Set up Reduction Techniques

Set up reduction techniques 1
SET UP REDUCTION TECHNIQUES
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Set up reduction techniques 2
Introduction
Set up reduction is an approach used for level load balancing in lean deployment. Lean
deployment is a strategy used by organisations management to organise day to day operations to
attain future goals. Lean deployment is essential in developing action plans to achieve set
objectives (Hilton & Sohal 2012). This report explains the four steps that are followed when
undertaking the reduction process. It goes ahead to explain the steps using a case study of
crankshaft grinding firm. The report also discusses the benefits of using set up reduction to
improve performance and to increase productivity. It explains the benefits that some of the lean
tools which are commonly used to set up reduction times.
Explain the steps that would be used to undertake a setup reduction
Set up reduction- a case study of Crankshaft Grinding
At Crankshaft Grinding set up reduction is the most valuable tool that is used for lean
deployment. When set up times are reduced the company can maximise its machine use with no
extra costs, reduce lead times and to be more flexible. A diesel engine manufacturer revealed that
a critical step at Crankshaft Grinding is rebuilding the engine process because it was not able to
meet its required TAKT time. The time taken by the crankshaft to do the grinding was way
below the TAKT time. The overall time taken to complete the cycle too was exceeding the
average cycle time by 30 minutes. The company had two alternatives to settle this problem:
either to purchase another grinding machine or to reduce the setup time. It chose to minimise the
setup time by following the steps below:

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Step 1: Document the setup and separate the events into internal or external.
Carry out a pre-workshop preparation to come up with a list of activities by doing a "Dry-Run"
of the setup. After coming up with a list of events, one should go ahead and document the
original set up (Maskell Baggaley & Grasso 2016). It can be done by video conferencing to give
a chance to operators to review and explain their activities. They should also be allowed to set up
a timeline to record all the events and times. The events should then be separated into external
and internal set up after which a brainstorming should be carried around to identify set up
reduction opportunities.
The manager at Crankshaft Grinding called for a meeting with the machine operators,
technicians, and the support personnel from the engineering department. The team was taught the
required techniques and principles of setting up reduction. At the training session, initial
assignments were made to help in collecting current data concerning the crankshaft set up. A
videotape was made to analyze the setup. The setup reduction team followed the process keenly
to identify the actual set up and took note of the times required.
Step 2: Converting internal to external events.
The second step is to focus on using engineered methods to convert internal set up of events to
external setups. Take a look at the internal events in step one and confirm that they are truly
internal. It is the crucial first idea to set up reduction. A lot of time is used in the set up to shift
internal events to external tasks. An internal activity is done at a time when the machines are
turned off (Singh et al. 2010). An example, in this case, would be changing the grinding wheel.
External activities on the other side are performed when the machines are still operating, for
example, stage tooling when preparing for the next set up.

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The crankshaft grinding team then began to analyze each activity to tell whether it could be
converted into an external action in the setup. Three elements were pointed out to be able to be
converted to external events. The parts were claimed to reduce the lead time by 18 minutes.
Step 3: Streamlining internal events.
It is accomplished by simplifying the movement by use of one-touch tools and single thread
bolts. The action is then minimised by reducing the number of bolts and adding parallel tasks
that can be performed at ago. The movement is then eliminated by preparing operation activities
in advance and replacing the bolts with hydraulic clamps.
The Crankshaft Grinding team made further reductions by streamlining the other remaining
internal activities. After carrying out a thorough evaluation, other additional ideas to improve the
process were identified. The designs went ahead to cut down the lead time by 25 minutes. The
team continued to perform its operation by working on the remaining steps of the process. More
elements in the grinding process were streamlined to reduce the time wasted in the production
cycle by a total of 10 minutes.
Step 4: eliminating adjustments internal to the setup
It is done to remove the additional time. The intuition and guessing are turned into data and
setting to reduce the time needed to carry out the adjustments. The surest way to minimise test
runs and corrections is to convert intuition to data.
The team at Crankshaft Grinding started the process of putting their ideas into use. After
completing the adjustments in the setup reduction, a board to measure the performance was
formed and placed next to the machine to calculate the setup a time for some time. It confirmed