Use case · Changeover
Reduce changeover time: measure every changeover, tackle the longest ones first
To reduce changeover time, SYMESTIC captures the changeover time automatically at every product change, holds it against your target changeover time and shows in the changeover matrix which change from which product to which takes longest. That turns “changeovers take too long” into a list of specific changes.
Everyone knows changeovers take too long. No one knows which ones.
Changeover times are recorded, if at all, in the shift note. Whether the change from product A to B takes longer than from B to C, whether one shift changes over faster than another and how much capacity that costs remains a guess. That leaves every SMED initiative without a baseline, and nobody sees whether the new changeover sequence works.
How you reduce your changeover times with SYMESTIC
1. Measure automatically.
When the product changes, SYMESTIC records the changeover time itself, from the last cycle of the old product to the first cycle of the new one. If the operator starts the order by barcode scan, the changeover begins directly with the order.
2. Compare against the target value.
You store a target changeover time per product. If the changeover takes longer, SYMESTIC books the overrun as a separate downtime reason, kept apart from normal changeover.
3. Find the costly changeovers.
For every change from one product to another, the changeover matrix shows the average changeover time as a heatmap, green for fast, red for slow. One click on a cell shows every individual changeover with machine, start, end and duration.
What is included
Automatic changeover detection at every product change, can be enabled per plant and disabled per machine
Changeover as its own time in the downtime timeline, analyzable by machine, order and shift
Target changeover time per product, overrun as a separate downtime reason
Changeover matrix per product transition with heatmap and click-through to every individual changeover
Analysis of changeovers by machine, period and product change, with saved views and Excel export
Changeover sequence per workstation: steps that must be completed before production starts
Drawings and instructions for the work step right at the workstation
Order start by barcode scan, optionally straight into changeover
Changeover time feeds directly into availability and OEE
What our customers achieve
How much downtime is hidden in your changeovers?
The changeover time calculator splits your changeover activities into internal and external and shows how much downtime can be avoided with SMED. The downtime cost calculator shows what an hour of downtime costs.
Frequently asked questions
How can changeover times be reduced?
Measure first which product changes take longest, then start there: prepare while the machine is still running, stage tools and material, set the sequence as a standard. With the measured changeover time per change, you can see whether a measure works.
What is a changeover matrix?
A table of all product transitions: the old product in the rows, the new one in the columns, the average changeover time in the cell. In SYMESTIC it is color-coded as a heatmap, and one click shows the individual changeovers. That shows you which changes cost time and which order sequence would be better.
How does SYMESTIC measure changeover time?
Automatically at product change, from the last cycle of the old product to the first cycle of the new one. Alternatively, the operator starts the changeover with the order and then switches to production. Automatic detection can be enabled per plant and disabled per machine.
What is the benefit of a target changeover time?
For each product, you set how long a changeover may take. If it takes longer, SYMESTIC records the overrun as a separate downtime reason. That separates normal changeover from changeover delay and shows where the standard does not hold.
Is SYMESTIC SMED software?
SYMESTIC supplies the measurements SMED needs: changeover time per change, trend, target and actual. Your teams do the split into internal and external activities; the changeover time calculator helps with that. With the changeover sequence at the workstation, the new standard is then maintained.
Do I need new hardware for this?
Usually not. SYMESTIC's Cloud Gateway, free software on your server or computer, reads the data via OPC UA; for digital signals there is SYMESTIC's IoT Box as a one-time purchase option.
Bring your three longest changeovers.
In the live demo, we show how they are measured and compared in SYMESTIC. 30 minutes, free of charge.
Christian Fieg
Head of Sales · SYMESTIC
Over 25 years in the manufacturing industry · Six Sigma Black Belt · global MES rollouts in automotive
“I will also tell you in the conversation if SYMESTIC does not fit your production. That saves us both time.”
What you take away from the call
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