What does "preparation time" mean?
Setup time is the period during which a machine or production line is switched from manufacturing one product to another. For example, when manufacturing discrete items, setup time is defined as the time from the last good part of the old batch to the first good part of the new batch.
Setup time is therefore not “waste” in the strict sense, but since it involves at least some machine downtime, longer setup times naturally reduce the productivity and efficiency of your production facilities.
Any process aimed at reducing setup time must always begin with an analysis of the setup operations: What steps are necessary? Which steps are currently being performed, and how much time do they take? In what order are the steps carried out, and can this order be changed? Which steps are truly necessary, and which ones can be optimized?
A thorough analysis must also address the following question: Is it possible to reconfigure the equipment less frequently overall, i.e., to reduce the number of product changes? Less frequent changeovers are, of course, less time-consuming and thus save money. At the same time, the costs saved in this way must be clearly weighed against the desire to keep inventory as low as possible, i.e., to avoid overproduction of goods. And, of course, equipment utilization should remain as high as possible throughout all of this.
When discussing setup time, a distinction is made between external setup (activities that can be performed while the production line is running) and internal setup (which requires the line to be shut down). Naturally, it is in your best interest to keep internal setup—which results in lost productivity—as short as possible.
With modern machines, the comprehensive digitization and automation of setup processes is a critical step. Tool presetting devices, for example, can determine the necessary tool data for a CNC machine tool in advance—that is, measure the tools and apply the correct settings directly.This dramatically reduces internal setup time, and electronic data transfer also prevents errors during transmission.
Since external measurement can take place on the setting and measuring device while the machine itself is still processing another job, additional time is saved: as soon as the machine is ready, the tools can be used immediately. Machine downtime does not need to be unnecessarily extended for laser measurement.
When it comes to setup tasks—whether manual or electronic, external or internal—nothing beats well-trained setup operators. When employees are well-trained in setup workshops and on training machines, fewer errors occur, and difficulties are identified early on, before they lead to productivity losses.
A thorough analysis of setup times and the steps required during those times enables the standardization of processes across multiple machines. This, in turn, can be translated into clearer guidelines and training materials for your employees. This provides employees with additional guidance and confidence—and also makes it easier to adapt to machines with which they are not yet fully familiar.