Set-up time reduction process and integrated predetermined time system MTM-UAS: A study of application in a large size company of automobile industry

Higher quality and efficient production requires newer production methods and ideas. Newer methods contain newer problems that must be solved. As lean manufacturing was introduced to production environments, an important question occurred. What must be done to reduce the setup time? Shigeo Shingo tried to solve this problem by his methodology called SMED. In this text, an important success factor for setup times "sustainability" is taken into consideration. Here sustainability is used as keeping the success level achieved by using SMED at a desired point and not letting it to drop down. To achieve desired sustainability well-arranged standard procedures must be prepared. In this text an optimal changeover procedure is constituted with the aid of a predetermined time system (MTM-UAS) to standardize and preserve the improved changeover operations. © 2006 Springer-Verlag London Limited.