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Back to the Basics: Merchandise, Price and Service Are Still the Fundamentals of Retail

2017-07-28 20:00:00| National Real Estate Investor

Commercial real estate, like any business, is constantly evolving.

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Switch and Receptacle Installation Basics

2017-07-25 23:11:36| Electrical Construction & Maintenance

These are commonly connected devices, but are you sure you know the installation requirements?

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Circuit Basics

2017-06-23 20:11:48| Electrical Construction & Maintenance

What are series circuits and why do they matter?

Tags: circuit basics

Two weeks ago we listed some of the steps required to set up a job. With those steps in mind, the first and most important task in setup reduction is to divide those steps into INTERNAL and EXTERNAL setup steps. Simply stated, Internal setup requires the machine be stopped. External setup does not require the machine be stopped. Recall our list of setup steps, and divide that list into those steps that can be done while the machine is running, and those that cannot be done while the machine is running. Of the 37 steps listed (I should have numbered them), only 8 are internal steps, and all the rest are external. The first internal step is number 22: Test load part into machine. Be careful, the distinction between internal and external is based upon needing the machine for the action, not upon whether the setup person is available to perform the task. According to the experts, if we make a serious effort to treat as much of the setup operation as external as possible, then the time needed for internal setup (the time the machine must be stopped) can be reduced by 30% to 50%. Mastering the distinction between internal and external setup, and then performing the external set up during production is the key to SMED. (Setup reduction is often called SMED, shorthand for Single Minute Exchange of Die. The Single Minute means less than 10 minutes). It is also worth emphasizing that, for the purposes of this discussion, setup time is measured in “idle machine-hours”, not man-hours. Per Shigeo Shingo, the recognized master and creator of SMED, “In traditional setup operations, internal and external setup are not separated; what could be done as externally is done as internal setup, and machines therefore remain idle for extended periods”. This passage from Shingo’s SMED book is quoted only to point out that the way we historically have operated is no different than other shops throughout the world. But now that we know the better way, we can, and must improve.To summarize, SMED’s objective is to cut the setup time to zero, thus economically permitting lower quantities per order, faster delivery, and greater varieties of parts per day. If done wisely, it will also cut the total man hours to do setups. Distinguishing internal from external steps is where it all starts. By now everyone is thinking, “How am I going to get all that external setup for the next job done while still running production?” That’s the subject for next week!

Tags: reduction setup basics setup reduction