A Practical Study of the Application of SMED to Electron-beam Machining in Automotive Industry

摘要

The Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is a methodology that allows reducing the equipment's setup times, enabling economical production in small batches. Its use helps reduce lead times, enabling the management of the industrial unit to respond quickly to market demand. Another advantage is the economic production of small manufacturing lots, which usually requires low investments in the production process. In addition, SMED can reduce the occurrence of errors in the equipment. In this paper an analysis of the SMED methodology application is carried out regarding an electron beam machine (EBM), since it can be used for a wide range of applications and services. The main research was undertaken as a case study in a tier one automotive supplier where the application of SMED allowed for a setup time reduction in more than 50%. The application of the SMED methodology also allowed to entirely eliminate the scrap generated due to pre-determined actions.