Post-Changeover Inefficiency
Changeover completed but cycle-time remained elevated for 10-15 minutes post-changeover. Cycles took 10-20 seconds longer than normal until line stabilized. Root cause of slow ramp-up was unclear.
What Became Visible
Detailed post-changeover cycle-time tracking revealed: changeover procedures left equipment settings not fully optimized for next product. First 10-15 minutes post-changeover required equipment tuning, pressure stabilization, and product-specific parameter adjustment.
Changeover Completeness Improvement
Changeover procedures expanded to include post-changeover verification and parameter confirmation. Equipment optimization completed before changeover closure, not afterward.
How it worked: Enhanced changeover procedure ensured equipment was fully optimized before resuming production. This eliminated the slow ramp-up period.
Results
vs 15-20 cycles previous
reduction in ramp-down loss
from changeover improvement
Changeover completeness affects not just changeover duration but post-changeover performance. Complete changeover eliminates slow ramp-up.
Operational Reality
Slow post-changeover cycles were attributed to 'normal stabilization.' Improved procedures accelerated stabilization and improved throughput.