G B Gest

Set-up reduction (SUR) beyond total productive maintenance (TPM)

Abstract There is a growing awareness of the importance of set-up performance in multiproduct manufacturing environments. This paper contrasts the potential business contribution of conducting set-up reduction (SUR) as an initiative in its own right with the contribution SUR will make as a component part of a rigorously conducted total productive maintenance (TPM) initiative. It is argued that under TPM a business can easily fail to recognize the global impact of SUR and fail to take the opportunities afforded by improved setup times. It is demonstrated that in the nature of TPM, and in the manner in which it is implemented and measured, there is pressure to move away from responsive, small-batch manufacture that SUR promotes. While there is a growing awareness of SUR benefits, there are relatively few reported cases in which sustained long-term improvements have been seen. One reason for this is that although faster changeovers are perceived as a ‘good thing’, there is little in-depth analysis of their impact on overall business performance. A classification is proposed against which the potential SUR benefits may be assessed and the commercial opportunities that can arise through having a more responsive manufacturing system are also highlighted.

Review of fast tool change systems

Abstract The key to success in many manufacturing businesses is a move toward a leaner, more flexible, more responsive manufacturing environment. The ability of a company to change over rapidly from one product to another is essential if this move is to be achieved. There is a significant amount of information in the literature on specific ideas that have been used to reduce changeover times, but in the vast majority of cases this rich source of data is ignored by companies undertaking changeover reduction programmes. Research has shown that, although some companies have a genuine desire to ‘reinvent the wheel’, the main reason why companies fail to tap the information source is that it lacks structure and focus. This review brings together information from research literature, journals, conferences, industrial collaborations and trade and technical literature. The information has been classified, and is presented here as an overview of the state of the art techniques for reducing changeover times.