Rapid Set-up Concept

Setup Reduction (often known as Single Minute Exchange of Die or SMED) uses “Work Simplification” and other conventional techniques to analyze each setup as a process and reduce time and other waste. It also tends to make setups more predictable and improve quality.

Setup can be defined as the elapsed time from the last good unit of one production run to the first good unit of the next production run.  The setup time will also be split into external and internal setup as demonstrated in the diagram below.