SMED Case Study: Cutting VMC Setup Time from 210 to 120 Minutes
Every minute a CNC machine stands idle during a changeover is lost capacity. This SMED case study shows how a shop-floor team cut setup time on a critical vertical machining center (VMC) by 42.8% in just three months.
The challenge
Setting up a HAAS VF-2 VMC for a valve block job took 210 minutes. More than half of that time went on searching, cleaning and organizing while the machine stood still. The operator also walked about 120 meters per setup to collect tools and parts.
The approach
Using SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die), the team separated tasks that need the machine stopped from tasks that can be done while it runs. Three levers made it work: 5S workplace organization, hardware standardization and a point-of-use SMED tray.
The results
| Measure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 210 min | 120 min (42.8% faster) |
| Operator walking | 120 m | 50 m (58.3% less) |
| Machine productivity | Baseline | 16.7% higher |
Get the full case study
The complete case study shows exactly how these results were achieved:
- The time study that pinpointed where the 210 minutes went
- Every improvement made, with the time each one saved
- Before-and-after spaghetti diagrams of operator movement
- The SMED SOP and checklist that keep the gains in place
- The yearly financial benefit
Request for Full Case Study.
Get access to the architecture diagrams and implementation blueprints.
Request Received Successfully!
Thank you for your interest. Our team will manually review your details and email the PPT presentation to your business address shortly.