Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951
DOI 10.1007/s00170-017-0424-9
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A novel integrated SMED approach for reducing setup time
Semra Boran 1 & Caner Ekincioğlu 1
Received: 29 December 2016 / Accepted: 11 April 2017 / Published online: 6 May 2017
# Springer-Verlag London 2017
Abstract One of the shortcomings of the conventional
single-minute exchange of die (SMED) method is that the
improvements are made only upon the machine to reduce
setup times. Although most of the setup activities involve
operators, they are not considered adequately in this method.
In workplaces with non-ergonomic setup systems, operators
are exposed to different ergonomic risks, and thus, muscle
fatigue is a problem for them. During the setup activities,
muscle fatigue increases the setup times and risks of work
accidents. In this study, the muscle fatigue assessment
(MFA) method, also known as the Sue Rodgers method, was
integrated into the conventional SMED method in order to
evaluate the ergonomic risks in setup activities. Since the tools
of the conventional SMED method are insufficient to shorten
setup times, the grey-based Taguchi method, which consists of
multiresponses such as setup time and fatigue risk, has been
used for a setup activity. This method allows the determination
of the process factor levels to minimize these responses. A
form has also been developed for the integrated SMED meth-
od, which is called the Setup Observation and Analysis Form.
The developed integrated SMED method based on the Sue
Rodgers muscle fatigue assessment method and grey-based
Taguchi method has been applied to a CNNx machine in a
factory producing aluminum profiles. The overall setup time
has been reduced to 73.5 min from 196 min, which indicates a
total of 122.5 min and 62.5% improvement. With the
* Semra Boran
boran@sakarya.edu.tr
1
Department of Industrial Engineering, Sakarya University,
Adapazarı, Sakarya, Turkey
conventional SMED method, the setup time is reduced to
101 min, whereas with the new approach, the setup time is
reduced further to 21.5 min.
Keywords Single-minute exchange of die (SMED)
methodology . Sue Rodgers muscle fatigue assessment
method . Grey-based Taguchi method . Setup Observation and
Analysis Form . Reducing setup time
1 Introduction
Today, customers demand products with high quality, a rea-
sonable price, and short response time. Manufacturing com-
panies should implement lean and customer-based production
to meet all customer demands. Therefore, companies are
forced to produce smaller lots. However, producing smaller
batch sizes causes more changeovers. Both setup and change-
over have been defined as the process of switching from the
production of one product or part number to another in a
machine by changing parts, dies, molds, or fixtures [1].
Thus, a short setup time is critical for being able to produce
small quantities of a large diversity of products. It is the basis
of lean manufacturing. The reduction in setup times of a ma-
chine or line is a cost-effective contribution to flexible and
lean manufacturing [2]. Productive time of a machine can be
increased by reducing its setup time. It is not possible to es-
cape from setup time, but there are activities which reduce
time such as standardization, implementing parallel opera-
tions, improving die transportation mechanization, and im-
proving die transportation function standardization [3].
Most initiatives for setup reduction time have been associ-
ated with Shingo’s single-minute exchange of die (SMED)
methodology. The SMED methodology makes it possible to
perform equipment setup (changeover) operations in less than
3942
10 min, i.e., the number of minutes expressed by a single digit
[4]. It can be considered as one of the tools of lean manufactur-
ing. It reduces waste and improves flexibility in manufactur-
ing processes, allowing lot size reduction and flow improve-
ments. It reduces nonproductive time by streamlining and
standardizing the operations for exchange tools, using simple
techniques and easy applications. However, the process does
not give specific actions to implement, which can result in
overlooking improvements [5].
There is little awareness about the quantitative techniques
that can be used to calculate requirements of having shorter
setup times [3]. Advanced methods to reduce setup time are
needed [6]. Alternative methods to shorten internal setup
times can be searched in detail. Therefore, the muscle fatigue
assessment method and grey-based Taguchi method were in-
tegrated into the SMED method in this study.
In the conventional SMED method, setup activities are
mostly made by improvements upon machines; however, not
only machines but also operators take part in the setup pro-
cess. An important lack of the SMED methodology is the
consideration and motivation of operators [7]. Ergonomics
and safety issues are also taken into consideration during
setups. Ulutas [8] noted issues related to employer safety
and ergonomic principles during setups. Operators do their
jobs quickly and easily without ergonomic risk; thus, simple
however crucial changes must be done in the workplace. This
issue is discussed in the literature [9, 10].
In workplaces with non-ergonomic systems, operators are
exposed to different ergonomic risks, and thus, muscle fatigue
is a widespread problem among them. In setup activities, muscle
fatigue increases setup times and also increases work accident
risks. Furthermore, duration of treatment because of minor injury
makes setup times longer. Muscle fatigue assessment (MFA) is
one of the risk assessment methods. Muscle fatigue assessment,
also known as the functional job evaluation technique, was de-
veloped by Rodgers [11] to characterize the discomfort described
by operators. With this method, muscle fatigue caused by setup
activities is evaluated to decrease setup time.
In this study, further improvement in total setup time after
application of the SMED and Sue Rodgers MFA methods is
aimed. It is aimed that time of measuring and assessment of the
first product after a changeover activity can be reduced by the
experimental design method. The grey-based Taguchi method,
which is a multiresponse Taguchi method, is used since there are
two responses: setup time and fatigue risk. The reason for using
grey relational analysis is the subjective evaluation of fatigue risk
assessment by experts. This method is used for obtaining the
level of factors (parameters of the process) which minimize time
of the measuring and assessment of the first product.
The Setup Observation and Analysis Form has been newly
developed for the integrated SMED method.
In the literature, the SMED method has been extensively
studied and implemented in various industries such as
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951
automotive [5, 12–14], electronic assembly [15], aluminum
profile extrusion [16], and electrical power control [17].
Trovinger and Bohn [15] showed that modern information
technology can be used in SMED concepts to some complex
situations. Cakmakci and Karasu [7] achieved a new integrat-
ed methodology that contained SMED and methods-time
measurement (MTM). This integration provides both further
detailed analysis by motion study and standardization of the
optimal changeover procedure that is achieved by SMED and
MTM analysis. Cakmakci [12] used the process capability
analysis technique, Cpk index, to investigate the relation be-
tween the SMED method and equipment design. Almomani
et al. [18] studied different issues about SMED. They used
analytical hierarchy process (AHP), preference selection index
(PSI), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal
solution (TOPSIS), which are multiple-criteria decision-making
(MCDM) techniques to select the best setup technique among
the available alternatives. Other factors such as cost, energy,
facility layout, safety, life, quality, and maintenance that affect
the decision-making process were considered. Karasu et al. [6]
applied the Taguchi method to SMED to achieve the parameters
set without adjustment. Stadnicka [19] studied to reduce setup
time and the risk of problems which can appear during the
setup. In this study, tools such as Pareto analysis, statistical
analysis, and FMEA were used together with the SMED meth-
odology. Similarly, the Taguchi method based on grey relational
analysis has been extensively studied and implemented in dif-
ferent processes such as turning [20, 21], drilling [22], laser
cladding [23], and emulsification [24].
In our limited literature research, we could not find an
integrated SMED method based on the grey-based Taguchi
method and the Sue Rodgers muscle fatigue assessment meth-
od together. The difference of the study from the studies in the
literature is that the ergonomic risk assessment is applied in
the setup activities and the multiresponse Taguchi method is
used. Therefore, the integrated SMED method and the newly
developed “Setup Observation and Analysis Form” will be the
first in the literature.
The proposed integrated SMED method has been applied
to an aluminum profile manufacturer. The setup activity time
has been reduced to 73.5 min from 196 min, which results in
122.5 min of improvement. With the conventional SMED
method, the setup time is reduced to 101 min, whereas with
the new method, the setup time is reduced further to 21.5 min.
2 Methods
2.1 SMED methodology
Shingo defined SMED as “a scientific approach to setup time
reduction that can be applied in any factory to any machine.”
The SMED methodology makes it possible to perform
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951 3943

Table 1 Worksheet for muscle fatigue assessment method [27]

Effort level Scores Priority

<75% of all workers can exert effort—4

Region Light—1 Moderate—2 Heavy—3 Effort Duration Frequency

Neck Head turned partly to side, Head turned to side, head fully
back, or slightly forward
Shoulders Arms slightly away from
sides; arms extended
with some support
Back Leaning to side or bending
arching back
Arms/elbows Arms away from body, no
load; light forces lifting
near body
Wrists/hands/fingers Light forces or weights
handled close to body;
straight wrists;
comfortable power grips
Legs/knees Standing, walking without
bending or leaning;
weight on both feet
Ankles/feet/toes Standing, walking without
bending or leaning;
weight on both feet
Continuous effort <6 s
duration 1 2
Effort frequency <1/min
1 2
back, head forward about 20°
Arms away from body, no
support; working overhead
Bending forward; no load; lifting Lifting or exerting
moderately heavy loads near
body; working overhead
Rotating arms while exerting
moderate force
Grips with wide or narrow span; Pinch grips; strong
moderate-risk angles,
especially flexion; use of
gloves with moderate forces
Bending forward, leaning on
table; weight on one side;
pivoting while exerting force
Bending forward, leaning on
table; weight on one side;
pivoting while exerting force
6–20 s
1–5/min
Same as moderate but
with force or weight;
head stretched
forward
Exerting forces or Right
holding weight with Left
arms away from
body or overhead
force while twisting;
high force or load
while bending
High forces exerted Right
with rotation; lifting Left
with arms extended
Right
wrist angles; Left
slippery surfaces
Exerting high force Right
while pulling or Left
lifting; crouching
while exerting force
Exerting high force Right
while pulling or Left
lifting; crouching
while exerting force
20–30 s >30 s
3 4 (enter VH for priority)
>5–15/min >15/min
3 4 (enter VH for priority)

equipment setup (changeover) operations in less than 10 min. of materials, mounting and removing tools, settings and cali-
It provides a rapid way of converting a manufacturing process brations, measurements, trial runs, and adjustments [25].
from processing the current product to processing the next Some methods can be applied in order to reduce activity time.
product. It was originally developed to improve die press
and machine tool setup, but its principles are applied to
changeovers in all types of machines and processes. A setup Table 2 Category scores for three-number rating (effort, duration, and
operation is a preparation or adjustment that is performed once frequency) [27]
before each lot is processed [4]. The SMED methodology also Low (L) Moderate (M) High (H) Very high (VH)
reduces the timeline between the customer order and shipment
by eliminating waste. Thus, it is a lean production method for 111 123 223 323
reducing waste in a manufacturing process. 112 132 313 331
In the SMED methodology, setup activities are divided into 113 213 321 332
internal and external activities. External activities can be car- 211 222 322
ried out during the normal operation of a machine when it is 121 231 4xx
still running. For example, getting the equipment ready for the 212 232 x4x
setup operation can be done before the machine is shut down. 311 312 xx4
Internal activities can be performed only when the machine is 122
shut down. For instance, the dies are attached or removed. The 131
internal and external setup activities contain different opera- 221
tions such as preparation, after-process adjustment, checking
3944
Some options such as using functional clamps, implementing
parallel operations, reducing adjustments to minimum, and
designing effective tools are suggested.
A video recording of different runs of the machine is firstly
analyzed. The activities and their times can be determined
using video recording and routing diagrams. There are steps
which are used to reduce the setup time using the SMED
methodology [4]:
& Separation of the internal and external activities.
& Conversion of internal activities into external activities.
& Streamlining the external and internal activities. Focusing
on streamlining all aspects of the setup operation. Specific
principles are applied to shorten the setup times.
& Standardization. All the activities must be standardized to
reduce setup time in other machines. It is more difficult to
sustain new changeover activity unless standardized.
The SMED methodology optimizes machine utilization;
enables small lot sizes; reduces production times, machine
adjustment times, stocks, product lead times, and setup scrap;
decreases setup labor and manufacturing costs; enhances pro-
ductivity; and utilizes assets [26]. It also improves the safety
and health of operators in the workplace during the setup
activities [13].
2.2 Sue Rodgers muscle fatigue assessment method
The muscle fatigue assessment (MFA) method, known as the
Sue Rodgers method, was developed by Rodgers as a means
to assess the amount of fatigue that accumulates in muscles
during various work patterns within 5 min of work [11]. It is
known as the functional job evaluation technique to define the
discomfort described by workers on manufacturing tasks. This
method evaluates the risk for fatigue accumulation in tasks. If
fatigue can be minimized, then injuries and illnesses of the
active muscles are reduced [27].
Firstly, a job is divided into tasks. The Sue Rodgers method
studies the effort, duration, and frequency required by each
part of the body such as the neck, shoulders, arms/elbows,
wrist, hands/fingers, legs/knees, and ankles/feet/toes to carry
out a certain task. It assesses three risk factors for a task and
for each body region by assigning each factor a rating by
category. The task data sheet provides a format for this pro-
cess. Descriptions of the three risk factors for the different
body regions are presented in Table 1. It is calculated how
much fatigue has accumulated by using multiple combina-
tions of these factors. These fatigue outcomes are used to
define the “priority for change” on the task. This is helpful
when several tasks have been identified as needing improve-
ments and has to decide where to start.
Duration and frequency of effort are evaluated individually
in a scale from 1 to 4 for each part of the body. The frequencies
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951
are <1 per minute (low-1), 1 to 5 per minute (moderate-2), >5
to 15 per minute (high-3), and >15 per minute (very high-4).
Effort durations are <6 s (low-1), 6 to 20 s (moderate-2), 20 to
30 s (high-3), and >30 s (very high-4). Effort levels are chosen
as the percentage of maximum strength in the postures used
and are as follows: low, <40% of maximum; moderate, 40 to
<70% of maximum; and heavy, ≥70% of maximum.
The combinations of scores are ranked in the order of in-
creasing fatigue in Table 2. The least fatiguing combinations
are at the top of the left side of the table, and the highest are at
the bottom of the right side of the table. A score has a three-
number rating (effort, effort duration, and frequency). For ex-
ample, the value 332 in the table shows that 3: effort spent, 3:
the duration, and 2: effort frequency, respectively. As seen in
Table 2, the value 332 is a high risk value.
When activity is improved, the new task is re-rated to be
sure that fatigue has been dropped to a lower level.
2.3 Grey-based Taguchi method
The Taguchi method is an experimental method in order to
determine controlled factors affecting the response (output
factor) and the optimal set of level of factors (process param-
eters). However, the original Taguchi method has been de-
signed to optimize a single response, and there are many re-
sponses needed to be optimized in the process. Optimization
of multiple responses is much more complicated than optimi-
zation of a single response. Improvement in one response may
Determining SMED activities and times
Implementing SMED methodology
Implementing Sue Rodgers Muscle Fatigue
Assessment Method
Is the improvement
achieved enough?
yes
no
Implementing grey based Taguchi method
no
Is the improvement
achieved enough?
yes
Completing the Setup Observation and
Analysis Form
Fig. 1 New integrated SMED approach flow chart
Table 3 Setup Observation and Analysis Form

Before Suggestions After Saved time after new

SMED approach
No. Description Activity Suggestions for time reduction Suggestions for risk Activity (min)
reduction
Time Internal/ Risk Time Internal/ Risk
(min) external (min) external

1 To bring the overhead crane in front of the 8 Internal 2/medium It was decided to bring the overhead None 0 External 2/medium 8
CNC machine crane in front of the CNC machine
before the end of the previous
production.
2 Taking the fixture from the CNC machine 7 Internal 3/high None It was decided to help a 4 Internal 2/medium 3
different person to the main
operator.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951

3 Taking left diffuser from the CNC machine 5 Internal 2/medium None It was decided to, instead of 3 Internal 1/low 2
doing this work, manually
link to the left diffuser with
ropes after taking from the
CNC machine with the
overhead crane.
4 Putting the fixture which is received from 8 Internal 2/medium It was decided to, firstly, place the fixture None 0 External 2/medium 8
the CNC machine, on the shelf of the near the CNC machine and then carry
fixture it to the shelf of the fixture during
second piece processing.
5 New fixture placed near the CNC machine 8 Internal 3/high It was decided to bring the new fixture to None 0 External 3/high 8
after taking the shelf of the fixture the CNC machine before the end of
the previous production.
6 Cleaning the CNC machine 4 Internal 2/medium None It was decided to use both 3 Internal 1/low 1
hands instead of one hand of
the operator in using the air
compressor gun when
cleaning the CNC machine.
7 Putting the fixture on the platform 9 Internal 3/high The fixture is placed on the tray slides for This step has been determined 4 Internal 2/medium 5
easier settlement and housing to the to be the most risky to the
point that it locks when opened. arms and hands. For this,
alternative arm support rails
are placed on the CNC
machine which is mounted
on the support sled. Thus,
the elbows and arms of
employees rest comfortably
on these supports.
8 Determination of the position of the fixture 14 Internal 2/medium Without horizontal and vertical reference None 2 Internal 2/medium 12
on the platform and fixing planes of the fixture, adjusting the
position takes longer. This process
was designed to be a reference to the
part of the plane. This plane has
provided faster and easier settlement
of the fixture.
9 Creating a plane of reference for the datum 11 Internal 2/medium The process of creating a plane of None 0 Internal 2/medium 11
point in the X-axis. reference for the datum point in the
3945

X-axis was placed and measured by

Table 3 (continued)
3946

Before Suggestions After Saved time after new

SMED approach
No. Description Activity Suggestions for time reduction Suggestions for risk Activity (min)
reduction
Time Internal/ Risk Time Internal/ Risk
(min) external (min) external

the operator. The datum point was

determined to be within the same
plane of reference, which is designed
as the 8th activity number in the
X-axis.
10 Adapting initial processing of the pistons 6 Internal 1/low It was decided that pistons take place in None 0 External 1/low 6
on the fixture the liquid used in the production and
located on the CNC machine whether
adding liquid and doing necessary
fixes or not to be ready during
production of the second piece.
11 Controlling of cutting tools on the CNC 17 Internal 2/medium It was decided to keep the tools close to It was decided to use automatic 11 Internal 1/low 6
machine and inserting into the magazine the CNC machine when searching for removal tools/screwdriver
the tools that the operator uses to save instead of manual tools
time before start setup process. during disassembly and
reassembly of the bolt on
the magazine.
12 Taking the datum point in the X-axis and 4 Internal 2/medium It was decided that the plane of the None 2 Internal 2/medium 2
preparing the computer program. reference piece which is designed as
the 8th step is used in this process.
13 Setting the piece on the fixture 6 Internal 2/medium None It was decided to use the 4 Internal 2/medium 2
overhead crane during
transport instead of doing it
manually.
14 Production of the first piece 25 Internal None None None 25 None None 0
15 Moving the first produced piece to the 21 Internal 3/high Very critical activity: It was decided to 15.5 Internal 2/medium 5.5
control panel by the operator and control keep the internal activity to affect the
continuing of the step, although this
step appears to be an external activity
for this activity step improved the
grey-based Taguchi method, which
reduced both the execution time of the
work and the risk level of the work.
16 Taking the first produced piece to 3D 6 Internal 2/medium It was decided to take the first produced None 0 External 2/medium 6
inspection piece away from 3D inspection by the
operator when processing the second
piece in the CNC machine.
17 3D inspection 25 Internal None It was decided to, instead of waiting in None 0 External None 25
vain in the 3D inspector area, make
the preparations (bringing the
overhead crane, preparation tool, etc.)
required for the next production.
18 Getting back the piece to the workshop 6 Internal 2/medium It was decided to take the controlled None 0 External 2/medium 6
piece away from 3D inspection by the
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951

operator and bring it back to the

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951 3947

Saved time after new

lead to a degradation of another response. When the results

SMED approach
have a conflict between factors, it is necessary to rely on the
subjective experiences of engineers to attain a compromise
(min) [28]. As a result, there will be increase in uncertainty during

Total saved time after 122.5

the decision-making process. Grey relational analysis is used

6
to investigate multiple responses in process operations. Grey

improvement (min)
relational analysis based on grey system theory can be used

1/low
for solving the complicated interrelationships among multiple
Risk

responses [29]. It transforms multiple responses into one grey

relational grade and then optimizes the process parameters by
Internal/
external

Internal

analyzing the grey relational grade.

The grey-based Taguchi method is summarized as follows
Activity

[22, 23]. Responses, factors, and their levels can be chosen

73.5
(min)
After

Time

based on earlier experts’ opinions and research work. An or-

thogonal array is a major tool used in the Taguchi design. It is
a subset of selected combinations of multiple factors at multi-
ple levels. A suitable array is selected according to the number
Suggestions for risk

of factors and their levels. A loss function is used to measure

Setup time after the new integrated SMED approach (min)

responses deviating from the desired value. The value of the

loss function is transformed into a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio.
reduction

There are three categories of responses in the analysis of the

None

S/N ratio: the smaller-the-better, larger-the-better, and nomi-

nal-the-best, and their equations are as follows, respectively
second piece in the CNC machine.

(Eqs. 1–3).
It was decided to propose the process

.  . 
workshop when processing the

step (17th step) during the 3D

Suggestions for time reduction

S N ¼ −10log ∑y2i n ð1Þ

examination of this piece.

.   . . 
S N ¼ −10log ∑ 1 y2i n ð2Þ
.  
S N ¼ −10log s2 ð3Þ
Suggestions

where yi is ith value of y and s2 is the sample variance.

Experimental data according to the type of response is nor-
malized (in the range between 0 and 1). S/N ratios of re-
1/low

sponses are used in calculation. If the target value of the re-

Time Internal/ Risk

sponse is infinite, it has a “the-larger-the-better” characteristic

(min) external

196

and can be normalized as follows (Eq. 4):

Internal

0 X i ð jÞ−minni¼1 X i ð jÞ
Activity

X i ð jÞ ¼ ð4Þ
maxni¼1 X i ð jÞ−minni¼1 X ið jÞ
6
the second piece that will be processed
Retouching in the computer software for

Table 4 Risk values for activity 15

Regions Effort Effort Effort Risk Risk

level duration frequency grade
Setup time before SMED (min)

Neck 2 2 2 222 2
Shoulders 1 2 1 121 1
Table 3 (continued)

Back 3 2 1 321 3
No. Description

Arms/elbows 3 2 2 322 2
Wrists/hands/fingers 2 1 3 213 2
Legs/knees 2 2 1 221 1
Before

Ankles/feet/toes 2 2 1 221 1
19
3948 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951

Table 5 Factors and their levels ζ is the distinguishing coefficient and issued to adjust the
Factors Symbols Levels difference of the relational coefficient. It takes a value between
0 and 1.
1 2 The grey relational grade is calculated as Eq. 9, and it
shows the relationship among the series
Operator A O1 O2
Winch speed (m/min) B 8 14 1 m
Screwdriver speed (rev/min) C 90 2200 Γ0i ¼ ∑ γ ð jÞ ð9Þ
n j¼1 oi
Caliper tool D Vernier Digital
where n is the number of responses. Since higher multiple
responses are desirable, the larger-the-better S/N quality
If a defined target value Xd exists, the response can be characteristic is adopted for the grey relational grade. A
normalized as follows (Eq. 5): higher grey relational grade corresponds to a closer exper-
jX i ð jÞ−X d ð jÞj
imental value to the ideal normalized value. Thus, this
ð5Þ
0
X i ð jÞ ¼ 1−  
max maxni¼1 X i ð jÞ−X d ð jÞ; X d ð jÞ−minni¼1 X i ð jÞ grade shows that the corresponding factor combination is
closer to the optimal. The highest grey relational grade is
If the response is aimed to minimize, its characteristic is assigned an order of 1.
the-smaller-the-better and it can be normalized as follows The obtained grey relational grades are analyzed by using
(Eq. 6): analysis of variance (ANOVA) to identify the importance fac-
tors. The levels of these factors are determined. Confirmation
0 maxni¼1 X i ð jÞ−X i ð jÞ
X i ð jÞ ¼ ð6Þ experiments are repeated several times. The mean of grey
maxni¼1 X ið jÞ −minni¼1 X i ð jÞ relational grades is calculated based on the results of the
0 experiments.
where X i is the value after grey relational generation (normal-
The predicted mean grey relational grade (μÞ using the
ized value) and max Xi(j) and min Xi(j) are the largest and optimal level of factors can be calculated according to Eq. 10.
smallest values of the Xi ith response, respectively. A larger
h  i
normalized result means better performance, and it should be ^ ¼ T þ ∑pi¼1 T i; j
μ −T ð10Þ
equal to 1. max

The grey relational coefficient is calculated to denote the

relationship between the ideal and the actual experimental where T is the total mean of the grey relational grade,
results. The grey relational coefficient γ0i(j) can be calculated  
T i; j max is the mean grey relational grade at the optimal
as (Eq. 7) level, and p is the number of factors that significantly affect
minni¼1 minmj¼1 Δ0i ð jÞ þ ζmaxni¼1 maxmj¼1 Δ0i ð jÞ the responses.
γ 0i ð jÞ ¼ ð7Þ The confidence interval (CI) value of the grey relational
Δ0i ð jÞ þ ζmaxni¼1 maxmj¼1 Δ0i ð jÞ
grade for the optimum factor level combination is determined.
where Δ0i(j) is the deviation sequence of the reference se- CI is given by Eq. 11.
0 0
quence X 0 and the comparability sequence X i ð jÞ (Eq. 8). sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
F ðα; 1; v2 Þx MSE
 0  CI ¼  ð11Þ
Δ0 j ð jÞ ¼ X 0 ð jÞ− X i ð jÞ
0
ð8Þ Ne

Table 6 Results of experiments

based on L8 Experiment Operator Winch Screwdriver Caliper Average Risk S/N S/N
no. speed speed tool time grade time risk

1 O1 8 90 Vernier 21.00 4 −26.44 −12.04

2 O1 8 2200 Digital 19.50 2 −25.80 −6.02
3 O1 9 90 Digital 19.75 3 −25.91 −9.54
4 O1 9 2200 Vernier 18.00 2 −25.11 −6.02
5 O2 8 90 Digital 17.25 4 −24.74 −12.04
6 O2 8 2200 Vernier 16.00 2 −24.08 −6.02
7 O2 9 90 Vernier 16.25 3 −24.22 −9.54
8 O2 9 2200 Digital 15.50 2 −23.81 −6.02
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951 3949

Table 7 Determining risk grade for eighth experiment setup improvement values are placed below the “After”
Regions Effort Effort Effort Risk Risk section.
level duration frequency grade

Neck 2 2 2 222 2
Shoulders 1 2 1 121 1 4 Implementing integrated SMED method
Back 2 3 2 232 2
Arms/elbows 2 2 1 221 1 It was decided to apply the new integrated SMED method to
Wrists/hands/fingers 2 2 2 222 2 reduce the setup time of a CNCx machine in a XYZ company
Legs/knees 1 2 1 121 1 in Turkey. The company produces aluminum profiles. The
Ankles/feet/toes 1 2 1 121 1 setup activities of all the CNC machines were observed before
SMED was implemented, and the time taken for setup of each
machine was noted. A CNCx machine that takes longer setup
times compared to other machines’ setup times was chosen.
Confirmatory runs based on optimal factor settings are The details of the setup process of products on the CNCx were
carried out, and the average is computed. If the value of recorded on a video camera. It was determined that part no.
the average obtained from the experiment is between the 2222 has the longest total setup time. Its total setup time was
estimated μ^ CI value, then it accepts a set of factors and broken down into 19 setup activities. Activities’ numbers,
their levels. times, and descriptions were recorded on the new integrated
Setup Observation and Analysis Form, respectively (Table 3).
In the current practice, all of the activities of SMED were
3 Proposed integrated SMED method determined as internal activities and written as internal in the
internal/external column on the form in Table 3.
The steps of the proposed new integrated SMED method is Ergonomic risk assessment was made for 19 activities by
depicted in Fig. 1. The model starts with defining setup activ- applying the Sue Rodgers muscle fatigue assessment method.
ities and times. The steps of the SMED methodology are ap- For defining risks for setup activities, the table developed by
plied. Ergonomic risk values are determined with the Sue Sue Rodgers is used. For example, the risk assessment table
Rodgers muscle fatigue assessment method for every setup for activity 15 “control of first produced part by an operator” is
activity. Improvements are made for reduction and/or elimi- shown in Table 4. Seven parts of the human body are assessed
nation of time and ergonomic risks. The grey-based Taguchi for activity-related risks. The risk factors values were deter-
method is used for further time reduction. mined on the basis of Tables 1 and 2. In Table 2, verbal risk
Information about all these steps is filled in the newly de- values were quantified between 1 and 5 for this study. The
veloped Setup Observation and Analysis Form (Table 3). The values 1, 2, 3, and 4 indicate low, medium, high, and very high
form consists of three steps. Firstly, SMED steps and risk values, respectively. The value 5 (super high value) is used for
values of every activity are recorded below the “Before” sec- 4xx, x4x, and xx4. The back of the body has the highest
tion. Secondly, suggestions for time reduction and suggestions ergonomic risk value (value 3) and thus determines the risk
for risk reduction/elimination are recorded below the value of this activity. Risk assessment was repeated for the
“Suggestions” section. Finally, new time and risk values and other 18 activities.

Table 8 Grey relational grade

Experiment no. Normalization Grey relational coefficient Grey relational grade Rank

Average time Risk level Average time Risk level

1 0.000 0.000 0.333 0.333 0.333 8

2 0.192 0.500 0.382 0.500 0.441 6
3 0.152 0.500 0.371 0.500 0.436 7
4 0.354 1.000 0.436 1.000 0.718 2
5 0.707 0.208 0.630 0.387 0.509 5
6 0.899 0.500 0.832 0.500 0.666 3
7 0.850 0.500 0.769 0.500 0.635 4
8 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 1
3950 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951

Table 9 ANOVA results of grey

relational grade Factor Degree of Sum of squares Mean of square F P
freedom

Operator (A) 1 0.099458 0.099458 13.51 0.035

Winch speed (B) 1 0.086112 0.086112 11.70 0.042
Screwdriver speed (C) 1 0.106260 0.106260 14.44 0.032
Caliper tool (D) 1 0.000072 0.000072 0.01 0.927
Error 3 0.02281 0.007360
Total 7 1.313984

S = 0.0857924, R2 = 92.97%, R2 (adj) = 83.59%

The grey-based Taguchi method was applied to activity 15,
which was unimprovable by the SMED and Sue Rodgers
methods. The activity was an internal activity. In this activity,
the part is removed from the CNCx machine and is moved to
the control by the operator. It was aimed to simultaneously
optimize two responses, time and risk. Both signal-to-noise
ratios were determined as the-smaller-the better. The chosen
factors (operators, winch speed, screwdriver speed, and cali-
per tool) which had been accepted were effective time and
risk, and their levels are summarized in Table 5. Each factor
had two levels. In addition, interactions among factors were
not taken into consideration. Hereby, an orthogonal array was
chosen (Table 6). All the eight experiments were randomly
repeated twice. Risk values for every experiment were deter-
mined with the Sue Rodgers method (Table 6). For example,
the risk value “2” for the eighth experiment in Table 6 was
determined by risk assessment in Table 7. Risk assessment
was performed for each of the experiments.
In grey relational analysis method application, S/N
ratio values were normalized with Eq. 6 because “the-
smaller-the-better” was required. Every experiment’s
grey relational grades were determined using Eqs. 7–9
(Table 8). In this study, ζ was taken as 0.5. As shown in
Table 8, the highest grade (optimum) was obtained from
experiment 8.
To determine effective factors, ANOVA was conducted on
the grey relational grade. The results of ANOVA using
Minitab 15 can be seen in Table 9. According to the signifi-
cance level of 0.05, the first three factors were effective while
the fourth factor was not effective. Thus, the set was A2B2C2.
The predicted mean value of the grey relational degree
from Eq. 10 was achieved to be 0.9215. CI was calculated
as ±0.193 from Eq. 11. A confirmation experiment was per-
formed four times, and the mean value of the calculated grey
relational degree was 0.9901, which was placed between
0.7285 and 1.1145, and then the optimum set (A2B2C2) justi-
fied the adequacy of the model. With this set, time was
15.5 min. In the initial state, activity time was 21 min. Thus,
an improvement of 5.5 min was achieved. Values before and
after application of the grey-based Taguchi method is shown
in Table 10.
5 Results and discussion
The proposed integrated SMED method was applied to part
no. 2222 of a CNCx machine in an aluminum profile manu-
facturer. The result is that the overall setup time was reduced
to 73.5 min from 196 min, which indicates a total of 122.5 min
and 62.5% improvement. If the conventional SMED method
was applied, the setup time would be reduced to 101 min.
With the new approach, the setup time was reduced further
to 21.5 min. Reductions of 16 and 5.5 min were achieved by
the Sue Rodgers method and grey-based Taguchi method,
respectively.
6 Conclusion
This study has three important contributions. The first contri-
bution is to demonstrate that integrating the ergonomic risk
assessment analysis method into the SMED method results in
further reduction in setup times. The Sue Rodgers muscle
fatigue assessment method is used for determining the risk
of muscle fatigue that occurs when the operator performs set-
up activities. Ergonomic setup activities reduce fatigue and
then lead to decrease in setup times. The second contribution
of this study is to show that the multiresponse experimental

Table 10 Comparison of grey

relational grade at optimum level Factor settings Factor levels Grey relational grade Improvement in grey relational grade

Initial A1B1C1 0.333 0.667

Best of experimental runs A2B2C2 1.000
Optimum A2B2C2 1.000
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2017) 92:3941–3951
design method can be integrated into the SMED method. The
grey-based Taguchi method is applied to an activity that can-
not be reduced by the SMED method. This multiresponse
method allows the factor levels of the setup activity to be
determined in such a way that they minimize two responses:
ergonomic risk and time. With this method, the levels of fac-
tors are obtained much faster than with the trial and error
method. The third contribution of the study is that a new
Setup Observation and Analysis Form has been developed
to evaluate setup activities according to time and ergonomic
risk in SMED applications.
This integrated SMED method can be implemented to all
SMED applications to decrease ergonomic risk and activity
time, and it leads to reduce setup time. Not only time reduction
but also ergonomic risks are improved with this method. Also,
unrecorded minor injuries are expected to decrease.
In case this integrated SMED approach will be applied to
all parts produced by machines, there will be overall
improvement.
The use of fuzzy logic in risk assessment is recommended for
future work because the evaluation of the experts is subjective.
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