of each zone and conclude with a reasonable degree of success
whether satisfactory results will be achieved during the metal-
lographic testing or not. In this way, production could begin
immediately, and in so doing, convert the time taken for me-
tallographic testing into productive time. Naturally, these
pieces would be kept in quarantine until such time as the
verification requirements have been met. With positive verifi-
cation results, these pieces would then leave quarantine and
enter into the normal production process, and by so doing,
increase the total number produced. This test procedure leads
to a cache of quarantined pieces that are clearly marked and
specially controlled with this purpose in mind.
The above enters into a process of repeated trials and anal-
ysis carried out by the company’s respective engineering au-
thorities at an international level for later approval. Internally,
the trials will continue to be documented with an eye to
 Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Fig. 2 Versatility matrix. Source:

authors VERSATILITY MATRIX
Revision Date _______________________________
Operation
Operator Milling Milling
Perforaon Threading Tempering Grinding
cycle 1 cycle 2

Carlos Pinto

Armando Castro

Nicolas Vega

Hugo Pérez

Pedro Rodriguez

Juan Santos

Level 20% Basic operator training.

Level 40% Operator able to carry out the operaon

Level 60% Operator trained to carry out set-up

Level 80% Operator trained to train and do rework.

Level 100% Operator applies Lean Manufacturing

generating sufficient evidence to back up this change and
achieve a guaranteed quality result at the same time.
3.5 Adaptability
The company uses the term adaptability percentage to indicate
what percentage of everything that is done or learned can be
applied to other products and/or processes. Given that all of
the products produced in the factory require induction hard-
ening, it can be concluded that the adaptability percentage for
other products is 100 %. This then requires a well-structured
plan for optimizing tempering processes which objectively
demonstrates improvements in productivity for the plant as a
whole. With the results of this study, there should be complete
institutional backing for such a plan.
The application of the SMED methodology generated a
set-up time of 33 min if the time for each of the internal
activities is summed. A percentage of the external activities
are pre-set-up, and the other percentage occurs simultaneously
with the internal activities. By freeing up set-up time, produc-
tivity was increased from 8 to 8.8 pieces/man-hour.
The final result can be seen in the development of
the OEE indicator for the interconnection axle produc-
tion line for the years 2010 and 2011 before SMED was
implemented, and then the positive impact generated by
SMED from May 2012 onwards. The other thing that
becomes equally clear is the decrease in the percentage
of cumulative machine stoppage causes when compared
with the initial Pareto diagram drafted during the anal-
ysis phase of this project. In that diagram, set-up was
the foremost cause of stoppages followed by unforeseen
maintenance.
Thanks to SMED, the consolidated stoppage percentage
due to set-up was reduced by 22 % because the company
implemented action plans based on SMED in the tempering
cell. This 22 % equals a reduction in machine stoppage from
66.6 to 34 h, meaning that the machine availability factor rose
from 85 to 94 % leading to an OEE of 85 % and thus meeting
the target established by the company.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Unforeseen machine maintenance passed to the first place 4 Conclusions

causing 31 % of machine stoppages and thus having the
greatest impact on the OEE performance.
Lastly, the resulting time saved due to applying
SMED can be summarized in Fig. 3. The first column
is a flow chart of all the activities that are included in
the application of SMED. The second column shows the
reduced time for each activity and the corresponding
percentage for the improvement, while the third block
of columns shows the contribution generated for other
production zones in the factory due to time saving that
can be passed on to other zones such as the preparation
of test pieces and the metallographic test laboratory
among others. This speeds up production processes on
other mechanized production lines and the assembly op-
eration in general.
The time study clearly identified activities that are car-
ried out which do not add value to the product, but on
the contrary, constitute down times. The respective cor-
rections were made by applying new tools and methods
that guarantee the company’s competitiveness in the na-
tional and global markets.
Applying the SMED program to set-up operations reduced
corresponding times and in do doing achieved an increase in
the OEE from 77 to 85 %. In addition, productivity increased
from 8 to 8.8 pieces/man-hour.
By creating and applying the HMES and PMES logs, it was
possible to standardize the procedures and consequently re-
duce programming times and increase productivity for this
production line.

Contribution to other zones

FLOW CHART TIME (Minutes) Improvement
in the plant

START BEFORE SMED AFTER SMED Time Time saved for

saving Percentage 25 programs Observations
Internal External Internal External (Min) (Min)

Call up and load the program: This requires a screen where

the list of all the part numbers is registered making it 20 5 13 12 48.0%
impossible to carry out this activity on the equipment.

Dismounting of previous devices and mounting and

aligning all the fixtures required to process the first piece of Operator time
the next model: Here the operator needs to use the entire 45 20 25 55.6% 625 available to
chamber of the machine to manipulate and adjust the other areas
fixtures.

Print the control plan: The work team leader does this wile Document
15 10 5 33.3% 125
the operator continues with the set-up. printing zone

Getting tools and fixtures ready: The work team leader

must know the number of the part that is going to be
programmed as well as get the corresponding tools and coil 15 25 30 10 25.0%
ready so that the operator can continue with their activities
and not lose time.

Cutting the test piece: the operator moves to the cutting

area, meanwhile no piece should be produced given that the Cutting and
result of the set-up is still unknown, however, it is possible 40 25 15 37.5% 375 polishing
to make necessary adjustments to the fixtures while zone
programming the set-up.

Metallographic analysis of the test piece: The operator takes Laboratory

the polished test pieces to the laboratory to carry out the and
30 20 10 33.3% 250
relevant analysis. Once this is done and the results are metallographi
known the machine is ready for production. c testing zone

Validating the set-up: Lastly, the operator notes the results

obtained as well as the measurements and the machine
10 5 10 5 33.3%
parameters on the set-up log while the machine has already
begun to produce the pieces.

END

Fig. 3 Source: authors


After various meetings with the personnel directly involved
in the production process, the activities were presented and a
training plan was rolled out, taking advantage of the adapta-
tion to change on the part of the operative personnel on the
line in order to guarantee relevant feedback on this SMED
support tool. Within a global company, it is necessary not only
to implement new tools on a daily basis but also to ensure a
generalized attitude of leadership which cultivates a culture of
continuous improvement in worker performance.
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