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Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is one of the many lean
production
methods
for reducing waste in a manufacturing process.
It provides a
rapid
and efficient way of converting a manufacturing process from
running
the current product to running the next product.
This
rapid changeover is key to reducing production lot sizes and
thereby
improving flow (Mura) which is a 'Lean' aim. It is also often
referred
to as Quick Changeover (QCO).
Performing
faster change-overs is important in manufacturing, or any
process,
because they make low cost flexible operations possible.
The
phrase "single minute" does not mean that all changeovers and
startups
should take only one minute, but that they should take less
than
10 minutes (in other words, "single digit minute").
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SMED