SMED Quick Changeover for High-Mix, Low-Volume Manufacturing: A Practical Guide to Cutting Setup Time in Half and Doubling Capacity (Lean Line Pro Deep Dive Series)

How do I get more capacity without buying another machine?In high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, long changeovers are one of the biggest hidden constraints.Every setup steals capacity.Every long changeover forces bigger batches.Every oversized batch creates more WIP, longer lead times, and more schedule chaos.If your team is behind, the answer may not be another machine, another shift, or more overtime.The capacity may already be there.It is just trapped inside setup time.Traditional SMED training often assumes stable demand, dedicated equipment, and highly repeatable production. But in job shops and high-variation environments, those assumptions rarely hold.This book shows a better way.SMED Quick Changeover for High-Mix, Low-Volume Manufacturing adapts setup reduction for the realities of high-mix operations — without unrealistic assumptions, expensive automation, or textbook theory.Inside this book, you’ll learn how to:• Understand why cutting setup time can unlock hidden capacity• Separate internal setup work from external setup work• Identify wasted motion, searching, walking, waiting, and adjustment loops• Convert internal work into external work so machines spend less time stopped• Simplify setups using common interfaces, modular tooling, fixtures, checklists, and staging• Reduce setup variation between operators, shifts, and products• Run focused SMED kaizen events that create measurable improvement• Prevent backsliding after the event is overThis is not a theoretical lean textbook. It is written for manufacturing engineers, operations managers, plant managers, and continuous improvement leaders who need setup reduction that works in high-mix environments.The goal is simple: stop losing capacity to changeovers and make high-mix production easier to schedule, run, and control.Where This Book Fits in the Lean Line Pro SystemThe Lean Line Pro Deep Dive Series is a step-by-step implementation system for building real lean flow in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing.Each volume is designed around one bite-sized continuous improvement project — one practical system your team can understand, implement, measure, and improve before moving to the next step.If you are new to the series, start with Volume 1 and work through Volume 6 in order.The 6 Core Steps to Lean Flow in High-Mix ManufacturingVol. 1 — Define Product Families↓Vol. 2 — Reduce Setup Times↓Vol. 3 — Build Flexible Cells↓Vol. 4 — Level the Schedule↓Vol. 5 — Install Pull Systems↓Vol. 6 — Standardize the WorkSpecial Situation GuidesVol. 7 — Manage Shared EquipmentUse this when shared machines, ovens, washers, paint booths, test chambers, or other monument processes disrupt flow across multiple cells.Vol. 8 — Batch Processing Inside a CellUse this when one station inside an otherwise flowing cell must run in batches.Written by a PractitionerBased on 20+ years on real shop floors. No buzzwords. No academic fluff. Just practical SMED methods, templates, examples, and implementation logic you can use on the floor.If your shop feels constrained by long setups but full of hidden capacity, this book will show you how to unlock it. Read more