SET UP REDUCTION (SUR)
What is it and what can it do for your business?
Benefits
- Operational
- for example : Productivity, Inventory Reduction
- Commercial
- for example : Flexibility, Responsiveness.
The EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) has funded a 3 year research programme (GR/H 21364) at the University of Bath into Set Up Reduction / Fast Tool Changeover. This has also been supported by CMB.
Objectives
- To identify and classify techniques used to improve changeover times.
- To devise and develop a total methodology for fast changeover.
- To develop novel designs for both retrofit and new tooling.
- To develop generic design principles for fast change tooling.
- To develop an understanding of the benefits of reducing set up times.
The research team has worked with a number of industrial concerns, from which the following results have been generated:
Results
- An overall 3 stage SUR / Fast Tool Change Methodology
- A 'Reduction In' approach
- A catalogue of 200 set up improvement ideas
- A financial justification and benefits analysis procedure
- A Line and Machine auditing method
The research team is very happy to present their work in the form of presentations to site management groups, design seminars, application seminars or workshops