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(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
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### APRIL 2004
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SOME THOUGHTS ON...
WHAT IS CHANGEOVER?

Most everyone knows what changeover is. The problem, in my experience, is
that everyone has a different definition. Some of the definitions are good,
some indifferent and some are downright counterproductive. In solving any
problem, it's definition must always be the very first step. Changeover is
no different. Absence of a good definition will frustrate any efforts to do
much more than nibble around the edges of reducing changeover times. The
definition I use is:

"Changeover is the total process of converting a line or machine from
running one product to another."

Note that it must be the TOTAL process. Everthing must be on the table.
This will include cleaning, quality documentation and sign-off, removal of
old materials components and supplies and provision of the new.
Verification that the materials and components supplied are correctly
designed and manufactured to that design go into it as well. (Hopefully
this is done well before the materials are actually needed). In short,
there is probably no area in the manufacturing plant that does not impact
changeover in some way.

Some people will use the terms "set-up" and changeover interchangeably.
This is an error. "Set-up" should be used to refer to the physical
replacement of changeparts or the adjustment of machinery to run the next
product. While it is often the heart of changeover, it is far from the only
component.

There is an old saying that "You can eat an elephant" if you cut it into
small enough pieces." I find this a useful approach to take with changeover
and I divide it into what I call "The 3 Ups". These are clean-up, set-up
and start-up. The dividing lines between the 3 are not always sharply drawn
and there may be some elements such as documentation and quality line
clearance that do not fit neatly into any of the categories. No matter.
Even if not terribly precise. The 3 Ups do serve as a useful tool and
starting point.

Clean-up is all of the actions taken to remove previous product, components
and materials from the line. In some cases, this may be fairly minimal. A
company running the identical product but with a different label will face
only the replacement of one label roll with another. A company running a
sterile pharmaceutical product may face the complete disassembly, cleaning
and sterilization of the equipment.

Starting and ending points can also be a bit hazy. If filling a liquid
product, it may be necessary to slow the filler toward the end of the run
to avoid pump cavitation as the reservoir is drawn down. Some people might
ignore this, saying that changeover does not begin until the line is
actually stopped. In some cases, it may be cheaper to discard the remaining
product rather than struggling to run it. If changeover is only considered
to begin when the line is stopped, this opportunity may not be examined.

Set-Up is fairly straightforward. It will usually include a combination of
adjusting movable parts as well as replacing non-adjustable parts
("changeparts").There are 2 schools of thought on which are better.
Adjustable components have the advantage of flexibility. If a new product,
or even an existing product that may be slightly out of spec, is to be run,
adjustments can be made to accommodate them. Adjustable components reside
on the machine at all times which eliminates issues of storage,
identification, transportation and the like. On the downside, adjustable
parts, to be functional, must be properly adjusted. This increases the
skill levels required and introduces variability into the set-up.

Set-up may also include documentation such as filling out log books,
recording settings used, who did the set-up and the like. It may also
include trial runs of machines to assure that they are correctly adjusted.

Start-up occurs once all clean-up and set-up is complete and the line is
restarted. Initially a brief period is required to fill the line with
product and to get machines up to speed. I call this "acceleration" and it
should be fairly brief, perhaps a few minutes. Ideally, once the line is up
to speed, it should run at normal speed and efficiency. That's the ideal.
The reality is that frequently it does not. A period of time will be spent
fine tuning and tweaking the various settings and adjustments to get them
right. This period is characterized by high levels of rejects, frequent
line stoppage, jams and other problems. It can be as brief as a few minutes
or as long as an entire shift.

There is a single cause of start-up and it is variation. This variation may
occur in set-up, in the materials to be run or, more likely, a combination
of both. If all avariation can be eliminated, start-up can be eliminated.
Is it really reasonable to expect that variation can be eliminated? No, all
industrial processes will vary. But, the goal should be elimination of
variation rather than just controlling it. Otherwise, the danger is that
once variation is under control or within limits, further improvement
efforts will diminish.

The proper definition of changeover will greatly aid in it's control. The
definition above may be a bit more complex than some others. Breaking it
into it's constituent parts makes it much more understandable and
approachable.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
QUICK ACTING KNOBS

Some applications require hand knobs or levers to be turned down a long
thread. One instance that comes to mind is a pair of guides with a threaded
rod with nuts holding it to the proper spacing. During changeover the nuts
have to be turned 2-3 inches to get from the largest to smallest size.

There are a couple of ways to simplify this. One is a quick acting handknob
or nut. This handknob, available from Reid Tool, McMaster-Carr and other
suppliers consists of a standard handknob with normal threads. A hole the
same size as the OD of the bolt, including threads, is drilled through at
about a 10 degree angle. To use, the handknob is placed over the bolt and
tilted slightly allowing it to slide freely. When it bottoms out, it
straightens parallel to the bolt and the threads engage. A quarter turn
locks it in place.

Another quick acting handlever uses a spring loaded pushbutton to release
the threads. When the button is depressed, the lever slides freely. When
the button is released, the threads engage and the lever can be tightened
normally.



Best,

John R Henry CPP

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