Textile Manufacturing · Consulting
Reducing stenter changeover time with SMED
A focused SMED engagement addressed frequent stenter changeovers and a processing bottleneck through production planning, direct observation, standard work, and ongoing monitoring.
- 10.36 min
- reported average changeover duration after improvement
- USD 5,000
- reported monthly saving per machine
01 · Context
The challenge
- The fabric-processing plant had a large number of style changeovers.
- The stenter machine was a major bottleneck in the processing unit.
- The bottleneck needed to be reduced or removed to improve process productivity.
- Reducing stenter changeover time was important to productivity and efficiency.
02 · Delivery
The approach
- 01Applied Lean quick-change methods using SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die).
- 02Collected monthly changeover-frequency data.
- 03Recorded changeover duration through video observation by an industrial engineer.
- 04Established a baseline for changeover duration.
- 05Used production planning to reduce the number of unnecessary changeovers.
- 06Analyzed the changeover process and identified non-value-added activities.
- 07Applied SMED to reduce changeover duration.
- 08Developed checklists and standard operating procedures for changeover execution.
Engagement evidence
Measures and working visuals
Changeover baseline and outcome
| Measure | Before | After | Improvement stated in source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changeovers per month | 450 | 250 | 38% |
| Average changeover duration | 17 minutes | 10.36 minutes | 39% |
The source's 38% changeover-frequency figure does not reconcile with the stated counts (450 to 250). Both reported counts and percentages are retained as stated; 17 to 10.36 minutes is consistent with the reported 39% duration improvement.
Source report detail
Project timeline and takeaways
Delivery timeline
- 1 weekCollect and analyze monthly changeover dataPhase 1
- 1 weekCalculate changeover-duration baselines for all three shiftsPhase 2
- 1 weekAnalyze the process and eliminate non-value-added tasksPhase 3
- 1 weekDeploy SMED to reduce changeover durationPhase 4
- 1 monthImplementation and monitoringPhase 5
Findings and recommendations in the report
- The report states a net saving of USD 5,000 per month per machine.
- Changeover processes were streamlined for faster transitions.
- The workforce received training to handle changeovers more efficiently.
- Equipment setup was optimized for smoother changeovers.
- The report recommends continuing a culture of improvement in changeover practices.
- The source reports 450 to 250 changeovers per month and labels this a 38% improvement; the counts do not calculate to that percentage, so both source figures are retained with the discrepancy noted.
Client and employee identities are withheld. Reported figures are retained as source claims; discrepancies are noted rather than silently corrected.
03 · Outcomes
What changed
- 01Reported monthly changeovers decreased from 450 to 250.
- 02Average changeover duration decreased from 17 minutes to 10.36 minutes.
- 03The report states a net monthly saving of USD 5,000 per machine.
- 04Operators received additional training and changeover work was standardized.
Client identity is withheld. Outcomes and measures are presented as documented in the engagement source material.