Implementation of SMED in Garment Industry
Samiksha Chougule
Department of Textiles (Fashion Technology)
DKTE’S Textile & Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji, India
Intern at Textile Learner
Email: samikshachougule231216@gmail.com
History of SMED Tool:
Shigeo Shingo, a Japanese industrial engineer who was extremely successful in helping corporations substantially cut changeover times, created SMED. His pioneering effort resulted in verified 94% reductions in changeover times (e.g., from 90 minutes to less than 5 minutes) across a wide spectrum of enterprises. Changeover times that improve by a factor of 20 may be difficult to conceive, but take the following basic example: A single style change might easily take 15 minutes for many people. A NASCAR pit crew can change four STYLES in less than 15 seconds. Many NASCAR pit crew strategies are employed (doing as many procedures as possible before the pit stop begins; utilizing a coordinated team to accomplish numerous processes in tandem; etc.). SMED makes advantage of these concepts (forming a standardized and highly efficient process). In reality, the transition from a 15-minute TIRE changing to a 15-second TIRE changeover is a SMED trip. Changeovers are constructed up of stages known as “elements” in SMED. Elements are classified into two types:
Internal Elements: Tasks that must be accomplished while the equipment is turned off. This is when videotaping a procedure is very useful. A careful examination of how a team handles process specifics can assist leaders in identifying opportunities for improvement.
Identifying internal components that can be made external, such as having tires available in the pit crew, is part of the process. Any procedure that can be completed prior to the actual switch should be highlighted. This drastically speeds up the process.
External Elements: Task that must be accomplished while equipment need to turned on. One of the priorities with external components is having supplies and tools available for a switch. When a racing vehicle drives up, you don’t see pit personnel scurrying about looking for the correct tires or the gas hose. Chefs at the top restaurants aren’t scrambling to acquire prime ground beef for lunch burgers as the clock strikes noon.
All of this is already on hand as a result of thorough planning and ordering of supplies to ensure that the necessary goods are available. This type of predictive analysis is critical to the success of SMED’s external component.
Meaning of SMED:
SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) is a system for dramatically reducing the time it takes to complete equipment changeovers. The essence of the SMED system is to convert as many changeover steps as possible to “external” (performed while the equipment is running), and to simplify and streamline the remaining steps. The name Single-Minute Exchange of Die comes from the goal of reducing changeover times to the “single” digits (i.e., less than 10 minutes). Ideally it should be less than 5 to 10 minutes but actually in garment industry it takes sometimes almost 1 day that is 6 to 8 HRS.
Steps of Implementation of SMED in Garment Industry:
Before developing a SMED process, determine whether components of your present procedures / styles are inefficient. Manufacturers may gain real-time insight into all assets by utilizing industrial internet of things (IIOT) technology to detect which portions of the plant are not working at full asset efficiency. Before deciding on a target region for using the SMED concept, the following production aspects must be considered.
- The time required for switching varies.
- Performance can be monitored since there are frequent changeover times.
- Employees must be acquainted with the equipment. Other procedures are slowed because of the equipment. After these locations have been thoroughly examined.
1. Identify the pilot area:
A major component of determining your test pilot area is ensuring that your personnel are confident and driven to increase performance. Fortunately, augmented reality technology helps simplify the most difficult aspects of the manual conversion. Employees can follow step-by-step guided digital work instructions utilizing 3D, spatially aware representations placed on their work spaces. Access to concise, in-context job instructions improves information retention among front-line workers. This significantly increases their grasp of each phase of the changeover process and decreases mistakes that result in scrap or rework.
2. Identify internal and external components:
In this stage, the team collaborates to identify all of the pieces of the transition. The most efficient method is to videotape the entire transition and then work from the footage to construct an ordered list of components, each of which comprises the following:
- What is the nature of the work?
- Cost in Time: how long it takes to finish the element
3. Convert as many internal components as possible to external components:
The present changeover process is thoroughly analyzed in this stage, with the objective of converting as many internal aspects to external as feasible. The team should ask the following questions about each internal element:
- What would it be if there was a method to make this element external?
- How could we possibly accomplish it?
This will yield a list of components that need be addressed further. This list should be ordered such that the most promising candidates receive the most attention. This boils down to doing a cost/benefit analysis for each proposed element. The cost of the materials and labor required to make the necessary adjustments.
4. Streamline remaining elements:
In this step, the remaining elements are reviewed with an eye towards streamlining and simplifying so they can be completed in less time. First priority should be given to internal elements to support the primary goal of shortening the changeover time. For each element, the team should ask the following questions: How can this element are completed in less time? How can we simplify this element? As in the previous step a simple cost/benefit analysis should be used to prioritize action on elements.
So scene of usage of resources will be:
Benefits of Implementation of SMED Tool in Garment Industry:
An effective SMED implementation will provide the following advantages:
Lower Manufacturing Costs: Because changeovers are faster, there is less equipment downtime ultimately production increases and cost per unit get reduces.
Smaller lot sizes allow for more frequent product changes due to speedier changeovers.
Improved Customer Response: Smaller lot sizes allow for more flexible scheduling.
Lower Inventory Levels: Because lot sizes are smaller, inventory levels are lower and can make great use of resources.
Smoother Startups: Standardization of changeover procedures improves consistency and quality.
Conclusion:
SMED is an excellent tool for reducing changeover/setup time in a variety of industries (including garment manufacturing, logistics, and service). It enhances the company’s flexibility to create the correct amount of items at the right time (therefore reduced inventory, carrying expenses, etc.) and eliminates or decreases bottlenecks to increase flow.
References:
- https://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/business-process-management-bpm/articles/single-minute-exchange-of-dies-smed
- https://www.leanproduction.com/smed/
- https://www.leanproduction.com/smed/
- https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/10/5/287
- https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/14965/smed-quick-changeover-program
- https://www.ptc.com/en/blogs/iiot/what-is-smed
- https://www.sixsigmadaily.com/single-minute-exchange-of-die-smed-definition-example/
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Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
