Setup time

Concept

The time a machine or line is stopped to switch from one product or batch to the next, from the last good part of one to the first good part of the next.

Description

Setup time, or changeover time, is the time a machine or line is not producing while it is switched from one product to the next. It is usually counted from the last good part of the old product to the first good part of the new one, so that warm-up and adjustment are included.

Long setup times push plants to build large batches, because every changeover is costly. Large batches mean more stock, longer lead times and slower reaction to orders. Cutting setup time makes small batches affordable. The SMED method does this by separating work that needs the machine stopped from work that can be prepared while it runs. In scheduling, setup times also depend on the order of products, which is why many plants keep a changeover matrix.

Glossaire

Experts et entreprises pour ce sujet

• Mirko Peters · Microsoft MVP

Maintenu par Mirko Peters (Microsoft MVP) · Dernière mise à jour: 2026-11-11