Lean Manufacturing JIT SMED 

Just-In-Time Manufacturing
(inc SMED)

Lean Manufacturing Tools and Techniques

Lean Manufacturing JIT SMED

Just-In-Time or JIT manufacturing is the underlying concept behind reducing WIP and inventory. With JIT materials, components and assemblies are delivered shortly before they are required. As such, inventory is kept to a minimum, as is required storage space. Subsequently cash is not tied up and so JIT assists the cash flow of small manufacturing businesses – one of their biggest potential concerns.

To work successfully JIT requires reliable suppliers. Commonly used in industry, JIT encompasses other lean manufacturing tools such as Kanban, lean layout and SMED or Single Minute Exchange of Dies.

With SMED, production is kept flowing by minimising the time taken for machine or equipment setups.  This is achieved by speeding up changeovers by a range of means including automating changes, making equipment mobile and physically moving items closer together. Importantly, by preparing, planning and practicing, changeovers can take place rapidly, with much of the work completed whilst production continues to flow.

Lean Manufacturing JIT SMED

Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) example: Rapid change over made possible by fixtures designed and manufactured in-house.

SMED and the Eight Principles : Deeper explanation, applicable to more manufacturing environments with more suggestions, by Darrell Rogers

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