Separate a machine changeover into internal work, done while stopped, and external work, done while running.
Quality & Productivity
SMED Quick Changeover Techniques for Reducing Machine Setup Time
A hands-on SMED course that teaches how to observe, separate and shrink machine changeovers using the quick changeover method to recover lost production time.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Every minute a machine spends being reconfigured between products is a minute it produces nothing, yet many changeovers are treated as an unavoidable cost rather than a process that can be studied and shortened. This course teaches the single-minute exchange of die method, working through its core discipline of observing a real changeover, separating internal work that can only happen while the machine is stopped from external work that can be done while it still runs, and then converting as much internal work as possible into external preparation. Sessions cover the practical techniques that follow that separation: replacing bolts and threaded fasteners with quick clamps and cam locks, standardising die and tool heights so adjustment is no longer needed, using function standardisation and intermediate jigs to cut trial-and-error setting, and sequencing parallel operations between two people instead of one. Participants practise filming and timing a real or simulated changeover, building a changeover matrix and standard work sheet from what they observe, and running a short kaizen-style workshop to test improvements before they become the new standard. The course closes by connecting setup time reduction to overall equipment effectiveness and batch size, since a genuinely fast changeover changes what batch sizes and schedules become possible.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Convert internal setup steps into external preparation wherever the sequence allows it safely.
Apply quick-fastening methods, such as clamps and cam locks, to remove slow threaded fasteners from a changeover.
Standardise functions and use intermediate jigs to eliminate trial-and-error adjustment during setup.
Film and time a real changeover to build an accurate baseline before proposing improvements.
Build a changeover standard work sheet and matrix that locks in an improved setup sequence.
Connect setup time reduction to overall equipment effectiveness and achievable batch size.
Who Should Attend
Production and manufacturing engineers targeting changeover time as a source of hidden capacity.
Machine operators and setters who perform changeovers and know where time is actually lost.
Lean and continuous improvement practitioners running setup reduction kaizen events.
Production supervisors scheduling batch sizes that are constrained by long changeover times.
Industrial engineers documenting standard work for setup and changeover tasks.
Plant managers seeking additional capacity without investing in new machinery.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Observing and Understanding the Current Changeover
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Filming and Timing a Real Changeover
- Film a complete changeover from last good part to first good part without interrupting the operator's normal method.
- Time each distinct step of the changeover to build an accurate, step-by-step baseline.
- Record which tools, parts and information the operator searches for during the changeover.
- Involve the operators performing the changeover in reviewing the footage rather than analysing it without them.
Session 2Separating Internal and External Work
- Classify each observed step as internal, requiring the machine to be stopped, or external, which does not.
- Challenge assumptions about which steps are genuinely internal rather than simply always done that way.
- Identify preparation steps, such as gathering tools or pre-heating a die, that can move before the stop.
- Quantify how much of the current changeover time is internal versus external before changing anything.
02Converting Internal Work to External Preparation
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Moving Work Outside the Machine Stop
- Prepare the next tool, die or fixture in advance so it is ready the moment the machine stops.
- Pre-set values, such as temperature or pressure, externally so the machine does not wait to reach them.
- Use a checklist to confirm every external preparation step is complete before the changeover begins.
- Sequence external preparation so it finishes just before the previous production run ends, not too early.
Session 2Standardising Functions Instead of Standardising Parts
- Standardise clamping height, reference edges or interfaces so different products share the same setup method.
- Design an intermediate jig or adaptor that lets a range of parts use one standardised fixture.
- Group products into changeover families that share the largest possible number of setup steps.
- Reduce the range of tools and fasteners required so operators are not searching for uncommon items.
03Eliminating Adjustment and Speeding Up Fastening
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Removing Trial-and-Error Adjustment
- Replace trial-and-error adjustment with fixed stops, shims or numbered settings that repeat exactly.
- Use one-touch or graduated setting mechanisms so a position is set once rather than adjusted repeatedly.
- Separate genuine adjustment, which changes a setting, from calibration checks that merely confirm it.
- Test a standardised setting across several changeovers to confirm it removes adjustment reliably.
Session 2Quick-Fastening and Parallel Operations
- Replace slow threaded fasteners with clamps, cam locks or quarter-turn fixings wherever safety allows.
- Reduce the number of turns or actions needed to secure a fastening without loosening its holding force.
- Assign parallel tasks to two people simultaneously where the layout and safety rules make this practical.
- Redesign the physical layout around the machine so tools and materials are within reach during setup.
04Locking In and Scaling Up the Improvement
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Building Changeover Standard Work
- Document the improved changeover as a standard work sheet with times, sequence and responsible person.
- Build a changeover matrix that shows setup time between every combination of product changeovers.
- Train every operator who performs the changeover to the new standard, not only the team involved in the workshop.
- Audit changeovers periodically against the standard to catch drift back toward the old method.
Session 2Connecting Setup Reduction to Capacity and Scheduling
- Recalculate achievable batch sizes and changeover frequency once setup time has been reliably reduced.
- Link reduced changeover time to overall equipment effectiveness through its effect on availability.
- Run a short kaizen-style workshop to test further setup improvements before locking in a new standard.
- Prioritise which machines to target next based on changeover frequency and remaining setup time.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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