From the I.A.D.D.

, and DieInfo

Tech Notes
DIE.07.07 For Diemaking and Diecutting
April, 2007

“The ABC’s of Implementing

Fast Press Changeover using the
SMED Discipline.”
This training guide is a pictorial, step-by-step training program, which
is designed to form a plan-of-action to achieve and to sustain Fast Press
Changeover, and Optimal Productive Output in Platen Diecutting.

The program consists of a series of key disciplines and important recom-

mendations, which can be implemented in the recommended sequence, they can
be developed as one-off projects, and they can be customized and mixed and
matched to meet your specific needs. In practice, rather than over-burden the
work team by attempting too much to quickly, it is far more effective to break
the improvement program down into small projects, which can be started, man-
aged, and integrated into daily activity with minimal disruption. Start slow,
start small, but keep going. Every step you take in the right direction will make
the operation more efficient, more effective, and more productive.

This is not just about productive improvement in diecutting but it is about re-
ducing complexity, making the process simpler to execute and easier to learn,
and in substantially reducing the stress and the frustration of sustaining high
speed converting.

In an international marketplace it is vital to create a World Class, low op-

erating cost process, which achieves profitability through speed to market and
consistent fast turnaround performance. This is the foundation plan for this
objective.

The best source for the knowledge, for the experience, for the resources,
and for the technical discussion of subjects like this is the International
Association of Diemaking and Diecutting.

Call 1-800-828-4233

www.dieinfo.com
www.iadd.org
 “The ABC’s of Implementing Fast Press
Changeover using the SMED Discipline.”
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction.......................................................................... Page 01-01
Section 2: Single Minute Exchange of Die: Overview.......................... Page 01-02
Section 3: What is High Speed Diecutting?.......................................... Page 02-03
Section 4: What are the Essential Disciplines of SMED?..................... Page 03-45
4.01 Teamwork........................................................................ Page 04-06
4.02 Standardization, Benchmarking & Simplification.......... Page 06-08
4.03 The Procedural Training System..................................... Page 08-13
4.04 Key Result Analysis System............................................. Page 13-18
4.05 Information Management System................................... Page 19-21
4.06 Inventory Management System....................................... Page 21-25
4.07 Just-In-Time Organization.............................................. Page 25-29
4.08 Time Management Ssytem............................................... Page 29-32
4.09 Parallel Processing......................................................... Page 32-38
4.10 One Touch Tooling.......................................................... Page 38-40
4.11 Mistake Proofing............................................................. Page 40-41
4.12 System Maintenance....................................................... Page 41-44
4.13 Work Planning & Closing-the-Loop............................... Page 44-45
Section 5: Single Minute Exchange of Die: Project Management........ Page 46-48
5.01 Key Manufacturing Principles........................................ Page 46-47
5.02 SMED: Project Management.......................................... Page 47-47
5.03 Integrated Services.......................................................... Page 47-48
5.04 Coach-Facilitator............................................................ Page 48-48
Section 6: Implementing Single Minute Exchange of Die...................... Page 48-49
Section 7: Staying the Course!............................................................... Page 49-50
Section 7: Single Minute Exchange of Die: Summary........................... Page 50-51

“The ABC’s of Implementing Fast Press Changeover using the SMEMD Discipline.” is an “ABC - How-To Series”,
is published by Dieinfo, Inc. ©Copyright, Dieinfo, Inc., 2007, All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
printed or otherwise reproduced without express written permission from Dieinfo.

NOTICE: The editors and publisher has endeavored to make sure this publication provides the most effective, up-to-date
information. All instructions, diagrams, and procedures have been checked for accuracy, and ease of application; how-
ever, success and safety in the implementation of these techniques depend upon individual precision, skill and caution. For
this reason we cannot guarantee the results of any procedure, nor assume responsibility for any damage to property or
injury to persons occasioned from the execution of any procedure or technique. Persons do so entirely at their own risk.
 The
ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting
Article
Title “The ABC’s of Implementing Fast Press Changeover using the SMED Discipline.”
Introduction and the most important of tasks.
“It is better to light a candle than curse the
darkness.” Chinese Proverb With a good team foundation in place, knowledge,
skill, and experience are secondary to a positive
It is obvious there is intense competition attitude. In this project, it is essential to put team-
in the Converting Industry. This is driven work and team building first. To build success,
by over capacity, by competitive innova- it is essential to devote time and resources to
tion, by speed of response, by the quality and ensure collaboration, cooperation and communi-
the consistency of output, by economic fluctuation, cation between every member of the team.
and by the cost of manufacturing. Companies are
striving to create a world class manufacturing organi- Once the team is in place the logical question is, what
zation, which is equally adept at competing regionally, is the most effective approach to organizing consis-
nationally, and internationally. The over riding mission tent fast press changeover from job to job to job? The
statement of an effective manufacturing organization answer is to adopt the most successful changeover
is Safety, Speed, Quality, and Cost, with the accent improvement system ever practiced, Single Minute
on Speed! Exchange of Die, or SMED.

To achieve and sustain exceptional productive perfor- This training article outlines the key principles of
mance demands an effective, an innovative, and well- SMED and the vital disciplines, which are essential to
organized operation, driven by a motivated make the program successful.
team of technically gifted individuals
who are accurately aligned with Single Minute Exchange of Die: Overview
company goals and aspirations. To “As a rule initiative in an organization should be
create an effective and an efficient pushed down to the lowest level where decision can
process improvement program for Fast be made, through instilling a desire to excel at every
Press Changeover, it is vital to gather all the resources level.” George S. Odiorne Greatest
GreatestChallenges Facing
we have available, and to rapidly develop a consensus
Challenges Facing
Converting
Converting Diecutters
Diecutters
plan of action.
Quick turnaround to
Single Minute Exchange 51% meet press
Quick turnaround to
schedules
meet press schedules

of Die (SMED) is one of 49% Quick changeovers

The commercial-strategic requirement is simple and
Quick changeovers of
of
diedie tooling.
the most successful lean
tooling.

direct. Our mission is to reorganize the current sys- 31% Storage

Storage ofof a greater

production methods for re-

a greater
numbers
numbers ofof tools.
tools.

tem of manufacturing to transform diecutting press

Accomodating a
ducing waste in a manufac- 29% wide range of
Accomodating a wide

changeover into a fast, a consistent and an effective

substrates.
range of substrates.

turing process. It provides 23% Lack ofqualified

qualified
discipline. We already have a system of manufacturing
Lack of press
press operators.
a rapid and efficient way of
operators.

in place. However, it is not achieving the potential it is

Survey
Surveyconducted
conducted byby
changing over a manufac- PackagePackage Printing
Printing &&the the IADD
capable of.
IADD

turing process from running the current production run,

to running the next production run. It is also often
In any project, the primary goal is to create referred to as Quick Changeover. It is a concept
and develop an effective team. With a genu- that says all changeovers can and should take less
ine team effort, everything is possible. The than 10 minutes ... hence the phrase Single Minute.
stronger the commitment to teamwork, the Closely associated is an advanced concept of “One-
faster the work teams will learn, the more Touch Exchange of Die”, which says changeovers
rapidly they will develop, and the more likely can and should take less than 100 seconds for each
they are to succeed. It is however, important tool set.
to remember in any activity, building a unified
and a focused team is both the most difficult There are a number of other key organization con-
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Article Reference Number: DIE.07.07 Publisher-Editor: Kevin B Carey [email protected] 01
 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprung up.” Oliver Wendell Holmes
cepts integrated into this disci- sity in order to achieve Just-In-Time
pline, including “One-Touch Pro- There are Seven basic steps in the SMED system:
production, a cornerstone of effective
cessing,” which means the tool is 1. Observe current Methods manufacturing. This system was de-
2. Separate Internal & External activity.
only touched during changeover 3. Convert Internal activity to External activity. veloped to cut set-up times, enabling
in installation and in deinstalla- 4. Streamline the remaining Internal activities, smaller batch sizes to be produced.
by simplifying them.
tion. (And why do we see it as 5. Streamline the External activities, by The set-up procedures were simplified
simplifying them.
necessary or even acceptable to 6. Document & teach the new procedure. by using common or similar set-up
work on tools on press?) 7. Do it all again! elements whenever possible.

The second important principle This approach was in complete

is “Mistake Proofing.” This reflects an effort made contrast with traditional manufacturing procedures,
in advance of a process to make it impossible, or very as Shingo pointed out: “It is generally and errone-
difficult, to do something in a wrong manner, or to ously believed, that the most effective policies for
use a tool in an incorrect manner. One of the best- dealing with set-ups address the problem in terms of
known examples of Mistake Proofing, is the inability skill. Although many companies have set up policies
to remove a car key from the ignition switch of an designed to raise the skill level of the workers, few
automobile, if the transmission is not first put in the have implemented strategies that lower the skill level
“Park,” so that the driver is unable to leave the car required by the set-up itself.”
in an unsafe parking condition,
where the wheels are not locked Single Minute Exchange of Die, Mistake Proofing,
against movement. and One Touch Processing, are practices, which have
generated great success in every different type of
Many of these concepts and fast manufacturing process, including diecutting.
changeover practices were de-
veloped and fine tuned by the late Dr. Shigeo Shingo, What is High Speed, Sheet Fed Diecutting?
who was a very successful industrial engineer in the “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it
Japanese manufacturing revolution after the second
with a club.” Jack London
world war, where he played a key role in revolution-
izing the way we all manufacture goods.
The challenge of fast press changeover, begins by
developing a clear understanding of the critical op-
Shingo was born in Japan in 1909, and graduated in
erating principles of high speed sheet fed diecutting,
Mechanical Engineering in 1930. In 1955 he took
and to gain an appreciation of how the performance
charge of industrial engineering and factory improve-
of diecutting impacts the performance of the entire
ment training at Toyota for both its employees and
converting operation. There are several concepts we
parts suppliers. During the period 1956-58 at Mit-
can define, which should impact our approach to the
subishi, Shingo was responsible for reducing the time
process.
for hull assembly of a super-tanker from 4 months
to 2 months. This established a new world record in
First, the diecutting operation is an integral and
shipbuilding, and the system spread to every shipyard
interconnected part of an unbroken production line
in Japan.
stretching from raw material receiving
to the customer cartoning process.
In terms of quality, Shingo’s paramount contribution
It is useful to think of this as a
was his development in the 1960s of poka-yoke (mis-
series of connected gears,
take proofing) and source inspec-
in which the entire
tion systems. In 1970 he origi- y improvem
ent
“Make-Readrate defect free mechanism is
nated the SMED System sh ou ld ge ne
the fir st
products from
impression. speed up
reliant on
(Single Minute Exchange of se nse to
It makes no unless diecut the timing,
Die), which is part of the Just changeover is enhanced.”
product qual
ity the speed and
in Time system. The SMED
the integration,
system was born out of neces-
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“A person who can create ideas worthy of note is a person who has learned much from others.” Konosuke Matsushita
with every other gear. unpredictable
performance
Second, it is impor- of diecutting
tant to recognize that maker-ready
although the diecutting and production
machine is an in-line series of sequential, individual output is a con-
and distinct processes, their synchronization, and the stant bottleneck
transportation of materials from one stage to the next severely under- Changeover Performance?
is the Achilles Heel of production speed and yield. mining the efficient work flow of the operation.
Work-in-process, in the form of a sheet of paperboard,
and then a loose collection of diecut parts, flows It is not just the problems with the flow or the through-
through an interconnected series of activities from one put of work but it is the unpredictability and uncertain-
press unit to the next. (First, Transported in, Second, ty of the outcome that throws production control off
Registered, Third, Processed, Fourth, Transported out, course. The primary bottleneck is Press Make-Ready,
and Fifth, registered in the next male and female tool therefore, the first goal is to establish consistent and
unit.) How is this key discipline reliable performance benchmarks for job set-up and
integrated into the speci- changeover. To develop a consistent approach requires
fication, the design, developing the most effective methods and practices.
and the fabrication
of tools, and their Manufacturing is about research, as we continuously
preparation for on- search for better ways to do things. The need to estab-
press make-ready lish a current benchmark demands that we first focus
and production? on changeover, and develop a series of procedures,
3- AXIS which minimize make-ready time, which maximize
TOOL Third, the diecutter output and yield, and which deliver excep-
ADJUSTMENT is merely a tool tional converting quality and repeatability.
holder, in which the tools are controlled and integrated
by the press in three axis. Diecutting-converting is the Press changeover is the engine room of the
result of a sheet or a web of material being trapped diecutting process, and to maximize power
and compressed between a male and a female tool, and and performance we have to standardize, to bench-
the quality and the speed of output is a function of the mark, to simplify, to upgrade procedures, and then
specification, the design and the fabrication of effec- repeat, and repeat, and repeat this process! Single
tive tools. Allowing tools to be touched on-press, other Minute Exchange of Die provides the framework, the
than to insert and position the tools, is a fundamental tools, and the techniques to make this a practical real-
breakdown of effective manufacturing, which under- ity.
mines every subsequent diecutting activity. Why are
we finishing tools on-press? What are the Essential Disciplines of SMED?
“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing,
Fourth, the interconnected production line processes,
while others judge us by what we have done.” Henry
which make up a manufacturing operation are often
Wadsworth Longfellow
referred to as a flow FIN
IS
process. In HI
NG Single Minute Exchange of Die is a straightforward
this flow of DI
EC analytical and restructuring disci-
materials, UT
TI pline, which when followed carefully
from material NG
and consistently, provides a logical
handling to packing PR
IN
TI step-by-step plan of action to im-
and freight, any interrup- NG
prove set-up efficiency. However, im-
tion of the flow, like a dam on
plementation success is predicated on
a river, causes a severe back-up, and
a well organized, a well disciplined,
flooding! The variation, slow down, and
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
and a team driven operation. one for all.” Alexan-
To ensure fast press changeover improve- dre Dumas
ment and to sustain productive success it As with the preemi-
is vital to integrate the SMED proce- nent safety discipline,
dure with the following fundamental it is easy to under-
manufacturing principles and practices. estimate the teambuilding process, where the percep-
tion is, it is either a simple way of working together
Æ Teamwork which builds mutual success or it is a complex activ-
Æ Standardization, Benchmarking & Simplification ity, which undermines independence and freedom.
Æ The Procedural Training System In reality we are all members of teams, whether we
Æ Key Result Analysis Measurement recognize it or not. As Lyndon Baines Johnson stated:
“There are no problems we cannot solve together,
Æ Information Management
and very few we can solve by ourselves.”
Æ Inventory Management
Æ Just-In-Time Organization Every organization, every company, every department,
Æ Time Management and every discipline in the converting manufactur-
Æ Parallel Processing ing operation are de facto teams, whether effective
Æ One Touch Tooling and focused, or dysfunctional and disorganized. We
Æ Mistake Proofing are pulled inexorably
Æ System Maintenance together, no matter how
Æ Work Planning & Closing the Loop well or how poorly

If you conducted a commercial, a technical and a

Team Building we interact. When a
customer considers your
changeover analysis of the top companies in your organization they would be horrified if they discovered
state, in your region, in your country, or internationally, this important supplier was not the seamless interac-
where would you stand? Fast press changeover is the tion of cooperating professionals you pretend to be!
benchmark for World Class Converting Manufacturing, An even more disturbing fact for isolationists, is your
and to survive and to prosper in a global economy, the company and any type of business group consisting
following disciplines are critical of people, is primarily a social organization, where
to performance success. personal relationships are the glue which builds our
economic security.
Æ Teamwork
In practice, team work and team organization are nei-
Common Sense states that... To seek ther easy nor simple, and it is important to recognize
performance parity; to generate procedural unifor- and accept the challenge of TEAM BUILDING ISSUES
mity; to combine all of the talents of all of the people building, sustaining, & lead- 01: The Team Char t e r
(Why are we forming this team?)
all of the time; to use every production cycle to ex- ing teams to success. How- 02: The Team Values

tract and to continuously upgrade and share the best ever, the current situation, (How will we work together?)
03: The Team Mission
ideas, the most effective solutions, and the most recent in which every person does (What are we trying to achieve?)

process innovation; to ensure a unity of purpose and it differently, executes their 04: Team Measurement
(How do we measure success?)

alignment; and to build a team committed to a shared own plan of action, and uses 05: Team Management
(How do we get things done?)
vision ... teams, teamwork and teambuilding are the inconsistently applied meth- 06: Team Procedures
(How do we plan, execute, control
foundation disciplines for success. “All for one and ods and practices, is clearly & evaluate?)
the cause of our inability to 07: T(How eam Decision Making
do select the most effective
manage changeover. To build 08: Team Resources
option(s)?)

a world class, efficient fast (How do we get the tools to do the

job?)
press changeover organiza- 09: Team Benefits
tion, we have to work well (How will completion improve our
status?)
and we have to work together. 10: T(Whateam Future
happens when the project
But we have to be realistic. is complete?)

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“A decision is an action your must take when you have information so incomplete that the answer does not suggest itself.” Arthur Radford
People are not the same. They team building and team work ap-
hold different and strongly held pear challenging and complex, if the
ideas and attitudes; perceptions changeover is managed in a measured
and prejudices; comfort levels step-by-step fashion, the benefits of
and conflict zones; and likes and adopting this system of working are
dislikes; all of which impact the way they behave, extraordinary.
the way they react to change, and the way they com-
municate. However, even though in the short term, The first step in taking action in this project is to
teamwork can be chaotic, we have little choice in this invest in a team trainer and a team specialist, who can
aggressive market but to work together for our sur- facilitate and lead the team building project. It is more
vival. effective if the person is not from your organization,
and while some industry knowledge is a benefit, this
The good news is, people want to succeed, but fear, person should not play any technical role in the proj-
habit, or peer pressure limit their potential. It is a rare ect, but merely advise and coordinate team building
individual who leaves the operation at the and team activity.
end of the day feeling good about his effort,
when the day was a productive disaster. To Many of the steps and team building project actions
repeat, people want to succeed! However, it have been specified, however to reiterate the important
is vital to integrate experienced team facili- sequence of activity, the recommended actions are:
tators and coaches at the beginning of the
project to overcome the lack of teamwork Ë The project and the initiative should be presented
experience and the inevitable start-up issues. to the entire workforce by the manager of the
It is useful to consider this Daniel Webster department, with the full support of the entire
quote; “Man is a special being, and if left to company management team.
himself, in an isolated condition, would be Ë The organization should contract with an
one of the weakest creatures; but associ- experienced team trainer and facilitator.
ated with his kind, he works wonders.”
Ë A Planning Team should be selected including the
facilitator, the department manager, one or two
The benefits of changing to a team drive system of
workers from the department, and one
manufacturing include:
representative from the internal supply department,
one representative from the internal customer
Ë The ability of teams to make extraordinary prog- department, and any union representative
ress when combining their talent and ability to appropriate to the diecutting-converting operation.
reach a shared vision.
Ë The Planning Team should develop a provisional
Ë The ability of teams to educate, to teach, and to plan for the project and a vision statement to be
rapidly develop technical competence. presented to the work force.
Ë The ability of teams to simplify and to standardize Ë The manager, with the support of the
a more effective and a more efficient system of owner/president, should present the plan to the
converting-manufacturing. entire workforce and solicit their assistance in
Ë The ability of teams to self-manage and to take finalizing the distributed provisional plan of action.
responsibility for every facet of daily working. Ë A series of meetings should be scheduled between
Ë The ability of teams to create a positive work the workforce and the planning team to
environment, which promotes safety, speed, gather feedback, to answer ques-
quality, and low cost manufacturing. tions, and to solicit suggestions
to augment and improve the
This is a significant change to proposed program of change.
the way we currently work, Ë The Planning Team assimi-
and while the initial stages of lates all of the feedback,
TEAMWORK
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Choose your rut carefully; you’ll be in it for the next ten miles.” Road Sign New York
suggestions and concerns, revises & TEAMWORK race against a relentless market driven production
re-distributes the updated plan of ac- clock.
tion.
Therefore, it is important to plan with this in mind
Ë The initial teams are selected and
and to anticipate, to develop, and to communicate
training for the entire department is
contingency actions to deal with inevitable delay and
scheduled. SIMPLIFIES disruption.
Ë A team name, nickname and a by-line
is developed for each team, with a team logo.
Æ Standardization, Benchmarking & Simplification
Ë Team colors are selected and hats, t-shirts, jackets,
and banners are provided bearing the team Common Sense states that... To find the safest, the
name, logo, and by-line. simplest, and the most efficient ways to do things; to
Ë The Planning Team chooses projects to give the pare away superfluous steps, actions, tools and materi-
new teams time to adapt to the new system of als; to compete against a continuously upgraded time
working and to gain experience in the new way standard; to streamline activities, reduce complexity
of working and lower skill requirements; demands a commitment
Ë The creation of documented and consensus driven to standardizing the current best operating procedure,
videotaped stardard operating procedures for these requires setting time goals and benchmarks to assess
selected projects is employed as the basis for performance progress, and streamlining, and to elimi-
building relationship and techni- nate non-value added and wasteful activity... Simpler,
cal unity of purpose. Faster, Better, is the Mission for the work team.
Ë Implement a regular team close
out to discuss problems and is- It is obviously important to standardize current pro-
sues, asking: cedures, but only as a preliminary benchmark for
process simplification and the continuous paring away
„ What is working well?
of superfluous steps, non-value added time, and excess
„ What is less effective?
cost. For example:
„ What and how do we need to change?
Ë Evaluate team performance and adapt the plan and Ë What is the point of creating standard operating
schedule further training accordingly. procedures, when the organization in which they
„ Leadership Training are performed, is not in itself standardized?
„ Resolving Disputes Ë What is the point of creating standard operating
„ Meeting Management procedures, when many of the steps are repetitive
„ Planning & Organization duplication of unnecessary actions?
Ë Take any and every opportunity to reward and Ë What is the point of creating standard operating
publicly recognize achievement with inexpensive procedures, when the work areas are constantly
gifts, trophies & certificates. changing, and are different every time?
Ë Celebrate any and all successes with Pizza, Cake &
All these statements are true and reflect a deep seated
Cookies.
problem in the way we structure and organize work
As you can see from this recommended approach to areas. However, the creation of a Standard Operating
creating an effective team driven system of converting Procedure should be re-defined as creating the Current
manufacturing, the project should be implemented in a Best Operating Procedure! This is necessary because
measured, steady, and unrelenting fashion. In principle, although we create a benchmarked standard of the best
each step is simple and straightforward, however, the of the best, now we have simply drawn a line in the
key challenge of this sand or created a target we can compete against to find
project is in integrat- faster and simpler ways to do things.
ing this project into
and with the daily For example, any important test of an improved pro-
cess, is that it must require less effort, less resources,
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s.” Billy Wilder
and less time. This principle is production verification using a preparatory
fundamental to improvement checklist to ensure readiness, and every
as Charles Coulomb stated; “To production cycle, must include a close-out, work
obtain the most from a man’s area purge and replenishing discipline.
energy it is necessary to increase the Ë Every activity performed in diecutting-converting
effect, without increasing the fatigue.” must be defined, standardized, sequenced,
measured and benchmarked.
Practical examples abound in our sport ori-
ented society. Leading athletes achieve great- As you read and review these key principles you can
ness when they make seemingly impossible plays see we are laying the groundwork for the introduction
look incredible simple. This type of performance is of Time Management, of Just-in-Time Principles, of
achieved by continually repeating the play and paring Single Minute Exchange of Die, and Inventory Man-
away unnecessary movement, by eliminating excess agement disciplines.
poorly directed effort, by careful refinement of each
step, and by conserving and directing the minimum “In the first round of work simplification ... In practice, if you
you can reasonably expect a 30 to 50%
amount of energy required for a specific outcome. reduction. To implement the actual
enacted and imple-
simplification, you must question why each mented the six disci-
Naturally, outstanding performance is the result of step is performed. Typically, you will find that plines described, the
good coaching integrated with practice, practice, many steps exist in your work flow for no good
majority of perfor-
and more practice! It is obviously important reason. Often they are there by tradition or
mance problems you
because formal procedure demands it, and
to raise knowledge and skill, but it is nothing practical ordains it.” currently face would
equally critical and no less effective be eliminated. For
to lower the bar! Reducing the example...
complexity of any task cuts time,
reduces cost, lowers fatigue, mini- Andrew S. Grove If you were attempt-
mizes opportunity for error, limits ing to learn a new
the number of inspection steps, and process, which, would be easier,
it requires less training and skill development. a procedure with 15 steps, one P1-A10 P1-A11 P1-A12
P1-A13

The solution to the problem of standardization, of with 10 steps, or one with 5

simplification or streamlining, and of organizing an steps? Clearly, the one with 5

P1-A13
effective system of diecutting-converting, is to enact 6 steps.
important principles. Therefore, to build a foundation
for changeover success it is vital that ... If you could choose between a
work area in which, every mate-
Ë Everything required for completing an effective rial was stored in a single source, color coded location,
diecutting-converting production cycle, must be every tool was positioned next to where it would be
standardized, without exception. used, in a shadow box format, or tools were duplicated
Ë Every work area must be designated, defined, in each location, or you could work in an ill-defined
mapped, and organized, using value-added and area in which tools, materials and components were
non-value added time as the organizing principle. randomly positioned, which would you choose? If you
could choose between carrying materials 100 paces
Ë Everything used in diecutting-converting to complete a project or carrying materials 50 paces,
must have an identification code, a designated which would you choose?
storage location, and an inventory management
discipline if it is a consumable item. It is vital to standardize everything, to ensure we are
Ë Every tool, material, supply, part, component, working in the safest, the most efficient and the most
equipment and technical data must be identified, effective manner. It is vital to
approved and certified. streamline our activity to so well
Ë Every production cycle must begin with pre- organized, our work areas and our
activity, that unnecessary steps or
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves, but in out attitude towards them.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
actions are eliminated or com- pany, how it gets to the work area, how it
bined. is positioned in the work area, how
“Life is not
complex. We it is used in the work area,
are complex. It is vital to simplify the process, and how it is returned to its
Life is simple,by positioning things where they original storage location.
and the simple
thing is theare needed, by having color coded
right thing.” storage locations for everything A videotape of a press changeover,
Oscar Wilde we use, and by following a consis- when combined with these activi-
tently executed sequence of procedures. ties, will inevitably demonstrate
either an unusual, precise and wonderful system of
Our goal is certainly to improve productivity and qual- organization, or the more normal inconsistent, chaotic
ity, speed and yield, but by standardizing, by stream- and inefficient, and extremely varied approach to task
lining, and by simplifying, we are reducing fatigue, completion. It may be useful to teach the work teams
we are lowering stress, we are making the workplace basic flowcharting as an excellent tool for work analy-
safer, and we are creating systems of diecutting-con- sis and for subsequent procedural changes.
verting, which will be simpler, faster,
and better. Clearly, this initiative is clearing the ground for the
more intense Just-In-Time organization, the critically
As with all of the initiatives contained important SMED discipline, and the essential Inven-
in this article it is sensible to avoid tory Management controls.
changing everything, but to select one
area and one activity to standardize and Æ The Procedural Training System
streamline.
Common Sense states that... the establishment of cur-
Therefore, the first step should be to rent best operating benchmark standards only become
define each separate or integrated work area, and list standards when the entire work team is proficient in
the activities which are performed in these areas. The the execution of that standard. Therefore, approved
second step is to select the work area or work cell standard operating procedures become the basis for
which is going to be our test bed. The third step, after all training and skill development. A standard operat-
choosing the area to be processed, is to list and give ing procedure is in practice a discrete training module,
an identity code to every tool, material, supply, part, therefore the creation and continual improvement of
component, and piece of equipment which is in the standardized procedures is the creation of a training
area, or which is moved into the area during and skill development program,
the activity we are focused upon. which is always up-to-date.
A Job Description The Procedural Training Map
The fourth step is to map the area at a spe- (What has to be done)
integrates teamwork, standard-
cific scale, choosing a ratio which is easy to A Work Structure
(How these activities are executed) ization and benchmarking and
work with, 1/4” to the foot for example, and Work Planning Guidelines training.
then create the layout in the CAD system. (Daily planning & organizing)

Operating Procedures
(How these activities are performed consistently) Many managers are concerned
The fifth step is to layout all of the perma- Goal Setting about the training dilemma
nent equipment in the area and produce scale (Systematic improvement objectives) they face. Whilst all recognize
drawings of the temporary equipment used Measurement Criteria the necessity of improving
(How performance will be measured)
in the area. the knowledge and the skill
Problem Solving
(Trouble shooting & contingency procedures) of the workforce, the appar-
The sixth step is to map Improvement & Innovation ent complexity of designing,
Make it as how every item reaches
(Individual & team development goals)
implementing and managing
Simple the work area, where Reporting Structure
(How information is collected & used) an effective training program
as Possible! it is positioned in the Appraisal Process represents a complex challenge.
department or the com- (How & when the position will be evaluated)

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Each day can be one of triumph if you keep up your interests.” George Matthew Adams
sure we do not end up where we current-
With no neatly packaged solutions ly are, we need to ensure there is an on-
available, coupled with limited going daily consolidation of knowledge,
time and resources, and ever pres- ideas, and solutions, between everyone
ent cost constraints, the frustrating involved in each key process.
cycle of inconsistent performance,
seems an insurmountable barrier to We need to standardize, we need to sta-
productive improvement. bilize, and then we need to aggressively
seek daily step-by-step improvement.
In reality, we have a system of The majority of the knowledge, the skill,
training in-place! And however imperfect and how and the experience we need to be a World Class orga-
poorly organized, it does enable the departments to nization is already in place, we just need a better way
function at a basic level. The primary problem with of focusing it. As Thomas Mann stated; “Order and
the existing skill development programs is they are simplification are the first steps toward mastery of a
poorly documented, they are inconsistently executed, subject---the actual enemy is the unknown.”
they produce unpredictable results, and the resulting
performance is difficult to manage and impossible to Where we are! It is obvious we are facing
reliably control. a radical change in the way
A LY
SE EVAL
UAT we do things. However, if we
AN To repeat we have a
E adopt a plan of action, which
training system in reflects the reality of the daily
place, which produces race against the clock, and
E NT
DE

IG good results more of- which builds a team approach

M
S

N LE
I MP ten than not. However, to manufacturing, we are more
DEVELOP
we need to standard- likely to succeed. So let us
Knowledge Skill Experience
ize, we need to stabilize, begin!
and we need to establish benchmarked practices and
procedures which represent the best ideas of everyone STEP 01: Selecting the
involved in the work team. Project Leader
Where we
The following quotation is critical because it is such need to be!
Do we need a dedicated proj-
an important principle of effective manufacturing. It ect leader?
states, the goal is; “To get everyone to know, what
everyone already knows!” Designing each team structure,
selecting teams, choosing
If we can accomplish this more even distribution of Knowledge Skill Experience
team roles, developing an ef-
competence, we will have stabilized the current sys- fective operating structure, managing and scheduling
tem of manufacturing, we will have built a foundation team activities, and resolving all of the inevitable early
of consistent ex- problems, requires the assistance of someone who
ecution, upon which is experienced in the field. From problem solving to
we can steadily get brainstorming, to organizing and holding successful
better. In seeking to meetings, to keeping everyone up-to-date and resolv-
continually upgrade ing disputes, is a full time job.
methods, practices,
and performance, it is Therefore, we need to select a Project Leader or a
essential we gain all Facilitator, who will plan, organize and guide the work
of the knowledge and teams through the implementation of this program.
the experience we can
from every production
cycle. And, to make
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“And each man stands with his face in the light of his own drawn sword. Ready to do what a hero can.” Browning
STEP 02: Forming Work Why are Work Teams so Effective? Ë Press Changeover
Teams Team dynamics generate & accelerate problem solving,
innovation, and process improvement initiatives Ë Diecutting Production
To achieve sustained produc- The team interactive focus improves the communication and
Ë Diecutting Quality Manage
feedback of information
tive improvement, we have ment
to break through established The team approach simplifies and speeds up completion of
complex, sequential, labor intensive tasks
behavioral patterns, we have Teams are the most effective environment in which to build The SECOND step is to prioritize
to eliminate barriers to com- confidence, competence, and performance parity
and analyze each function into
munication and the seamless The mutually supportive competitive focus develops primary areas of expertise. For
procedural consistency
flow of ideas, we have to en- example, in toolmaking this would
courage people to take greater The team structure breaks down barriers and reinforces and
sustains productive relationships include, diemaking, stripping,
responsibility, we have to per- blanking, ejection, nicking, etc.
suade everyone to base their success on the success of
their colleagues, and obviously level the knowledge, The THIRD step is to define and identify all the
the skill, and the experience playing field. disciplines within each function that can be defined
as separate activities, with a well defined start and
Teamwork is the most effective tool to achieve all of completion. These should be defined as Standard Op-
these things and to surmount many related challenges erating Procedures.
as we develop a new system of working.
The FOURTH step is to define and specify the spe-
We must form (effective) teams! cific employee roles within each function. These could
include:
STEP 03: Company Wide Communication
Ë Diemaker.
This project represents a fundamental change to the
way we do things, so it is not just important to inform Ë Pre-Press Technician.
Team Member Skills the work team impacted by Ë Changeover Technician.
Problem Solving the new system, but every-
Meeting Participation one in the organization. Ë Press Operator.
Communication
Brainstorming In addition, all of the Ë Press Assistant.
Making Team Decisions management team, and
Resolving Conflicts
the supervisors and senior
Selecting & Evaluation Options The FIFTH step is to select a format for collecting
Making Presentations managers should attend
and organizing the steps, the description of each step,
Organization this meeting to demon-
and the benchmark time standard for each procedure.
Leadership strate the unequivocal
support for the project.
The standard operating procedure format is illustrated
below.
STEP 04: Analyze the Process Standard Operating Procedure PLATEN DIECUTTING: PRESS FOOTPRINTING
SOP #: Version #: Department: Discipline: Page #

The FIRST Step in creating an effective training Inception Date? Update? Approved by? Trainee? Trainer? Training Date?

system is to break the process down into the major Position the paper, squarely on the Tape corners only, of the new
1 cutting plate, aligned with the 03 03 $75

functions or areas of activity. These could be:

Press Mapping Sheet, to
leading edge of the plate, and tape create a flat taught sheet. Team Team Team Minutes Minutes $75
securely. Alpha One Driven
Position a sheet of carbon

2
Use 0.005” $75
paper, face down on the Bar-Plate 03 06
paper, completely covering Carbon Paper Team Team Team Minutes Minutes $150
the sheet. Alpha Driven One

Ë Work Planning
Using previously recorded Keep a Pressure Record for
3 pressure, gradually increase press 05 11 $125
every setting in the
tonnage, until the knives begin footprinting sequence Team Team Team Minutes Minutes $275
marking the patch-up sheet. One One Driven
Use a Black
4
Mark the Outer Impression $175

Ë Production Toolmaking
Perimeter or Outer Layer of the Felt Marker to mark the first 07 18
first pressure level. Pressure Layer Team Team Team Minutes Minutes $450
Alpha One Driven

5
Increase pressure slightly, record Make a note of the pressure 02 20 $50
the pressure setting and take a setting, and add the setting Minutes Minutes

Ë Pre-Make-Ready
Team Team Team
second impression to the Press Mapping Sheet. Alpha Alpha One $500

$75
6
Using a different colored Use a Red Felt Marker to mark 03 23
Marker, outline the second the second pressure layer. Team Team Team Minutes Minutes
pressure layer.
Driven One Alpha
$575

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“One should count each day a separate life.” Marcus Annaeus Seneca
procedure.
Stage 2: Partially Trained
The grid is marked with a single diagonal line,
which indicates the trainee has undergone formal
training to develop the skills in the specific proce-
dure, but has not had sufficient time to perfect the
task behavior.

Stage 3: Fully Trained

If the grid is marked with two diagonal lines, which
indicates the trainee has undergone formal training,
and has had sufficient time and assistance to develop
the behavior, and complete the task a number of times
without supervision, the trainee is considered to have
Stage
Stage 11 Stage2 2
Stage been trained in the specific discipline.
Not
NotTrained
Trained Partially Trained
Partially Trained
Stage
Stage 33 Stage4 4
Stage
Fully
Fully Trained Performance
Performance Stage
Proven
Proven 4: Performance Proven

STEP 05: The Training Map This final classification is marked with a vertical
line added to the two diagonal lines. This indicates the
The Training Map derives its name from the manner trainee has undergone a supervised analysis of his or
in which the entire knowledge and skill development her performance by one of his or her peers, and the
program for every team member, is integrated into a trainee demonstrated a level of competence considered
single chart for every personnel classification. See the acceptable.
illustration on the next page. Performance Qualification
In practice, in many operations, there is a logical train- This simple but pragmatic approach to performance
ing and promotion progression from press assistant to assessment is structured around the creation of stan-
pre-press technician, to press operator, and therefore, dard operating procedures. These important tools,
the entire employee progression can be incorporated task guidelines and performance benchmarks are the
into a single management chart. foundation of a productive operation.
The chart should begin on the top TASK PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: PROCEDURE: Leveling The Impression
left hand side, with the most basic Trainee: Evaluator: Date:
procedures a novice would begin
to learn, and progress from left to Calculate the preliminary Comments/Suggestions
right across the chart, with increas- tonnage adjustment from
the job format, job
ingly more difficult tasks/proce- history, and press
characteristics
dures, to enable the creation of the
training grid.
Set the preliminary Comments/Suggestions
tonnage and take a single
The grid is used to classify the sheet impression

training status of each team mem-

ber in four ways:

Stage 1: Not Trained

Examine the back, and Comments/Suggestions
the front of the diecut
sheet for full penetration,
and pressure variation,
When a grid cell is not marked in and mark the low areas.

any way this simply designates the

trainee has not received any formal Select appropriate area Comments/Suggestions
training in the specific discipline or patch-up material and tear
to the shape(s) of the low
pressure areas.

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“So get a few laughs and do the best you can.” Will Rogers
performance percentage for each step.
Therefore, to train any person in any Clearly, as part of the creation of the
field, it is necessary to break the task standard operating procedure, the training
down into the following criteria: map, and the evaluation form, the level of
acceptable performance for each step and
„ Sequence & Number each Step for the entire procedure, must be pre-de-
„ Describe the Step Action termined and precisely defined.
„ Add Comments & Guidelines
In summation, the key to the SOP, the
„ Safety Approval & Sign Off
Training Map, and the Performance
„ Speed Approval & Sign Off Evaluation Guide, is they are prepared,
„ Quality Approval & Sign Off “If you are planning for a they are organized, and they are imple-
year, sow rice; if you are mented by the work team themselves.
„ Step Activity Time Record planning for a decade, plant The advantages of providing the work
„ Step Elapsed Time Record trees; if you are planning for teams with their own, self administered,
„ Step Cost Calculation a lifetime, educate people.” comprehensive system of training, is it is
Chinese Proverb
(Activity and Cumulative Cost.) based upon daily activity, and the activi-
ties which really matter in the process.
The tool we use to define the task work structure is the
Standard Operating Procedure, The simplicity of the
(see page 10), the tool we use to program, and the fact
organize the entire training pro- that it is controlled by
gram and the trained status of each their peers, gives the
team member is the Training Map, team member confidence
(see page 11); and the tool we used in the accuracy and the
to certify each team member, to fairness of the training
indicate they are proficient in the system.
procedure, is the Performance
Evaluation Guide. See bottom of The creation of the
previous page. Training Map and related documentation and certifica-
tion tools will provide the solid foundation, essential
In unifying process improvement and training through for building an effective system of training. All the
the use of consistently applied procedures we close steps in the process are critical, from creating the
the development loop by creating an evaluation format standard operating procedure, to the Training Map,
based upon the performance of each step and the suc- to the Performance Evaluation Guide, are necessary,
cessful completion of the entire procedure. however, there is a more effective method of using this
information to teach and to train.
The task performance evaluation chart is created using
the same sequence of steps and the same Once each procedure is complete and approved by
measurement criteria to determine the work team, the person with the great-
acceptable performance. The clas- est proficiency in the procedure, should
sifications for each are Unsatis- be videotaped executing each step in
factory, Marginal, Good, Very the procedure by another member of
Good, and Excellent. the work team. In addition, either the
person executing the procedure, or the
In addition, the measurement of videographer, or another team member,
how well each step is performed should provide a voice over recording,
is graded from 1-25, with the total to explain the execution of each step in
being multiplied by 4 to give the more detail.

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Come what may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.” William Shakespeare
The ability to implement a establishing a system of technical
training program based upon education, they are the most criti-
up-to-date videotapes of the cal steps the organization can take
execution of each procedure to fundamentally transform the
will greatly simplify the system of manufacturing. There is
learning of a new skill, or a great deal to do at the beginning
the upgrading of an old skill. of establishing an effective training
Just imagine starting at the company for the first time, system, however, once the structure is in place, build-
and instead of suffering through the erratic watch-me ing a system of benchmarked standardized procedures
method of learning, the trainee was given a series of is a relatively straightforward process.
approved videotapes to prepare for their shop floor
experience. There is a choice between moving forward or falling
behind, and your choice is...?
This technique would accelerate learning, it would
ensure training was more accessible to a wider range “Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of
of people, and it would significantly reduce the cost of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing
training. to be achieved.” William Jennings Bryan

There are relatively few steps in setting up the Train- Æ Key Result Analysis Measurement
ing and Skill Development program, however, each
step is critical to the end result, and each step should Common Sense states that... Standard Operating
be carefully executed. Procedures are established by measurement against
an established benchmark and their implementation
The Recommended actions are to: is measured against the same benchmark, therefore,
a simple, statistical, real-time system of measurement
1: Select a Project Leader and/or Project Leaders is essential to progressive change. The Key Result
2: Form Work-Project Teams Analysis System is a powerful, statistical charting
and measurement
3: Implement a Company Project Communica- system, which is
tion easy to use, and is
4: Analyze the Process one which graphi-
cally delivers clear
4.1: Divide the Process in Functional Areas and comprehensive
and Prioritize a Development Strategy technical analysis
and performance data, which is focused, accessible,
4.2: Divide each Function into Separate elegant and precise.
Disciplines
4.3: Divide each Discipline into Individual The numbers tell you how your business is going, not
Activities or Procedures. why.” ~Johnathen P. Siegel
4.4: Divide the Process into Job Disciplines In manufacturing measurement is critical to suc-
& Assign SOP’s to each area of Expertise cess. The harsh reality is, if we do not measure the
5: Develop the Training Map process, it is impossible to manage the process. Our
primary
6: Develop the Performance
goal in
Evaluation Guide for
diecutting
the First Series of Proce-
and in
dures
the fast
Although there are only six steps in
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“A day is a minature eternity.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
What Should We changeover project is first to stabi- The information collected
Measure? lize, second to standardize, and then to gives immediate feedback
continually increase the speed of pro- to the operator and to the
cessing. This drive for improvement is technician, and it is equally
often referred to as Faster, Cheaper, and valuable at a later date to the
Better. But faster than what, and what is supervisor and to the manager.
the benchmark? And less expensive than
what, and what are the cost parameters? One very effective option is to implement the Key
And better than what and how, do we de- Result Analysis system. What is Key Result Analysis
termine the correct degree of quality or conformance and why is it effective in the diecutting converting
to what requirements? operation? There are several reasons why this basic
statistical data collection system is the best choice for
All are everyday questions, which require definitive diecutting. These would include:-
answers, and to provide answers we have to provide
quantitative data, or a measurement of performance. Ë Key Result Analysis is a graphic method of
These measurements can include speed, they can measurement, which is simple to execute and
include time, they can include yield, they can include easy to understand.
pressure, they can include cost, they can include
quantity, they can include quality, and they can include Ë Key Result Analysis is based upon Pareto
dimensions, to mention a few Statistical Analysis.
of the possibilities. But every- Ë Key Result Analysis is effective because
thing can and must be mea- it provides immediate feedback and it
sured. is transparent to anyone viewing the
information.
If we fail to draw a line in the
Ë Key Result Analysis is a simple method of data
sand, how do we know where
collection, however, it is one which provides
we are? How do we know if
sophisticated and powerful feedback.
we are getting better or getting
worse? And how can we deter- Ë Key Result Analysis has the flexibility to adapt
mine if we are moving in the right direction.? to several types of measurement in diecutting
converting.
Most measurement systems are, after the fact, mea-
surement. In other words an analysis of the informa- How do we implement this system of measurement?
tion and performance measures collected will be
analyzed and evaluated several days after the produc- The best way to explain Key
tion cycle is complete. This provides useful data Result Analysis is to
about trends and about productivity in general, complete a step-by-step
but it is far too late to have any impact on analysis of the applica-
the process it measured. In addition, because tion of this technique to
much of the data collected has little meaning Press Changeover and
to the diecutting team, their performance in to Press Production.
collecting the data and taking measurements
is inconsistent and often incomplete. This article is directed
at improving changeover
The Diecutting Key Result performance, therefore, this
Analysis System described in is a great place to begin. How-
this section has many advantages ever, we start with a question?
over current measurement systems, What is Press Changeover or Press Make-Ready?
however, the most important advan- This is an important question because the roots of our
tage is it yields immediate feedback. difficulty in managing and improving press make-
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Time is nothing absolute; its duration depends upon the rate of though and feeling.” John Draper
ready is our habit of describing it as a The first step is to create the statisti-
single discipline. cal Key Result Analysis Form shown
below as this will provide a simple and
In fact press make-ready or changeover is an easy to understand vehicle to evalu-
made up of the integration of ten disci- ate each make-ready process and break
plines or building blocks. See above. 5 Minute each make-ready cycle into the ten
These Make-Ready Disciplines are: Time separate disciplines previously identi-
Blocks
fied.
≠ Data & Information Management This measurement format will be used
≠ Deinstallation of Old Tooling to complete the first stage of make-
ready/changeover analysis.
≠ Loading & Qualifying Materials
≠ Press Breakdown & Resetting The structure of the data collection tool is broken
≠ Press Cleaning & Maintenance into 11 vertical columns, which reflect the previously
named 10 disciplines, plus the option of “Other” or
≠ Installation of Tooling “Miscellaneous” to capture any unusual and un-
≠ Trial Manufacturing & planned activity.
Adjustment
The diagram to the left shows the basic structure of
≠ Tool(s) Adjustment & the form. Each column is broken vertically into 4 x 1
Modification hour blocks, and each 1 hour block is divided into 12
x 5 minute cells. Using an ob-
≠ Product
server to monitor a number t is one of
Measuremen l processes
Inspection & of make-ready cycles, the
am en ta
the fund ring. It
of manufactu
Testing timekeeper simply adds a es th e da ta on which
provid based and
check mark to each 5 min-
eo ries ar e
new th r theories are
CHANGEOVER TIME CONSUMPTION
≠ Production by which olded retested.
ute cell in the appropriate
an
01: Tool Adjustment & Modification te st ed
02: Trial Manufacturing & Adjustment
03: Installation of Tooling
04: Press Breakdown & Resetting
Approval Procedures column as the activity is taking
05: Product Inspection & Testing
06: Deinstallation of Old Tooling
place and as the time is accumulating.
Understanding the breakdown of
07: Loading & Qualifying Materials
08: Production Approval Procedures
09: Cleaning & Maintenance
10: Information Management
make ready is an essential start- There are two important pointers here. I do not believe
ing point in improving the pro- it is necessary to institutionalize one specific focus on
cess. Once we have accepted this logical breakdown one measurement. It is more effective to implement a
of changeover activity the next obvious question is, measurement initiative to reflect the focus of the work
how is time al- team as they are attempting to
located to these analyze, measure and improve a
disciplines? The specific activity in make ready.
ten disciplines
are obviously In practice there is always some
not evenly bal- form of measurement taking
anced, see left, Deinstallation
Press
Breakdown place, but using a statistical ap-
but reflect the
of Tooling

proach, it is rarely necessary to

& Resetting

Information Cleaning &

Management Maintenance

complexity of Installation
Product
Inspection & monitor more than 5 to 15 cycles
each discipline. of any activity.
of Tooling Testing

Production

So how can
Approval
Loading & Procedures
Qualifying
Materials

we reveal the The second point is the advantage

Trial
Tool Adjustment Manufacturing
& Modification & Adjustment

breakdown of of using one of the work team

time in press as an observer and as a time-
make-ready? keeper, in this specific example
of measurement. In some of the
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Time is the product of changing realities, beings, existences.” Nicholas Berdyaev
CHANGEOVER KEY RESULT ANALYSIS SYSTEM examples provided the alignment to the press centerline,
Average
this is not neces- or to the adjustment of the Z-Axis
um b

--- r
be

3
N Jo

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0

:0
Time =
---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---
sary as the press male and female registration of
Tool(s)
Adjustment &
Modification
00:00’

operator can easily each tool to each other. Also

Trial
Manufacturing &
Adjustment
00:00’
00:00’ accomplish many to the synchronization of
Installation of
Tooling

00:00’ measurement du- one tool set to the next,

Press Breakdown
& Resetting

ties. as each tool set is installed and aligned on

Product
Inspection &
Testing
00:00’
00:00’ the press. This would certainly also include repairs,
Deinstallation
of old Tooling

To implement this modifications, or changes to the tool, as part of the

Loading &
Qualifying
Materials
00:00’

first level analysis make-ready process.

Production
Approval
Procedures
00:00’
Cleaning & Press
Maintenance 00:00’ of press make-
00:00’ ready, figuring out To summarize where we are, we have identified the 10
Data &
Information
Management
Press Make-Ready: Average Time = 00:00’
how and where disciplines of make-ready, and we have completed an
time is consumed during the activity, a minimum of 5 initial Pareto analysis of the process, which demon-
cycles should be sufficient. However, the form shown strates that tool adjustment and tool modification is the
left, is designed to capture 12 press changeover cycles, largest consumption of time during make-ready. This
and develop an average number or an average percent- is a good start, but where do we go from here?
age of time consumption for each separate discipline.
As before we need to narrow the focus and analyze the
This layout has the advantage of being able to com- tool adjustment and modification discipline, to deter-
pare the average make-ready time, and/or to focus mine where time is being consumed. Using a similar
individually and collectively on each of the ten indi- format we create an analysis grid with each column
vidual disciplines of make-ready. representing each tool used on press. These include
the die/chase, the counterplate, the cutting plate, the
patch-up sheet, the underlay, the female stripping
tools, the male stripping tools, the bottom pin or lower
pin system, the female blanker, and the male blanking
tool.

As before each vertical column is divided into 4 hour

divisions, (only two hours are shown in the illustra-
tions), and each 1 hour division is divided into 12
cells each denoting five minutes of time. As before
MAKE-READY ANALYSIS: TOOLING
To summarize the use of this first stage of make-
ready analysis, the analysis of a number of press
changeover cycles will eventually show a break-
down of time consumption for the various activities
of make-ready. See above. As you can see from the
Pareto statistical breakdown of time from several
press changeover cycles, the analysis is showing that
the majority of time is expended in Tool Adjustment
the timekeeper records the make ready activity, but
& Modification.
concentrates on the installation and the modification
of tools, and adds a mark to each cell representing the
This simply means work done on any one of the vari-
time consumed in working on that tool.
ous tools, from the patch-up sheet, to the steel rule die
and counters, to the male and female stripping tools,
As you can see from the analysis above, the greatest
to the male and female blanking grids, and
consumption of time was expended in working on the
the bottom pin tool. This
steel rule die. As we did earlier in the analysis we have
could include fine tuning to
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Time is an avid gambler who has no need to cheat to win every time.” Charles Baudelaire
made progress, however, the information we have
is not detailed enough to take remedial action, and PRESS LOST TIME ISSUES
therefore, we need to conduct another level of analy-
sis.

Therefore, the next stage of analysis is to focus

entirely on the performance of the steel rule die. This
involves breaking the steel rule die on-press usage
E UP T TS Y
DIE EAS N G G
H- G RD IN T ER ER AL E RK
LE TIO KIN PIN KIN OA PR CU EE ED LIV OV NC WO
R
R
RIP TC RB O- O- SH FE PR
HE
RU /C EC NIC PA AN T-T T-T DE NA NO OT
EL ER ING EJ ST BL PE IN UC
K
AP TE
NT OOL PA IN

discipline into 20 separate areas of analysis. As you

E R P R T IN
ST U
CO T
P S MA

the effectiveness of the changeover begins. Diecutting

can see below, the vertical columns include dam- production presents its own series of technical and
TOOLING ANALYSIS: STEEL RULE DIE performance challenges, and just as we need to under-
stand what is happening in changeover, and how we
can fix the problem, we need similar data from press
production.

Most professionals would agree that there are three

things that happen on-press. These are Make-Ready,
Production, and Down Time or Lost Time. If we are
aged knives, broken miters, loose rules, worn knives, to control and to manage this process it is important
broken bridges, etc. Where did we get these categories LOST TIME ANALYSIS
from? Actually, from conducting these analytical tech-
niques, we also identify each type of press stoppage 1 PRIMARY
ISSUE TO BE
ANALYSED
caused by each different tool failure.
As in the earlier forms each vertical column is divided
into five minute cells, and the timekeeper only focuses
on work on the steel rule die for a number of make-
ready cycles. This example analysis dem-
onstrates that the greatest consumption
of time is in nicking, and/or in adjusting
nicks to get the sheet to flow through the
press without breaking-up. DI
E
CO
TE
R
UN ECT
IO
N
IN
G
H-
UP PING
CK ATC TRIP AN
KI
NG ARD
RB
O -P
RI
NT
-C
UT EETS DER
TO K SH FE
E ER
Y
LIV PPR
AL
OV NAN
CE ORK
W OT
HE
R
EJ NI P S BL PE -TO INT- DE A NT
E NO
PA I NT P R T UC MAI
PR S

To this date we have used three differ- to understand what is happening, so that we can focus
ent versions of the Key Result Analysis our knowledge and skill on the problem. But first we
forms, and after 15 to 20 make-ready cy- have to identity the problem!
cles, we have learnt a great deal about the changeover The Key Result Analysis chart for Lost Time or Down
process and we have zeroed in on Nicking as the key Time Analysis is show at the top of the page. The
problem to be analyzed and addressed. If you are com- individual columns in this chart show the steel rule
pleting two press changeovers per day, which is obvi- die, counter and crease tooling, ejection, nicking, and
ously a low number, in less than two weeks we have stripping, etc, as some of the potential down time
completed a detailed analysis of the make-ready disci- problems. Naturally, as you use this type of chart you
pline. In addition, as you can see execution is simple can customize the lost time categories to reflect your
and straightforward, and specific type of work, and/or you can use the produc-
the information gener- tion run itself to identify the lost time issues. The
ated is clear, accurate chart above shows the typical feedback you
and unambiguous. may encounter.

After each make-ready is The chart is recorded by the

complete; the real test of timekeeper or the press operator
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Time is what we want most ... but what we use worst.” William Penn
Sheet Break-Up: CheckSheet as before, and the great- causes of sheet break-up are listed to the left of the
STEEL RULE
DIE
est number of problems chart and may include sheet break-up stemming from
FIBER-GLASS occur in the steel rule die, the action of the steel rule die, the fiberglass counter
which would naturally or the Matrix crease tools, and feeder problems and
COUNTER

MALE/FEMALE
STRIPPING
MALE/FEMALE
lead to the creation of an- delivery problems. To the right of each category of
BLANKING
other chart to analyze and stoppage is a number of cells in which the operator
PATCH-UP
investigate the causes of will make a single check mark to indicate a single
steel rule die lost time. To incident.
PAPERBOARD
PROBLEMS

PRINT-TO-PRINT
REGISTER make the chart as easy as
PRINT-TO-CUT
REGISTER possible to use, it should At the end of the production run the chart is rotated
STUCK/DOUBLE
SHEETS be adhered to the face and the high points of each category of incident
FEEDER
PROBLEMS
of the press with a pen linked. See the bottom of the previous column. This is
DELIVERY
PROBLEMS
or pencil attached on a a very simple but a very effective tool as it immediate-
WAITING FOR
APPROVAL
chain. Then all the press ly provides an indication of the source of the problem,
NO-WORK operator has to do is to with great clarity.
add a check mark in each
AVAILABLE
UNKNOWN
CAUSE
5 minute cell to indicate Another critically important tool in diecutting press
the specific type of down time fault experienced. production is to collect information about and to focus
Press Yield Pareto Analysis
One of the perennial problems of running a sheet
fed platen diecutting press at high speed, is lost time AVERAGE YIELD = __%
caused by sheet break-up. This is a time consum- 75%
Y
ing problem as each break up is both a waste of time ield
and a waste of value-added material. Operators often
feel they have a good handle on how frequently this 50%
Yield
happens, and where in the press the break-up occurs.
However, prolonged statistical studies have demon-
strated even experienced press operators are surprised 25%
Yield
by how frequently sheet break-up happens, and where
it happens. Therefore, we should not make assump-
tions or take anything for granted. 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
b b0 b0 b0 b0 b0 b0 b0 b0 b1 b1 b1 b1 b1 b1 b1 b1
Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo

The tool used to capture and analyze sheet break-up every ones attention on the importance of press yield.
failure is the check sheet. See above. The potential While we discuss and focus disproportionately on
press speed; the real measurement of productivity is
Sheet Break-Up Check Sheet - Press 03: 17-09-03 production yield. In the Key Result Analysis chart
above, we have adapted the format we have used pre-
viously by designating each 5 minute cell as represent-
ing either 100 sheets or 150 sheets or 250 sheets, or
whatever the average hourly production output is. Al-
though we talk about press speed, the sad truth in our
industry, is the average press yield is less than 50%!

As you can see from these examples, the Key Result

Analysis approach to process measurement is end-
lessly flexible, it is simple and straightforward to use,
PRINT-TO-PRINT

STUCK/DOUBLE
MALE/FEMALE

MALE/FEMALE

PRINT-TO-CUT

WAITING FOR
PAPERBOARD

and the stark graphic display of whatever performance

FIBER-GLASS
STEEL RULE

AVAILABLE
PROBLEMS

PROBLEMS

PROBLEMS
STRIPPING

BLANKING

UNKNOWN
APPROVAL
DELIVERY
REGISTER

REGISTER

NO-WORK
PATCH-UP
COUNTER

FEEDER
SHEETS

CAUSE

is being measured makes it easy for anyone to under-

DIE

stand, but most importantly, it makes the information

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Invincibility depends on one’s self; the enemy’s vulnerability on him.” Sun Tzu
difficult to ignore. turing process. In the most basic and the most impor-
tant terms, manufacturing is simply about the move-
Æ Information Management ment of information and material.

Common Sense states that... Con- It does not matter if the operation is producing auto-
verting manufacturing is fundamen- mobiles, doughnuts, cell phones, furniture, strawberry
tally about two things: the move- jam or sunglasses; manufacturing is about adding
ment of information and material, value to raw materials by transforming the material
and it is essential to develop an into a product of higher value. The information is used
up-to-date information and data as the guide, the instructor, the controller, and the blue-
management system, which will accurately document print or map of activity.
each key performance parameter of the tools, the ma-
terials, the products, the technology, the customer-sup- In manufacturing, we have several different types
plier chain, the work areas, the work teams, and their of information. There is the initial burst of customer
methods and practices, to provide the information to information, which instigates the beginning of the
drive continuous performance improvement. Accurate, production process. The information is then filtered,
timely, accessible information is the lifeblood of suc- transformed, manipulated, and converted, by each
cessful diecutting converting. functional area of the converting operation, into the
plans and actions, which will instigate the beginning of
A day in the life of the CAD TYPES OF INFORMATION each process.
F The Converting-Manufacturing Process
Designer, the Diemaking Tool- F Safety Systems & Wellness Management
maker, the Pre-Press facilitator, F Customer-Supplier Chain (Internal) The customer service technician
F Quality Management & Education

and the Diecutting Technician is F Customer-Supplier Chain (External)

F CIM-CAD & Structural Design
must transform the information
usually densely crammed with a F Tool Converting Parameters
F Tool Specification & Design into a prototype; the estimator
wide range of diverse activity, all F Tool Materials & Components
F Tool Machining & Fabrication must translate the information
executed at a furious pace. This F Tool Preparation & Management into a job order and outline; the
converting-manufacturing tread- F The Toolmaking Manufacturing Process financial team must translate the
F Toolmaking & Processing Technology

mill will include problem solving F Diecutting & Processing Technology

F Diecutting System Maintenance
information into costs and cash
and brainstorming; research and F Product & Packaging Applications
F The Diecutting Manufacturing Process flow; the graphic designer must
testing; developing new methods F Diecut Material & Manufacturing convert the customer concept into
F Training & Skill Development
and procedures; coaching, learn- F Teambuilding & Teamwork a specific image; the printer must
ing and teaching; not to mention F Work Planning & Work Organization convert the information into film,
F Problem Solving, Research & Testing

one other slightly important is- F Process Improvement & Benchmarking plates, and ink; and so on through-
sue, production! out the process. This information processing discipline
enables each department, each work team, and each
This activity is what is called, getting experience! individual to add value to the process as the emerging
In practice, the ability of each individual to play an product passes through their control.
effective team role in this fast flow process is based
upon the ability to rapidly assimilate new ideas, and to This data processing activity is called the Information
quickly turn new knowledge and solutions into practi- Cascade, as the information management discipline
cal improvements to the diecutting process. seeks to specify, to define, and to identify the essential
flow of data through the entire organization.
To gain maximum educa-
tion and experience benefit, Effective information management is impossible
from every hour of every without effective teamwork. Therefore, the first step
day, it is important the in reorganizing the flow of information in diecutting-
professional crafts person converting, is to get the entire diecutting converting
understands the underlying team together, including representatives of the inter-
principles of the manufac- nal supplier-customer chain. The goal is to explain
the project, and to define the series of team activities
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy. ” Sun Tzu
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS and milestones, as the information?
How important is information management? information project is „ How to identify the primary
How do we use information in diecutting?
How do we collect the information we have? developed and consoli- source for each category of
How do we know the information is correct? dated. information transmitted?
How do we know we have all the information?
How do we process & verify the information? „ How we assign responsibility
How do we purge & upgrade the information? The steps in the process for the control and delivery
How do we manage the information resource?
How is information responsibility assigned? include: of this information?
How do we find information we do not have?
Ë Define, discuss, and brainstorm
Ë Define, discuss, and brainstorm ... „ How the barriers and
„ The importance of accurate, up-to-date obstacles to the flow
information, to effective work planning and of information impact
organization; and to process control? diecutting converting?
„ How accurate information can productively „ How previous or existing initiatives are
impact every diecutting-converting activity? changing the status and the delivery of
„ How accurate information can information?
simplify and reduce process „ How we identify key weaknesses and key
and processing complexity? remedial actions to improve the timely flow of
„ How accurate information can accurate information?
make the job easier, how it Ë Define, discuss, and brainstorm ...
can reduce stress and how it „ How variable performance in the various
can reduce frustration? categories of diecutting and processing
„ How accurate information can information impact productivity and quality?
make the company faster, „ How to list, organize and prioritize
better, and more competitively secure? the information categories, requiring
Ë Define, discuss, and brainstorm ... reorganization and improvement?
„ How we currently use information? Ë Define, discuss, and brainstorm ...
„ How we manage the information resource to „ Evaluate the top information category ...
ensure the right information is in the right - How we use information in this discipline?
place at the right time? - How incorrect, missing, or the late arrival
„ How we gather information, how we apply it, of information causes problems in this
and how we organize the resource? discipline?
„ How we assess, verify and validate the - How we could restructure the system of
accuracy of the information we accept? information in this discipline to improve
„ How we generate information, how we processing performance?
disseminate it, and how we organize the
resource? Ë Define, discuss, and brainstorm ...
„ How we assess, verify and validate the „ How we prioritize action in this initiative?
accuracy of the information we deliver? „ How we select who is to lead this initiative?
„ How we consolidate, organize, protect, and „ How we select who will be part of the project
secure the information resource? team?
„ How we determine what are the resources
Ë Define, discuss, and brainstorm ... available to the team?
„ How to classify and to categorize information „ How do we determine the goals of the
used in the diecutting-converting process? information management
„ How to identify the primary source for project?
DIEMAKING

each category of information „ How we select practical

DIECUTTING

delivered?
CONVERTING
projected project
„ How we assign responsibility milestones and deadlines?
CHANGEOVER
STRIPPING
for the control and delivery of „ How we determine when BLANKING

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“One defends when his strength is inadequate; he attacks when it is abundant.” Sun Tzu
the project begins? protected.
The Information
should be defin Network Ë As the information resource is developed, it
The recommendations in terms of ed
data “Exchang as a
may be necessary to provide access to the data
system, as ea e”
implementation of the project strongly participant sh
ould
ch
base using a scanned, identification card. This
value from ea derive
emphasized the importance of sim- exchange of kn ch
owledge. will qualify the user to the level of information
plicity and starting slowly and steadily, he or she is authorized to access and to enter.
using traditional methods in the beginning.
The recommendations were: William Feather; “An education isn’t how much you
have committed to memory, or even how much you
Ë Each information category should be stored know. It’s being able to differentiate between what
in a single three ring binder, with each you do know and what you don’t. It’s knowing where
divider corresponding to a classification of to go to find out what you need to know; and it’s
information from that category. knowing how to use the information you get.”
Ë The manuals should be upgraded weekly.
Æ Inventory Management
Ë The manuals should be upgraded, purged and
duplicated monthly. Common Sense states that... It is vital to have every-
Ë One person from each department, and thing necessary for the execution of any task or activ-
wherever necessary, from each shift, is ity, from information, tools, materials, supplies, parts,
assigned the responsibility of managing the equipment, to work-in-process, in the right place, in
information resource. the right quantity and at the right time. Our mission is
eopl
e
Ë As the information resource takes to develop a lean manufacturing operation
s m art pisions, n in which a comprehensive inventory
v en d dec atio shape, the information system can be
“E e ba nform ct.” &
mak n the i incorre organized and formatted to fit onto a control discipline is used to ncy
whe use is E fficie y imply he
they standard commercial data base. minimize waste of time, “ om of t
space, materials, move- econoyment ent ands
l m a
Ë As computerization of the information ment, duplication, over- emp instru aterial use
gh t t m h t
resource takes shape, information resource ri righ ir rig er.”
production, defects, labor, the as the t mann
access points throughout the operation should money, and the inefficient well he righ
be planned. consumption of any resource. in t
Ë At the access points data is allowed to be Inventory control is the management of everything
accessed, entered, and printed, however, required, but nothing more, to complete any activity in
information will only become a permanent diecutting converting.
part of the resource, as it is approved by the
key information manager appointed within There are many different materials, tools,
Inventory Control
each discipline. Checklist components, parts, supplies, information,
and work-in-process resources required
Ë To keep the information resource as updated
to complete each step in the manufac-
as possible, the consolidation of new data and
turing process. These activities could
the revision of existing data, must be completed
include ruling a steel rule dieboard, it
weekly.
could be locking the die in the chase, it
Ë All manuals, worksheets, and documentation could be rubbering the die, it could be
tools must be scanned and entered into the nicking a die, it could be taking an im-
database as accessible and printable PDF files. pression, and it could be patching up the job to achieve
Ë System back-ups are automatically scheduled a kiss cut impression.
daily, and run invisibly in
the background. Everyone of these activities requires tools and equip-
ment, materials and supplies, parts and components,
Ë All information is
and information to complete the specific task. Every
copyrighted and password Don’t Get Lost!
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.”
the one of these resources is either
“Obviously, of
highest ty pe permanently located at the site of Inventory management and control
is th at which
isting the activity; or it is temporarily is not only making sure you have
effici en cy
can utilize ex th e best delivered to the site of the activ- everything you need to complete an
materia l to
advan ta ge .”
ity, and is returned to a dedi- activity immediately on hand. It
cated storage location; or it is a is designed to ensure that what-
consumable resource, which must be replenished as it ever activity is being executed,
is used; or it is work-in-process, which is transformed it is organized in a manner to
by the activity; or it is product and waste, which must minimize time to access everything
be managed and delivered to the correct location; or it that is needed, and all of the consumable items
is information, which is required to guide the activity, are replenished to the correct supply levels.
and information, which is generated by the activity,
which must be managed and delivered to the correct How often have you nicked a die on-press where the
location; it is the space itself, which must be mini- nicking wheels are missing or are all broken, where the
mized to reduced cost, but which must nick grinder is on the next press, where the adhesive
be large enough to accommodate the safe has dried out, where someone has misplaced the safety
execution of the activity; and it is the glasses, or where you have to walk to the diemaking
integration with the internal and external department or to the pre-press area to find the correct
customer-supplier chain to coordinate the ejection material? These are the invisible productivity
delivery of everything needed to execute killers which account for so much wasted movement
each task in a lean and an efficient man- and non-value added time in diecutting.
ner.
The model for press changeover organization we
The goal is to be able to complete a spe- describe is the hospital emergency or operating room.
cific diecutting-converting task with minimal prepara- We use the following description to define how the
tion time, and minimal movement from and around principles of Just-In-Time organization apply to this
the activity to access tools and materials and infor- activity. However, when you read this,
mation and resources. think in terms of all of the tools, ma-
terials, and supplies, which must be in
For example, if it became necessary to add nicks to a place, and which must be replenished
die on-press, how would inventory management and to keep this key area in optimal oper-
control impact this activity? ating condition.

As nicking the die is a common on-press activity, the In this specialized environment, every
nick grinder, and a complete inventory of wheels, single item is pre-determined and pre-
nicking device tools, safety glasses, and an extension checked; everything is in optimal condition;
power cord or an air line, depending upon the type of everything is stored as close to the action as possible,
grinder, should be stored in a retractable overhead tool without crowding the activity; everything is stored in
rack, or in a shadow box, mounted on the face of the the identical location it was stored in, as it was every
press or in the immediate proximity of the platen well. other time the work area was used; every material,
every supply, every tool, every piece of equipment,
As this activity will probably require the removal and every piece of information, and every component, is
repositioning of ejection material, we also need pliers stored in a predetermined location, and consistently
to remove the rubber, a scraper to clean the dieboard applied location; every-
surface, a supply of different ejection thing that is needed is
materials, a cutting tool to cut the rubber available and nothing that
• -- --- ck ry

• --- ---- --- ---- ---

• - ---- ---- ---- list

• - ---- ---- ---- ---- ---

• - ---- he nto

to size, the correct adhesive based upon is not needed, the area is
• -- --- --- ---

• - --- --- ---- --- ---

-- --- --- --- ---
• C ve

-- -- -- -
-- -- -- --
-- -- -
In

-- -- --

the type of rubber, and a method of replen- as compact as possible,

-- --
--
--

ishing all of the consumable items as they are but not so compact as to
used! inhibit the activity; at the
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“To be absolutely certain about something, one must know everything or nothing about it.” Olin Miller
end of every cycle, the work area is „ The Waste Extraction System
purged, restocked, and prepared for Ë The next step is to prioritize these work
the next emergency; during the activ- areas or work cells for Inventory Control
ity the work area is restricted with preparation. My suggestion would be to begin
only essential personnel admitted; every team player at the Platen Stack or
has a designated role and a designated position during Diecutting Section as this
the activity; and every team player understands the is where the majority of
sequence of events and is ready on cue to provide the work takes place.
technical assistance required.
Ë With the specific work cell
Each participant became a member of this elite team selected, the organization
after extensive training and education. Is this the same of the work area can begin. This requires
as press changeover? You may disagree, but in prin- listing everything required to complete the
ciple the only difference is the activity, the tools, and activity, and without leaving the work area.
the skills being applied. The principles and This would include:
the practices of how this room or work area „ Job Information & Storage
is organized is identical to the principles „ All Hand Tools
and practices used to organize fast press „ All Power Tools
changeover. And this approach is identi- „ All Power Outlets
cal to our inventory management require- „ All Air Outlets
ments to make sure everything is where it is „ All Converting Tools
needed and when it is needed. „ All Materials
PO O R „ All Supplies
„ All Parts & Components
Ë The first step in any new project FOCU S „ All Equipment
must be to get the entire work team together „ All Safety Gear
to describe the project, to outline the potential „ All Maintenance Equipment
benefits of the change, to discuss the obstacles „ All Maintenance Supplies
and challenges, and to brainstorm methods „ Any First Aid Supplies
and practices for starting the project. „ Work-In-Progress Storage
Ë The work team should adopt the description of Ë Every component listed above
the Hospital Emergency Room as the model must be given an
for the reorganization of key on-press and off- identification number,
press areas of activity. and a permanent or
Ë The work team should define the work areas a temporary on-press
or activity centers on press. These will include storage location.
the operator side of the press, the off-lay or Ë The storage location could
gear side of the press, the end of the feeder be a single location shadow
and the end of the delivery. In addition, we box, preferably color coded, which is mounted
must include the underside of a unit and the on the face of the press, or if it is a temporary
inside of a press unit. These work areas could tool it would be mounted on a mobile tool
include: module which has color coded, single location
„ The Press Feeder shadow boxes, to hold temporary tool and
„ The Press Feedboard material required to complete one activity or a
„ The Platen Stack sequence of activities.
„ The Platen Well
„ The Stripping Unit Ë The storage location could be a single location
„ The Blanking Unit Shadow Box, preferably color coded, which is
„ The Delivery mounted above the work area on a retractable
overhead counterbalanced gantry. This allows
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” Josh Billings
the tools to be accessed and replaced Diecutting is very similar. You have a task to com-
instantly. However, when not in plete on-press, and the inventory management and
use the gantry can be locked in the control checklists are simply there to make sure you
retracted position. have everything you need to complete the activity
Ë Some of the materials and supplies as fast as possible, as easy as possible, and in the
are consumable items, such as patch- least amount of time.
up tape, carbon paper, grinding
wheels, ejection material, and patch- It is obviously important to standardize the inven-
up sheets, to specify a few. Some of tory control distribution of tools, materials, and
these materials are kept on-press components, to ensure everything is maintained
permanently, as they can be required in the approved positions, and to create a master
at any time, however, some of the consumables blueprint to record changes and progressive upgrades
are only required during a press to the system. To manage the layout:
changeover. Therefore, all of
the consumable items must be Ë The next step requires creating an accurate
subjected to a post-process checklist map of the press and the surrounding areas,
immediately after each changeover particularly if these areas are involved in
to ensure they are always in optimal press changeover, or are used as staging
condition and in the correct quantity. areas for new and old tools. The map should
Ë To manage the inventory control be executed on graph paper, or directly
system, it is essential to create a series of programmed into a CAD System, using a
checklists for each work area on-press, to be scale such as 1/4” per foot.
executed before the last production run is Ë The next step requires using the map
complete, to verify everything is in position for to position all of the tools, supplies
the next changeover. and components, which will be
Ë It should be recognized, that until the final used in make-ready.
layout, organization, and placement of every Ë The positioning of tools and
tool, material, and component, it would materials is critical. Every
be most effective to develop this inventory
control system on a single press. This has
step we take, every time we
reach for a tool consumes START?
the advantage of giving everyone time to the base time block of time management,
assimilate the new ideas, and to react, and to 6 seconds. Also we defined transportation
add their comments and suggestions. as one of the potential waste sources in
manufacturing. Therefore, all of the tools, the
These organization principles and practices should materials, the components, and the parts must
be common sense. Just imagine you are a building be positioned as close to where they will be
roofer. How many times do you need to climb down used as possible.
and back-up, if all the tools you used and the roof Ë Where necessary tools must be duplicated,
tiles, were stored on the ground in-front of the and where possible fastened in position using
house? Of course, this does not make sense. a retractable, spring loaded wire or nylon
Roofers have all their tools either in a tool belt hawser. This will ensure the tools are where
or on a platform beside them on the roof as they are needed, when they are needed, and it
they work. In fact, the standard practice is to will be impossible to inadvertently remove a
first pre-position all the stacks of roof tiles key tool from the work area.
evenly across the roof, so there is minimal
effort during roofing to get to everything Ë It is an advantage to pre-plan the pre-
they need. positioning of tools, equipment, materials and
parts in each work area, however, it usually
proves effective to implement the set-up
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes.” Chinese Proverb
over several changeovers. This is one involved that this is more effective, it is safer,
important as planning on-paper it is easier, it is less stressful, and ultimately, it
is rather different to the actual is a more productive way of doing things.
process on-press. It will usually
take several sessions to fully Æ Just-In-Time Organization
customize a work area.
Ë It is also an advantage to work Common Sense states that... time is our
on one area, to minimize any most expensive and our most volatile
potential disruption, and also to resource, and Just-In-Time provides the dis-
expedite the completion of one area. cipline to stabilize, to standardize, to stream-
When the first area is complete, the next line manufacturing to produce parts at their
area can be started. lowest cost, to minimize the consumption of all
resources, particularly labor, and to manufacture in
Ë Naturally, when the Inventory Control
the shortest time. “Waste can be defined as anything
organization of each work area is complete,
other than the minimum amount of equipment, mate-
the area should be mapped, on paper and
rial, parts, tools, space, and the worker’s time, which
on videotape, with every tool, every material,
are absolutely essential to add value to the product.”
and ever component position identified
Fujio Cho
and marked. (In practice an area is never
completely finished as progressive changeover
Just-in-Time was
cycles will reinforce the optimal layout and
first emerged
expose changes to improve utilization of the
in the Ford
area.)
manufacturing
CUT revolution in the
COST This is not a difficult concept, nor is it early 1920’s. Henry
a difficult project to organize, however, Ford; “We have found in
REDUCE
COMPLEXITY there is often a great deal of emotional buying materials that it is not
attachment to the old ways of doing worth while to buy for other than immediate needs.
things. Even when existing methods have clearly We buy only enough to fit into the plan of production,
failed to stay in touch with current commercial or taking into consideration the state of transportation
technical standards. As with all of these projects, the at the time. If transportation were perfect and an
watch word is patience, followed by lots of communi- even flow of materials could be assured, it would not
cation and discussion! be necessary to carry any stock whatsoever. The car-
loads of raw materials would arrive on schedule and
The initial project should be described and discussed in the planned order and amounts, and go from the
in detail with the entire work team, however, to limit railway cars into production. That would save a great
the degree of chaos, which could be caused by every- deal of money, for it would give a very rapid turnover
one working on the project at the same time, it would and thus decrease the amount of money tied up in
be more pragmatic to limit the project to one press and materials. With bad transportation one has to carry
to one press team. larger stocks.”
In my experience, everyone genuinely The next major breakthrough in Just-In-Time
believes their method of completing each came at Toyota in the 1950’s, when Chief
diecutting activity, is the best method for Engineer Taichi Ohno recognized the assump-
themselves, the team and the company, It tion that these methods were only suitable for
will require support, positive reinforce- large volume manufacturing was incorrect. He
ment, and ultimately discipline, to get realized that if the operation were made more
through the first stage of what ever project flexible, they could reduce the overhead cost and
is selected. Fortunately, the inevitable out- reduce the economic lot size. This in turn led to
come of this project will be to convince every-
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expect generally happens.” Benjamin Disraeli
the development of Single Minute Time & Materials Pricing Just-In-Time organized workplace
Exchange of Die at Toyota, when everyone is familiar with, from personal
engineer Shigeo Shingo attacked experience or from watching too many
the bottleneck problem of re- Market Driven Pricing medical dramas. The example is the oper-
duced lot or run sizes, by achiev- ating room in a hospital.
ing rapid changeover from one
production run to the next. Productivity Driven Pricing In this specialized environment every
single item is pre-determined and pre-
This minimalist approach to manu- checked; everything is in optimal con-
facturing eliminated anything which was not necessary dition; everything is stored as close to the action as
to an activity, and it ensured that everything that was possible without crowding the activity; everything is
necessary, was in the right quantity, at the right place stored in the identical location it was stored in as it
at the right time. Why is this so important in diecutting was every other time the work area was used; every
manufacturing? material, every supply, every tool, every piece of
equipment, every piece of information, and every com-
As with all manufacturing, commercial pressure has ponent, is stored in a predetermined location, and con-
forced a change in the way we price and cost our prod- sistently applied location; everything that is needed is
ucts and services. In the beginning it was simple. We available and nothing that is not needed, the area is as
added our costs and the profit we thought was fair to compact as possible, but not so compact as to inhibit
determine our price. Naturally, this Time plus Materi- the activity; at the end of every cycle, the work area is
als approach to manufacturing was safe and good for purged, restocked, and prepared for the next emergen-
the manufacturer. However, in- cy; during the activity the work area is restricted with
R creased competition led to Market only essential personnel admitted; every team player
FASTE Driven Pricing, in which the price is has a designated role and a designated position during
EASIER determined by the market, and profit the activity; and every team player understands the
is calculated by subtracting cost from sequence of events and is ready on cue to provide the
BETTER the price. This is obviously good for technical assistance required.
the purchaser. However, our ability
CHEAPER to survive is predicated on adopting They also became members of
Productivity Driven Pricing. In this method this elite team after
Costs are specified by subtracting our re- extensive training
quired profitability from the price driven by and education. This
the marketplace! is the same as press
The reason it is called Productivity Driven changeover! You
Pricing is because we are, in the majority of situations, may disagree, but in
unable to set the market price. See above. Therefore, principle the only difference is the activity, the tools,
our profitability is a function of subtracting our costs and the skills being applied. The principles and the
from the market price to generate our profit. As the practices of how this room or work area is organized is
only way we can do this is by attacking and lower- identical to the principles and practices used to orga-
ing costs, productivity and efficiency nize fast press changeover.
become the primary driving forces of 7 Waste Sources
everyday activity in diecutting.
Ë The first step in any new project must be to
The reason Just-In-Time techniques are get the entire work team together to describe
so important in diecutting, is this is one the project, to outline the potential benefits
of the most effective productivity tools of the change, to discuss the obstacles and
to reduce operating cost. challenges, and to brainstorm methods and
practices for starting the project.
Before describing the solution, it would Ë The work team should adopt the description
be beneficial to describe an optimal
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Every moment spent planning saves three to four in execution.” Crawford Greenwalt
of the Hospital Emergency Room as the ment
model for the reorganization of key areas „ All Maintenance Supplies
of activity or work areas, on-press and „ Any First Aid Supplies
off-press. Ë The principle here is once you have started an
Ë The work team should define the work activity, there should be no reason to leave the
areas or activity centers on press. These work cell other than for a scheduled break, a
will include the operator side of the press, toilet break, or a personal emergency. Walking
the off-lay or gear side of the press, the to get information or looking for a tool is
end of the feeder and the end of the a non-value added activity, which must be
delivery. In addition, we must include the eliminated and most certainly converted from
underside of a unit and the inside of a press an on-press activity, an Internal activity in
unit. These work areas could include: SMED, to an off-press activity, and External
„ The Press Feeder activity in SMED.
„ The Press Feedboard Ë One of the disadvantages of the standard press
„ The Platen Stack platform is it is often too small to properly
„ The Platen Well organize and to execute a team make-ready. By
„ The Stripping Unit rotating one adjoining press or by extending
„ The Blanking Unit the standard press platform, we can create a
„ The Delivery more effective and a safer working area.
„ The Waste Extraction System
Ë The next step requires creating
Is this an accurate map of the press “If we don't
Step and the surrounding areas, change
Adding Value particularly if these areas are direction,
or is it involved in press changeover, we'll end up
simply or are used as staging areas where we're
Adding Cost? for new and old tools. The going!”
map should be executed on graph paper, or
Ë The next step is to prioritize these work areas directly programmed into a CAD System,
or work cells, for Just-In-Time Calibration. using a scale such as 1/4” per foot.
My suggestion would be to begin at the Platen
Stack or Diecutting Section as this is where Ë The next step requires using the map to
the majority of work takes place. position all of the tools, supplies and
components which will be used in make-
Ë With the specific work cell selected, the ready. There are two options here. They can
organization of the work area can begin. be permanently located in single source, color
This requires listing everything required to coded or shadow box locations, or they can
complete the activity, and without leaving the be transported in on specially designed tool,
work area. This would include: equipment and materials carts, which are
„ Job Information & Storage pre-positioned by the pre-press team. The
„ All Hand Tools advantage of the mobile cart system, is each
„ All Power Tools cart can be customized precisely for each press
„ All Power Outlets make-ready, and it can be returned to the pre-
„ All Air Outlets DE press area, where the cart can be purged and
ED
„ All Converting Tools replenished for the next make-ready.
E

„ All Materials
SP

AN DS

„ All Supplies Ë It is important to remember to use pull down

„ All Parts & Components overhead tool and material holders. Many
„ All Equipment companies utilize this technique to have
„ All Safety Gear the tools and materials instantly accessible,
„ All Maintenance Equip- and the counterbalanced toolholders can be
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Good results without good planning come from good luck, not good management.” David Jaquith
pushed upward and locked out of Ë Where necessary tools must be duplicated,
CLO SE
the way when they are not in use. and where possible fastened in position using
Ë An important point in this a retractable, spring loaded wire or nylon
organization system, is that hawser. This will ensure the tools are where
they are needed, when they are needed and it

OP
personal tools are not allowed.
is impossible to inadvertently remove a key tool

LO
If everyone had their own tools
we have immediately given up from the work area.
standardization and consistency. Have Ë One of the interesting modifications made to
you ever looked inside one of these toolboxes? Western equipment by the early Japanese
Tools are mixed together in a chaotic mix pioneers of Just-In-Time, was to modify all of
of different implements and because the the heads of the bolts, and all of the sockets
toolboxes are not organized with color coded, of the Allen bolts to have the same size bolt
single source or shadow box locations, head or the same size Allen wrench. We would
retrieving and searching for missing tools probably describe this initiative as not
consumes 5 to 10 minutes every make-ready. worth the effort, but having a single
Five minutes may not seem a great deal of tool, spanner at one end, and an Allen
time, however, if we do one changeover per key for the other end, saved sufficient
shift on three shifts, and we work 5 days per time from every press set-up, to pay
week, that is one hour and 15 minutes per for the expenditure in a matter of
week, and 64 hours and 30 minutes per year. weeks!
Five minutes every make ready is an Ë It is an advantage to pre-plan the pre-
enormous block of time, and in this very positioning of tools, equipment, materials and
conservative estimate, it means we lose parts in each work area, however, it usually
one press for all most 8 shifts per year! proves effective to implement the set-up over
“Short as life is, This is simply not acceptable! several changeovers. This is important as the
we make it still
shorter by the Ë Remember an important requirement planning on-paper is rather different to the
careless waste of efficient high speed manufacturing. actual process on-press. It will usually take
of time.” You can do this job any way you want several sessions to fully customize a work area.
as long as you all do it the same way! Ë It is also an advantage to work on one area, to
When we allow personal tools we are allowing minimize any potential disruption, and also
the process to be undermined by all of the to expedite the completion of one area. When
different ways and inconsistencies, people the first area is complete the next area can be
bring to their personal discipline. This is now started.
a team approach and everything must be
consistent. So the personal tools are out! Ë Naturally, when the Just-In-Time organization
of each work area is complete, the area should
Ë The positioning of tools and materials is be mapped, on paper and on videotape, with
critical. Every step we take, every time we every tool, every material, and ever component
reach for a tool, consumes the base time position identified and marked. (In practice
block of time management, 6 seconds. Also an area is never completely finished as
we defined transportation as one of the progressive changeover cycles will reinforce
potential waste sources in the optimal layout and expose changes to
manufacturing. Therefore, “Waste can be defined as improve utilization of the area.)
all of the tools, the anything other than the
materials, the components, minimum amount of
equipment, material, parts, The goal is to be able to start each make-
and the parts must be tools, space, and the worker’s ready with everything pre-positioned, so
positioned as close to time, which are absolutely every part, tool, materials, supply, piece of
where they will be used as essential to add value to the information, and components are on-press. It
possible. product.” Fujio Cho - Toyota
is estimated that more than 25% of the activ-
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“If you can’t beat ‘em, confuse ‘em.” Harry S. Truman
ity in an average press make-ready is non- of the day, it has become
value added time consumed in looking for longer! In fact more than
tools, getting materials and equipment, 200 years ago Benjamin
verifying information, replacing damaged Franklin observed; “Dost
parts, and relocating misplaced parts! thou love life? Then do not
squander time, for that the
As you can see this is not a difficult stuff life is made of.”
project to organize, however, the steps and the prog-
ress will be slow, as everyone in the work teams learn Our daily conversations and our professional dia-
to think in terms of value added time and non-value logues are full of time references. These may include:
added time. And to return everything back to where “Man time; time out; down time; start time; lost
they got it from! time; cycle time; break time; time and a half; just-in-
time; up time; Pacific time; on time; overtime; value
Æ Time Management added time; travel time; and delivery time, just to
mention a few.”
Common Sense states that... time is our most expen-
sive and our most volatile resource, and it is In addition our language and terminology contain
essential to develop a system of manufactur- time based measurement or references. These would
ing built around benchmarked time standards; include “Speed to market; resiliency; happy hour;
and to use the measurement of activity time sunrise and sunset; late delivery; benchmark; park-
and elapsed time, to simplify, to accelerate, ing meter; miles-per-hour; turnaround; press speed
and to streamline the process and every activ- & yield; schedule; and of course, weekend.”
ity, to reduce resource waste, to reduce non-
value added time consumption, to improve These constant reminders of how important time is
quality, to increase productive output, and to reduce in our life, adds to the challenge and the pressure to
operating cost. “We work not only to produce but to do better. As we are constantly reminded, we need
give value to time.” Eugene Delacrois to “Manage Time.” The title of this section of the
manual is Time Management, but the reality is it is
One of the few guarantees in life is the equality of impossible to manage time. “Time Management”
time. Everyone, from the rich and famous, to the poor is not about managing or about controlling time, but
and the unknown foot soldier, receives an identi- rather about managing and controlling
cal daily allocation of seconds, minutes and hours. our activity, and using the passage of
The great unknown of course, is how and when this time, as a measurement of our effi-
resource will become superfluous, as we are no longer ciency and of our effectiveness.
here to spend our time. The recognition of the irre-
placeable volatility of our time and our lives, adds to So why is this a big deal in diecutting and
the stress and frustration of daily living, as we try to converting? Making the best use of the time you have
“manage & control” this resource. Unfortunately, a has been a universal theme since the beginning of
quote by Henry Austin Dobson illustrates our dilem- recorded history.
ma; “Time goes, you say? Ah, no! Alas, Time stays, However, things have changed, the products and the
we go!” processes are more complex, the technology and the
system of manufacturing is faster, and the man time or
The majority of us are experiencing a daily increase in man hour resources available to handle the increased
things-to-do, while there is a seemingly steady decline volume has and is steadily decreasing.
in the time available to complete each task. We seem
to be working faster, and harder, we start So, what has happened?
earlier and work later, and yet the
morning’s project list has not In many ways the basic structure and
only not decreased by the end the focus of converting has remained
unchanged, however, the economic
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.” Mark Twain
environment we work in, and the market we serve has have to integrate time measurement
very different and constantly evolving expectations of into every key activity.
performance. For example, while quality control and
quality management has been the driving force of our To implement an effective
industry, the focus now is on “Speed-to-Market.” This system of time management,
simply states that customers want the quality and the designed to provide the methods
consistency of the folding cartons and fluted contain- and the measurement prac-
ers you are producing, but they want it faster and in tices, to analyze and to improve the
the shortest time possible. And of course, as they know process, we have to follow a simple but
speed in diecutting lowers the cost of manufacturing, essential step-by-step program. In the several sections
they also want it cheaper. of this manual we have discussed in detail time based
measurement systems, such as Key Result Analysis,
Just-in-Time organization, and Single Minute Ex-
change of Die. However, time management is about
activity organization, management and control, and
this must be our starting point.

To implement this improvement initiative we need to

execute the following actions:

In the traditional measurement Cost was the driving Ë The first step in any new project must be to
force, and we constantly referred to financial measure- get the entire work team together to describe
ment to assess performance. However, in the modern the project, to outline the potential benefits
manufacturing operation, time is the driving force, and of the change, to discuss the obstacles and
we look to physical results, turnaround and through- challenges, and to brainstorm methods and
put, as the measures of performance. See above. practices for starting the project.
This transformation has proved very beneficial to all
manufacturing as it has forcefully demonstrated that Ë It is important to list and to prioritize
key activities, with the goal of choosing
one activity to be the proving ground for
subsequent activity reorganization and
benchmarking.
Ë Although we are strictly not ready to use
time management as an effective analytical
tool, it would be useful to time several cycles
of the selected activity, and establish an
average benchmark. This will give the work
teams experience in the techniques and the
Time is a more useful and a more accurate measure- procedures of time measurement, and in the
ment tool than Cost. While this approach still values decisions regarding the start and end point of
the importance of cost control and management, it each activity.
does recognize, that the traditional cost measurement
system was a symptomatic, after the fact, measure-
Ë The next step is accomplished by working
E with the project teams to stabilize and to
ment of performance. See above. TIM standardize the work area, in which the
TIME
activity is performed.
So, what is the bottom line? TIME Ë This first step in standardization may require
To make the transformation to “Competing TIME listing all of the tools, materials, equipment,
Against Time”, we have to accept time man- supplies, information and components, which
agement as the critical measurement tool, and we are required to complete the activity, and
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“The way to gain a reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” Socrates
establishing a checklist for pre-preparation this project, the heavy lifting is in standardizing the
and positioning everything needed to work area, the tools and supplies, and the proce-
complete the task. dures used to execute the activity. Time measure-
Ë The next step is to list and ment or time management becomes most useful
prioritize the sequence of when the standardization has progressed to
procedures, which are used the stage that the use of time measurement
to complete the task under becomes one of the important factors in select-
analysis. This could obviously be ing the most appropriate step or action in the
a single procedure or it could be activity.
a series of sequentially executed
procedures. The good news is time measurement and time con-
trol of key activities is neither complex nor difficult,
Ë As part of the standardization of the however, the primary challenge, and the perennial
work area and the procedures executed in the obstacle to the faint of heart, is the need to stabilize
work area, it is obviously important to define and to standardize the activity. Time measurement will
current performance measurement and/or provide the feedback we need to adjust the process, but
to devise measurement based upon activity the process must be executed consistently for the use
criteria and time. For example, although of time measurement to be effective and/or valid.
we can use time measurement to determine
activity time and elapsed time, this would have As we have described in earlier sections, one of the
to work in conjunction most powerful tools in process VALUE ADDED TIME?
TIME with measurements such
improvement is the standard
as quality. We can time the Video Camera or Digital Cam-
transfer of counters, however, the most corder. This is not only invalu-
important measurement would be tool-to- able in showing the before and
tool alignment and folding performance. after, it is much easier for indi-
Ë The team would then execute several viduals and teams to evaluate
cycles and measure time performance, against their own performance when
the original standard. However, too much they can observe the activity NONE VALUE ADDED
emphasis should not be placed upon the time, away from the stress and the TIME?

as at this stage the most important ingredient pressure of execution.

is to give individuals and teams the time to
learn the new layout of the work area, and The advantage of the modern digital camera equip-
to fine tune the layout and the standardized ment, and in fact some of the older video cameras, is
procedures they are executing. they can be set to show the elapsed and activity time
for the events they are recording. The modern digital
Ë As the team gains experience in the use of time
media is particularly useful in this application, as the
in terms of added value and non-added value,
files can be downloaded to a computer to simplify ac-
in terms of just-in-time organization, and
cess and viewing, and to allow maximum flexibility in
in organizing the layout of the work area to
reviewing the activity.
minimize travel time, the benefits will accrue
in faster processing and greater consistency.
This both reduces the complexity of timekeeping,
Ë To maximize the full benefit from all and it reinforces the validity of the informa-
of these process improvement tion captured. In addition, there is no need
activities it is useful to use for a professional videographer as these
a facilitator as an observer, cameras are simple and easy to use, and it
a recorder, and as a adds great validity to the process im-
timekeeper. provement initiative if one of the team
records the activity.
As you can see from the steps in
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Don’t tell me that worry doesn’t do any good. I know better. The things I worry about don’t happen.” Anonymous
To put all of this together, we method of orga- DIECUTTING SIX MAJOR
are actually following recom- nizing what we PRESS LOSSES
by? Trainee? Trainer? Training Date? mendations used a number are already doing. TOTAL
AVAILABLE 1 EQUIPMENT
FAILURE

of times in earlier sections to This information OPERATING

2
$ TIME
SET-UP &
describe how to improve safety plays the role of ADJUSTMENT

DOWN TIME
$ ACTUAL
or skill development, through a storyboard for
3 STOPPAGES

LOSSES
OPERATING IDLING &
TIME
$
the use of a standard operating the creation of the
$ procedure. This method includes Video Taped Ap- REAL
4 REDUCED

LOSSES
SPEED
SPEED
OPERATING
a critical focus upon the recording of Activity Time proved Procedure TIME

and Elapsed time as key but integrated elements of by the work team; NET 5 DEFECTS
PROCESS
IN

DEFECT
LOSSES
every key step in each activity. This entails organizing for comparing the OPERATING
the following activities: elapsed time to an
TIME
6 REDUCED
YIELD

existing benchmark
Ë Form Two or Three Small Diecutting Im standard, or for creating a new time standard; for at-
provement Teams. tacking Just-in-Time organization; for reviewing work
area layout and value added time compared to non-
Ë Define & Teach the Safety-Speed-Quality-
value added time; and for creating simpler, faster and
Cost Mission.
more effective methods of organization, training and
Ë Divide & Prioritize the Process into Activi retraining, and in benchmarking performance.
ties to be analyzed.
Ë Break the selected activity into a prioritized Æ Parallel Processing
series of tasks or actions.
Ë Choose a Standard Operating Procedure Common Sense states that... it is the mission of the
documentation and information collection pre-press and diecutting work teams to changeover
format. from the last qualified diecut sheet of the previous
Ë Divide each procedure into prioritized steps order, produced at maximum press speed, to the first
or singular actions. qualified diecut sheet from the next order, produced at
Ë Process each step using the following format: maximum production speed, in the shortest time, with
the least amount of resources, and with the lowest cost.
„ Sequence & Number each Step This requires converting an inefficient incremental,
„ Describe the Step Action one step at a time process, to generate an efficient
„ Add Comments & Guidelines simultaneous series of choreographed activities, which
proceed in tandem or in parallel.
„ Safety Approval & Sign Off
„ Speed Approval & Sign Off It is vital to recognize that diecutting manufacturing is
„ Quality Approval & Sign Off about research and testing, and while we have to meet
„ Step Activity Time Record output, quality and cost targets, we are continuously
seeking faster, simpler, better and lower cost methods
„ Step Elapsed Time Record
and practices.
„ Step Cost Calculation (Activity and cumu
lative cost) The commercial market dynamic has changed con-
Ë Develop and benchmark each procedure & siderably and continues to evolve at a difficult to
implement team approval manage pace. Diecutting is about shorter runs with a
Ë Members of the Team Videotape & time the correspondingly greater number of changeover cycles,
procedure adding a voice-over and a relentless daily competition against
the clock. Unfortunately, our
Ë Implement the Training Map, Teaching &
industry rarely utilizes more
ics
Changeover Tact

Certification System
than 50% of the productive
potential of existing diecutting
Remember, this is simply a more effective and logical
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
technology, and we are in danger 1 5
In practice, this requires a greater integra-
of steadily losing the Speed to tion of the diemaker and the pre-press
2 1
3 15
4 20
5 18
6 4
7 30
8 97

Market race unless we are prepared technician, and the primary architect of
9 11
10 86
11 7
12 23
13 22
26

to find radically better techniques diecutting and toolmaking success, the

and procedures. Complicating this CAD CAM/Structural Design Team.
challenge is the reality of working Which brings us to the fundamental im-
with less resources, less time, and portance of teamwork in the new system
less opportunity to recover from any of manufacturing. The current method
mistakes or production bottlenecks. of press make-ready is primarily an
Incremental Process, in which a series
The challenge we face, is we are struggling with of predictable tasks are executed in a sequence, one
traditional methods and practices, which although after the other. This method of working is neither time
they can be marginally improved, lack the flexibility efficient nor does it utilize available resources effec-
to make and to sustain rapid and continuous daily tively. The alternative is the Simultaneous Process, in
improvement. As it has consistently proven difficult which a team of people, with pre-determine duties and
to transform the current system of manufacturing into responsibilities, execute a series of pre-determined ac-
an efficient, and a productive tivities, in a coordinated and a choreographed manner,
diecutting operation, it is obvi- designed to changeover in 30 minutes or less!
ously necessary to consider a
different, and a more effective Is this possible? Yes it is. Will it
approach. require change to the current
system of manufacturing?
The keys to the new discipline are based around an Yes it will. Is it difficult to
understanding and the implementation of Time and implement? It is not dif-
Motion and Just-In-Time Principles, and an adoption ficult to implement, how-
of a more effective organization structure for prepa- ever, it will take time for
ration and execution of press the work team to adopt, to
changeover. These include the accept, and to become adept in the new methods and
discipline of organizing, us- procedures.
ing the principles and practices
implemented in a Hospital Realistically we have little alternative, but to adopt
Emergency Operating Room, a system of manufacturing which has demonstrated
and by adopting the competi- considerable productive advantages, over the current
tive team changeover principles and practices used in approach to diecutting manufacturing.
a NASCAR or Auto Racing Pit Crew Changeover.
These can be, and they should be, implemented gradu- The potential solutions for press changeover are sug-
ally, with daily practice improving performance and gested in a graduated progression, from basic, to inter-
competence in these basic and very understandable mediate, to advanced. Simply stated these suggestions
disciplines. for organizational change range from those requiring
minimal effort and disruption, and being capable of
An important element of making these changes must fast implementation, to those which require planning,
be a recognition that a meticulous and a continu- training, and practice, and will require a longer term to
ally improving preparatory checklist is vital to faster perfect the skills.
and simpler changeover. In addition, it is essential
to accept that the diecutting press is merely Using a variation on these different op-
a toolholder, and the foundation of effective erating methods, some companies start
diecutting is effective tool specification, with the basic changeover reorganization
design and fabrication of precisely syn- and gradually progress through the
chronized tooling. other options as the workforce gains
experience and confidence.
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Invincibility depends on one’s self; the enemy’s vulnerability on him.” Sun Tzu
It is important to note all of these methods of press organized tool belt or harness. However, do not
changeover are based upon a thorough re-organiza- under-estimate the importance of this first level
tion of the press, the tools, the materials, and the of change, this type of re-organization has proven
supplies, in a Just-In-Time and off-press the ability to reduce changeover time by 15 to 45
organization discipline. These principles minutes!
and practices defined in earlier sec-
tions of the manual describing Time Ë Level Two
Management, Just-In-Time Organiza-
tion, Single Minute Exchange of Die, This is one of the more common techniques used in
Inventory Management, Simplification and Pre-Press Europe. Two crafts people in the department are se-
Organization, will make a significant productive im- lected as changeover specialists, and rigorously trained
pact on press changeover, if nothing else is changed. in all of the key techniques we have specified. Their
However, when you consider the breakdown of Non- primary role is to prepare for, to assist the operator,
Value Added Time as compared to Value Added Time, and to complete a technical close out of every press
it is vital to customize the press and the work areas to changeover. The information they collect is obviously
make press changeover as simple as possible. Stabi- recycled and used to continuously improve standard
lize, Standardize, and Streamline. methods and practices, however, all of this informa-
tion is purged weekly and documented to ensure it is
So each of the alternative strategies that follow, all recorded and integrated into standard
require a determined and dedicated attack on operating procedures.
Make all of these critical issues, before we
Ready consider changing the operating An obviously important component
structure of the on-press changeover of this position is training and re-
activity. One further important training, and research and develop-
point. Everyone involved in press ment, as they work to improve meth-
changeover must be wearing ods and practices, and assist the operator
Time! a customized tool belt which to develop more productive working
contains all of the commonly used tools required for habits. Generally, only one specialist is
press changeover. This simple, but critically important on duty at one time, while the other is running a press
change to standard procedures will reduce Non-Value or working in a pre-press discipline, however, they
Added Time by a minimum of 10%. should swap positions every two weeks. Naturally, the
more technicians qualified to perform this function the
Assuming we have completed the basic reorganiza- better, and it should be a goal of this method to raise
tion of the press and work areas, how can we reduce the knowledge and the skill of everyone involved.
changeover time?
Ë Level Three
I recommend eight (8) levels or re-organization strate-
This is a variation on Level 2 where the press operator
gies to reduce the time required to change a press from
is assisted by two changeover specialists. This can be
one job to the next.
accomplished by training 4 individuals, with two on-
Ë Level One duty, and two ready to replace them on a two-weekly
basis. The advantage of this approach is simply logis-
This is simple, and the easiest to execute. tics.
Assuming we have completed all the work
re-organization tasks specified on the pre- For example, on a sheet fed press it is necessary to
vious page, we have customized the work remove the old tools and install the new die and
areas, and we have eliminated the need counter set, the male and female stripping tools,
to look for tools, components or supplies, and the male and female blanking tools. If this is
then we proceed with a one person make- completed incrementally, and each consumes 15
ready. This also assumes the use of a well minutes Activity Time, we have a total of 45 min-
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Yesterday is but today’s memory, and tomorrow is today’s dream.--” Sun Tzu
utes Elapsed Time. However, with the tools more effective. This could in-
the operator and the two person clude a member of management, so they
changeover team, these activities can fully understand and appreciate the
are completed simultaneously or challenge facing the press operators.
in parallel to one another. We still
have 15 minutes Activity Time for These experiences are valuable to the
each tool changeover, however, entire operation, as this training in this
our Elapsed Time, or the press down time is only 15 critical activity will enable everyone involved in the
minutes. In Single Minute Exchange of Die, this is process to more fully comprehend the changeover
referred to as Parallel Processing, which simply means battleground, and to be responsive and focused on the
a team of people are completing cooperatively several needs of the press team.
tasks at the same time.
Ë Level Four
The question is often asked; “What are these people
doing when there are no press changeover’s?” There This is where we begin to reorganize the workplace
can be several answers to this. In most situations the to more effectively utilize our manpower resources.
changeover specialists are our pre-press team, and The Traditional Workflow consisted of each press
when they are not assisting in press changeover, aligned in the same direction and often positioned
they are closing-the-loop on a previous make- side-by-side. This outdated layout of equipment cre-
ready, and completing all of the extensive pre- ates barriers to cooperation, it prevents either operator
paratory activities for the next responding to the needs of the other operator or to be
several press change- able to monitor the press as it runs, and it undermines
overs. Naturally, there teamwork and the idea of shared responsibility.
are many other duties
including training and In the Advance Workflow Layout for presses, one of
re-training, research and the presses is rotated 180 degrees, so the platforms
testing tool and converting of the two presses create a com-
parameters, tool rework and tool management, liai- mon working area between the
son with external and internal suppliers, information presses. (This is most effec-
management and inventory management, and a host of tive, when one
other activities, designed to minimize on-press time. or both of the
press platforms
Level Two and Level Three are one of the most are extended,
common approaches to fast press changeover, as the to provide a more
process of building and creating the teams is relatively effective and a safer
straightforward, and relatively painless. working environment for
press changeover.)
Note: Both Level 2 and Level 3 can and should be reg-
ularly augmented with a Flexible Team Changeover. This means the two operators form a team of two,
This simply means the team of one, or the team of whether by default or out of necessity. The changeover
two, has a fully participating guest participant in the activity, unless both presses are in make-ready at the
make-ready changeover sequence. This should same time, is a cooperative venture, with long term
include regular participation by a CAD-CAM analysis showing changeover to be a 1.5 person activ-
person so they can fully appreciate the impact ity.
of their design and specification decisions. This
should include the diemaker, either an internal or It is interesting to note that 30 or 40 years ago
an external diemaker, as this experience will press operators were classified in two ways. Press
forcibly demonstrate the strengths and weak- Technicians, who could complete all the tasks in
nesses of each tool set, and provide first pre-press, and who could make-ready every press
hand guidance in things to change to make in the operation, and Machine Minders, who were
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“...if we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.” Ivan Turgenev
often in training or apprentices, whose function was ever, instead of two presses, three
to watch the press and deal with any produc- presses are aligned around a central
tion problem, after press make-ready was core of the pre-press discipline.
complete. In fact, if there was a produc- This is generally a four person work
tion stoppage, which was complex team, however, many organizations
to diagnose, the Machine Minder implement this Modular Work Flow
responsibility was to fetch a Press with only a three person team.
Technician who would fix the
problem, provide some fast on-the job As in Level Five the goal is that every team member
training, and who would return to his original becomes interchangeable, and this work environment
duties. Most operations had approximately three Press lends itself to rapid education and to fast skill develop-
Technicians to seven Machine Minders. ment. As in Just-In-Time Work Flow, the position of
Team Leader can rotate between team members, how-
Naturally, this layout would be an advantage to the ever, the timing of the rotation for this work system is
recommendations of Level One through Level Three. usually every three months.

Ë Level Five Most organizations begin this process with a four man
or five man team, however, as the team gains compe-
Level Five requires rotating two presses as before, tence and confidence, it is quickly apparent the addi-
however, in this attack on the tional team members are no longer essential to running
system of diecutting this efficient system of diecutting manufacturing.
e ss manufacturing, suf-
Pr
e-
r ficient space is left
Ë Level Seven
P
between the presses
to accommodate a Level Seven is a progression from Level Five and
pre-press discipline. Often Level Six, however, the major change in this work
referred to as a Just-In-Time organization method is two diemakers and two
Work Flow, the manning of this diemaking workstations are integrated into the pre-
work unit consists of three technicians, who after a press discipline. This generates a six person team.
period of training are capable of performing all of the
functions of diecutting and pre-press. The long term goal of this
team is interchangeabil-
As all of the platforms and the work areas are at the ity between every team
same level, it is possible to observe both presses and member, however, the
the work in pre-press from any vantage point in the primary benefit of the in-
work cell. This results in having 3 or 2 personnel tegration of the diemaking
available for each press changeover, depending upon team is the improvement
the flow of work. of the tooling as a result
of the knowledge gained
This is a highly effective team environment, in which by participating in press changeover, and in pre-press
education, research, and skill development are in- activities.
evitable outcomes. The three personnel share all of
the responsibilities of maximizing productive output, As this represents a more complex system of manufac-
however, one member plays the role of team leader, a turing, team leadership is usually fixed, however, two
role which should rotate between the three team mem- personnel are constantly trained to provide back-up
bers on a monthly basis. and coverage for the team leader position. The long
term goal is to teach the diemakers diecutting, and to
Ë Level Six teach the diecutters diemaking. The benefits gained by
this inevitable exchange of knowledge and skill is the
Level Six provides a similar work environment, how- ability of the entire team to build and sustain a high
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Patience and perserverence have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” Adams
output work unit. procedures, and then by bench-
Ë Level Eight marking and streamlining on-press
activity, we are making the current
The final step in this progression system of changeover faster, better,
is to create a layout similar and simpler, without making major
to Level Seven, however, changes in organization or in man-
the major innovation in this ning. Converting as many On-Press
system of working, is the introduc- Activities to Off-Press Activities is
tion of a CAD-CAM Work Station, and a simple and a powerful exercise, and
the introduction of a CAD CAM Technician of course it is the basis for Single Minute
to the work team. Exchange of Die. (SMED).

This system of working closes the knowledge loop By organizing on and off press activity around Just-In-
in diecutting as the CAD-CAM technician and the Time Principles and Inventory Management practices,
diemakers are directly involved in the system of we are inevitably creating the highly efficient Hospital
manufacturing they design and fabricate tools for. The Emergency Room approach, to work cell organization.
rapid education of every member of this team leads to By focusing on eliminating non-value added time, by
almost daily innovation in structural design, in layout, using time as the primary benchmarking tool, and by
in toolmaking, in press-changeover, in press produc- focusing upon standardization and simplification of
tion, and in converting practices and procedures, we will increase the speed
quality. and the productivity of current systems of manufactur-
ing, while also lowering operating costs.
Team leadership is gen-
erally a fixed position in The benefits of using a Changeover Team to work
this system of working, however, the supervisory or together to complete each make-ready include:
team leader position is still one of active participation
in every activity involved in the system Ë Efficient Parallel or Simultaneous
of manufacturing. This is an excellent
Processing.
format for training for every position, and
Ë Faster completion of key tasks.
it is an excellent system for converting
the diemaking skills into Computer Tool Ë Rapid knowledge, skill & experience sharing.
Design Skills, and ultimately Structural Ë Greater Uniformity and Performance Parity.
Design ability. The primary goal is fast Ë A Reduction in the stress and the fatigue of a
press changeover, and maximum produc- challenging activity.
tive output, however, the secondary benefits of daily Ë More effective standardization, simplification
training and skill development are key benefits of this and streamlining of key activities.
approach to diecutting manufacturing. Ë Faster Problem Solving and more effective
innovation and progressive improvement.
The great advantage of attacking the problem of fast Ë A self regulating, disciplined, more focused
press changeover, by working from one organization
work team.
level to the next, is progress from One to Eight can be
Ë Progressively faster, better, simpler, and
managed and controlled based upon the developing
skill and experience of the work teams. lower cost press changeover.
In fact, the first stage, Level Ë Friendly competition between several
One, is simply an exercise changeover teams.
in common sense.
These are obviously
By stabilizing the current the benefits of effective
process, by standardizing teamwork in any activ-
and unifying existing ity, however, it would
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“Nothing is built on stones; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone.” Jorge Luis Borges
be naive to think these experience in diemaking
benefits will accrue from and toolmaking. The second
day one. The key to any is knowledge, skill and
effective team is Practice, experience in diecutting.
Practice, and more Practice. You are also making the
Calculation
1.75 Multiple
1.168 Calculation
0.046 1.168 1.50 Multiple
1.092 0.046 2-Point
1.092 2-Point 2-Point Calculation
0.043 1.25 Multiple
2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546
1.041 0.043
0.041 1.041 2-Point 2-Point 0.927
US Calculation
Standard
0.927 0.254
1.219 0.041 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546 0.010
0.048 1.219 2-Point 2-Point 0.927
Bead Recycled
Reduced
0.927 0.254

If you are determined to be dangerous assumption,

0.762 0.048 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546
Fiber 0.010
0.030 0.762 2-Point 2-Point 0.927
Bead Virgin
Reduced
0.927 0.254
0.762 0.030 3-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546
Fiber 0.010” 0.010
0.762
0.030 3-Point 3-Point 0.927
- 0.254 0.927 0.254
Millime 0.030 3-Point 3-Point 23.546 23.546 Calculation 0.010
ter Paperb3-Point 3-Point 0.927
1.75 Multiple 0.254
1.118 oard Thickn 3-Point 23.520 0.927
1.118 0.926 23.520 0.010
Calculation
0.044 2-Point 1.50 Multiple
ess 0.926 0.254
1.067 0.044 0.010 0.025
0.025 1.067 2-Point 2-Point Calculation
0.042 1.25 Multiple 0.001
0.001 0.991 0.042 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546
0.039 0.991 2-Point 2-Point 0.927
US Calculation
Standard
0.927 0.254
1.168 0.039 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546 0.010
0.046 1.168 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 Bead Recycled
Reduced
0.927 0.254
0.686 0.046 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546
Fiber 0.010
Reduced
Bead 0.686 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 0.254
0.027 23.546 0.927
0.009” Virgin Fiber 0.686 0.027
0.686
3-Point 2-Point
3-Point 3-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
- 0.229 0.027 0.927 0.254
Calculation Millime 0.027 3-Point 3-Point 23.546 23.546 0.010
1.75 Multiple ter Paperb 3-Point 3-Point 0.927 0.254
1.067 oard Thickn 3-Point 23.546 0.927 0.010

successful it is essential to that your toolmaker is

Calculation 1.067 0.927 23.546
1.50 Multiple 0.042 2-Point ess 0.927 0.254
1.016 0.042 0.010
Calculation 1.016 2-Point 2-Point
1.25 Multiple 0.040 2-Point 2-Point 23.546
0.965 0.040 23.546
Standard
US Calculation 0.038 0.965 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 0.254
0.038 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 0.927
Reduced 1.118 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
Bead Recycled 0.044 1.118 0.254
0.044 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 0.927
Reduced Fiber 0.610
2-Point 2-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
Bead 0.024 0.610 23.546 0.927 0.254
0.008” Virgin Fiber 0.610 0.024
0.610
3-Point 2-Point
3-Point 3-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
- 0.203 0.024 0.254
Millime 0.024 3-Point 3-Point 23.546 0.927
Calculation ter Paperb 3-Point 3-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
1.75 Multiple 0.254
1.016 oard Thickn 3-Point 23.546 0.927
Calculation 1.016 0.927 23.546 0.010
1.50 Multiple 0.040 2-Point ess 0.927 0.254
0.978 0.040 0.010
Calculation 0.978 2-Point 2-Point
1.25 Multiple 0.039 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546
0.711 0.039
Standard
US Calculation 0.028 0.711 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 0.927 0.254
1.067 0.028 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546 0.010
Reduced
Bead Recycled 1.067 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 0.254

invest in team building. enthusiastically dedicated to

0.042 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 23.546 0.927
Fiber 0.533 0.042 0.010
Reduced
Bead 0.021 0.533 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 0.254
23.546 0.927
0.007” Virgin Fiber 0.533 0.021
0.533
3-Point 2-Point
3-Point 3-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
- 0.178 0.021 0.927 0.254
Calculation Millime 0.021 3-Point 3-Point 23.546 23.546 0.010
1.75 Multiple ter Paperb 3-Point 3-Point 0.927 0.254
0.965 oard Thickn 3-Point 23.546 0.927
Calculation 0.965 0.927 23.546 0.010
1.50 Multiple 0.038 2-Point ess 0.927 0.254
Calculation 0.940 0.038 0.010
0.037 0.940 2-Point 2-Point
1.25 Multiple 2-Point 2-Point 23.546
0.914 0.037 23.546
Standard
US Calculation 0.036 0.914 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 0.254
0.036 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 0.927
Reduced 1.016 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
Bead Recycled 0.040 1.016 0.254
0.040 2-Point 2-Point 23.546 0.927
Reduced Fiber 0.457 2-Point 2-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
Bead Virgin 0.018 0.457 23.546 0.927 0.254
Fiber 0.457 0.018 3-Point 2-Point 0.010
0.006” 3-Point 3-Point 0.927 23.546
- 0.018 0.457 0.254
0.152 mm 0.152 Millime 0.018 3-Point 3-Point 23.546 0.927
- 0.254 ter Paperb 3-Point 3-Point 0.927 23.546 0.010
0.006” mm 3-Point 23.546 0.927 0.254
Caliper - 0.010”

converting excellence, and

oard Thickn 0.927 23.546 0.010
Range AG
th WG ess 0.927 0.254
Wid nnel th l G 0.010
Cha Wid nne tA G
Cha Poin ase tW AG
Cre PoinCrease ht WG
HeigCrease ht ss
HeigCrease kne AG s
Thic nter Gap pres WG s
Cou
Com Gap pres
Com

For example, bringing the entire team in on a week- recognizes that the pursuit of expertise in diecutting
end to make-ready a typical job, then changeover to is the foundation for mutual diemaking and diecutting
the next job, then changeover to the next job! With success.
facilitators and team members monitoring and video-
taping the activity, the practice day should end with a Naturally, you should eliminate this lottery approach
discussion of what happened, what worked, and what to diecutting by creating and continuously updating
did not work! This is your Superbowl Team, and the the most valuable tool in diecutting, a detailed
last team to win the Superbowl invested a great deal of specification of how the die will be designed,
time in planning, in practice, and in an evaluation of machined, fabricated, and finished. With this blueprint
what happened, and the Superbowl was not their first for success, the diemaker simply has to follow your
game together. detailed and clear instructions, and
toolmaking becomes the simple
Remembering our Mission of Safety-Speed-Quality and easy process it should be.
& Cost, if not for any other reason than the safety of The analysis, specification, &
the work team, extensive practice time is critical. And design phase of the toolmaking
realistically, this is a key part of the investment neces- process should focus on developing
sary to build a winning Changeover Team! and continuing to develop such a
comprehensive, an effective, an
Æ One Touch Tooling understandable, and a comprehensive toolmaking
blueprint, that once each tool is completed, there
Common Sense states that... it is statistical reality that should be no further work required. This approach
more than 80 percent of press down time is associated to tool design and manufacturing should result in the
with on-press tool adjustment and modification. There- diecutting customer simply installing, registering,
fore, it is the mission of the Computer-Integrated- and synchronizing tools on-press, and then adjusting
Manufacturing, diemaking, pre-press and diecutting the Z-Axis or stroke distance between the tooling. If
work teams to analyze the customer product and ap- indeed there is a need for additional work on a tool,
plication; then specify, design, machine, fabricate, and for example adding a nicking pattern to the steel rule
finish the integrated and synchronized male and female die and then adjusting the ejection pattern to match the
converting tools, to install and register seamlessly, and machined nick positions, this must be completed in a
to require no on-press adjustment other than position- pre-press discipline.
ing and Z-Axis adjustment. Every press cycle should
be used to identify, isolate, and eliminate one cause of The press must not be regarded or accepted as
on-press tool rework. OF M
E TI
E
an additional toolmaking, tool modification,
RCST
and/or tool repair station. Unfortunately, by
U O
SOS L
80

When purchasing a steel rule die,

S
excepting and even expecting additional die
%

PRE

female creasing tools, or stripping & and tool modification or rework on-press,
blanking tools, you are investing productive standards in both diemaking and
in two distinct but hopefully diecutting have fallen, and the statistical
10
%
7%

integrated disciplines. The reality, see left, of the breakdown of

3%

first is knowledge, skill and press lost or non-productive time has

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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“You can outdistance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you.” Rwandan Proverb
become the systematic evaluation of how the diecut products
status quo. performed in gluing & finishing, and in cartoning
Diecutting Inc & packaging, and what changes to key tool param-
The concept Converting Tool Specification System eters must be addressed in the next upgrade to the
of developing Page 1-3: Steel Rule Dieboard tool specification system.
a detailed, a comprehensive Page 4-5: Steel Rule Die Nicking
Page 6-7: Steel Rule Die Ejection Ë As part of both Make-Ready & Production tool
and a continuously upgraded Page 8-9: Crease-Counter Tools
Page 10: Female Stripping Tool evaluation it is important to record how many
specification for all the tools Page 12: Male Stripping Tool times each tool was touched, the purpose of the ac-
involved in diecutting is an Page 13-14: Female Blanking Grid
Page 15-16: Male Blanking Tool tivity, and how the specification could be amended
important concept embedded in the Page 17-18: Tool Inspection &
to eliminate a repeat problem.
Qualification
Single Minute Exchange of Die Page 19-20: General Terms &
Ë As part of both Make-Ready & Production tool
discipline, and it is called, “One Conditions
evaluation it is important to identify, to categorize,
Touch Tooling.”
to measure, and to prioritize changes based upon
their consumption of on-press time.
This approach requires implementing the following
disciplines, Ë This evaluation of tool specification and design,
and Press Changeover & Production perfor-
mance should be regularly discussed
Ë It is vital that any on-press work on tools of any and brainstormed with the Internal &
description is classified and accepted as a toolmak-
External Tool Suppliers.
ing failure by all participants.
Ë To conduct an effective evaluation

d
e
Ë A converting tool specification

v
of tool specification and design, and

o
r
OL format and design and approval proce-

p
TO Press Changeover & Production per-

p
a
dure for each tool must be developed and
formance a member of the Computer Design Team
approved by all the participants. (The tool
and a member of the Diemaking Team should take
specification discipline should include the
an active, leadership role.
steel rule die, the female crease tool, and
the male and female stripping and blank- Ë Tools which are saved for future production work
ing tools. should be subjected to an aggressive and a detailed
standard inspection procedure, and any wear,
Ë One of the primary measurements of damage, or “suspect” areas should be reworked
the success or the failure of the specifi-
before the next production run.
cation & design effort is the directive that tools
should not require any on-press alteration, modifi-
To summarize One Touch Tooling, it is
cation or rework.
critical to recognize that the value in the
Ë The Make-Ready or Press Changeover discipline discipline of effective tool specification
should include an aggressive and a systematic and design, is that it represents more
evaluation of how the tools performed in press- than 70% of on-press make-ready. You
set-up, and what changes must be addressed in the get this right, make ready will be fast
next upgrade to the tool specification system. and easy, however, when you get this
Ë The Diecutting Production discipline should wrong, press changeover will be slow and costly.
include an aggressive and a systematic evaluation
of how the tools performed in press production, For example, if you are currently experiencing slow
and what changes must be addressed in the next and inefficient press changeover, and poor press speed
upgrade to the tool specification & yield, your tools, your tool specification and design
system. discipline, and your selection of key tool parameters is
Ë The Finishing & fundamentally flawed.
Cartoning discipline
should include an The Bottom Line is unequivocal, any requirement to
aggressive and a adjust, to modify, or to “fix” tools on-press must be
classified as a failure in the specification, the design, the
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“It’s better to be boldly decisive and risk being wrong than to at length and be right too late.” Marilyn Moats Kennedy
machining, and/or the fabrication of the tools. One tial error in the system of manufac-
Touch Tooling is an simple but an important mission turing is extraordinarily valuable, as
in toolmaking and in diecutting. The tools should it is a blueprint for process improve-
be touched in installation and deinstallation, any ment, and it is an opportunity to sys-
other tool activity reflects poor tool design & tematically eradicate weaknesses and
manufacturing. improve performance. “A man must
be big enough to admit his mistakes,
Æ Mistake Proofing smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough
to correct them.”
Common Sense states that... mistakes
may be deemed inevitable, but the repetitive The following “mistakes” are examples of actions
nature of the diecutting press lends itself to progres- taken to eliminate on-press error, to save valuable
sive problem identification, problem cause definition, on-press time, and to standardize tool specification
problem solution development, and problem innova- pre-press preparation.
tion, designed to continually reduce the potential
for a process error, by systematically removing the Mistake: Taking an impression for the patch-up sheet
causal factors. Every mistake is a flag which identifies on-press.
a weakness in the system of tool design and fabrica- Solution-Proof: Pre-preparing a patch-up sheet to
tion, in the system of preparation, and in the system exactly fit the chase back-plate in CAD-CAM.
of changeover, and every incident must be recorded, Mistake: Adding Station Numbers to the Die
prioritized and eliminated by “Mistake-Proofing” the Solution-Proof: Pre-preparing the Die Design to
system of manufacturing. include etching the station numbers.
Mistake: Adding Station Numbers to the Patch-Up
The discipline of One Touch Tool- Sheet
ing & Mistake Proofing are closely Solution-Proof: Pre-preparing the Patch-Up Sheet in
integrated, because as each failure CAD to include drafting the station numbers.
in the preparation for production, in Mistake: Cutting & positioning Matrix on-press
the work planning procedure or in the Solution-Proof: Cutting & positioning Matrix off-
tool specification is detected, it is clas- press, with a sheet of shrink-wrap or paper stapled to
sified as a mistake or error in the system of the die to protect the matrix strips.
diecutting manufacturing. By prioritizing the cost or
Mistake: Spraying fiberglass counters individually
consequences of each error, a solution for each failure
and positioning them on-press.
is developed and “proven” through testing and ap-
Solution-Proof: Positioning the counters on the die
proval before it is integrated into upgraded methods &
off-press, using a counter mask to spray & transfer
practices.
the counters in a single impression, and by pre-calcu-
lating the pressure to transfer the counters.
Mistake Proofing is simply about the identification and
the prevention of mistakes by eliminating them at their Mistake: Nicking on-press & removing & replacing
source. The important point here is that, “A hundred the ejection material.
mistakes are an education if you learn something Solution-Proof: Develop a systematic, consensus, and
from each one.” The traditional organization structure feed-back based system of off-press nicking & correct
often inadvertently defines finding and identifying rubbering.
mistakes as a sign of weakness, and as a result Mistake: Cutting & modifying the ejection
many team players are reluctant to expose pattern on-press to eliminate marking &
themselves to ridicule by admitting to finding shadowing.
a mistake they are unable to solve. The op- Solution-Proof: Develop an
posite should be true. The effective, specified sys-
discovery and definition tem of ejection and tool
of every mistake or poten- inspection and where
necessary modify the ejec-
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears.” La Rochefourauld
tion pattern off-press.
Mistake: Adding ejection strips to large panels to These are a some basic examples of the type of on-
minimize air trapping and diecut part buck- press “error or mistake,” which was often incor-
ling. rectly considered “Standard” on-press practices.
Solution-Proof: Integrate this practice into The definition of a mistake or an error is anything
a specification for ejection, to ensure this which undermines fast press changeover, which
is completed off-press for every job. inhibits press speed and yield, which increases
Mistake: Eliminating Flaking & Edge material waste, which lowers product quality
Chipping on-Press and consistency, and which puts the safety
Solution-Proof: Assume Flaking & of the operator at risk. The problem we face
Edge Chipping are inevitable, and build the standard is that mistakes, errors, and on-press failure happen
remedial modifications into every tool. so frequently they have become institutionalized as
standard procedures, and they are often overlooked as
Mistake: Eliminating Dust & Loose Fiber on-press.
a source of productive improvement and progressive
Solution-Proof: Assume Dust & Loose Fiber will
change.
occur on key knives and build the standard remedial
modifications into every tool.
In most operations the implementation of “Mistake
Mistake: Adding or removing or adjusting upper & Proofing” quickly identifies and categorizes more than
lower stripping pins on-press. 100 on-press errors, which consistently consume time,
Solution-Proof: Develop a more effective male and lower productivity, and reduce quality and consistency.
female stripping system using a more standardized Naturally, to implement these changes requires devel-
approach to tool specification & oping standards, it requires developing benchmarks,
design. and it requires thinking laterally and out of the box.
Mistake: Adding Flyers & Lifters
on-press to the female stripping “Success does not consist in never making mistakes
board to eliminate snagging. but in never making the same one a second time.”
Solution-Proof: Integrate the use George Bernard Shaw
of flyers, lifters and ramps into the
specification system for the female
Æ System Maintenance
tool and include their fabrication and installation in
the tool manufacturing cycle.
Common Sense states that...
Mistake: Dealing with stripping part hinging, pivot- at the center of an efficient
ing, and snagging on-press. converting-manufacturing op-
Solution-Proof: Implement a more effective specifica- eration is the diecutting press
tion & design system for stripping, which integrates and it is vital the pre-press and
“Multi-Level Processing.” the diecutting team implement
Mistake: Removing and/or adding break-knives on- preventative maintenance and
press. maintenance activity; safety
Solution-Proof: Develop a more effective stripping inspection and testing; cleaning and housekeeping;
tool specification system in which the position of and just-in-time organization and inventory manage-
break knives is both standardized and integrated into ment control to ensure the press and the system of
the tool design approval for each job. manufacturing is always in optimal operating con-
Mistake: Dealing with Cracked Creases and adjust- dition. “I must create a system or be enslaved by
ing Folding and Opening force on- another man’s” William Blake.
press.
Solution-Proof: Integrate Reduced The diecutting-converting process is in reality
Bead Creasing Techniques into the a continual experiment as we search (re-
crease/fold specification to eliminate search), for simpler, faster, and better ways to
these variables. manufacture cartons and containers. Naturally,
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
“One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.” Jack Penn
manufacturing is a function of how well that
Diecutting Changeover System Maintenance Checklist system is maintained, how well it is organized,
SAFETY Cleaning & Inventory Preventative Maintenance and how safe it is for all of the participants. It
Housekeeping Management Maintenance
is far easier to work safely, to learn, to be efficient,
and to succeed, when utilizing a systematic approach,
in which every step forward is consolidated and con-
sistently executed.

Why is this a problem in diecutting?

our pri-
mary goal The solution to many of these issues is to implement
is to meet a systematic approach to diecutting manufacturing
production which converts complex and important disciplines into
: deadlines and simple and easy to execute tasks and steps. Once this
: deliver the product comprehensive approach to process improvement and
quality and consis- maintenance is in place, it will require minimal organi-
tency, at a time and at a cost, zational effort, and it will ensure critical areas of press
which meet customer requirements. operation and management are preserved, protected
However, we are continually learning as we discover and upgraded on a daily basis.
more effective methods and practices, as we solve
problems and develop innovative solutions, and as Therefore the SAFETY Organize
JIT

we gain a more comprehensive understanding of the first step is to

diecutting process. choose the key Housekeeping
Cleaning & Preventative
Maintenance
disciplines to be
In this manual we have described a number of alterna- integrated into Inventory
Maintenance
tive methods for capturing and sharing improvement, a system of pro-
Manage

Diecutting System Maintenance including creating Standard tection and improvement. We recommend beginning
Operating Procedures, and with six key disciplines:
ultimately, in creating a
series of videotape tech-
Ë SAFETY
niques or lessons, to help
ZONE

get everyone to know what

ZONE
Ë PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
MAINTENANCE
Off Lay Delivery Off Lay Feeder

ZONE ZONE ZONE

everyone knows. It is obvi-
ZONE ZONE ZONE ZONE ZONE
Ë
ously vital to combine our Ë CLEANING & HOUSEKEEPING
Work- Delivery Blanking Stripping Diecutting Register Feeder Work-
Output Input
Area Area
ZONE ZONE ZONE

Separation

knowledge and skill, and to

Diecutting Console
Ë JUST-IN-TIME ORGANIZATION
incrementally get better and better, as a cohesive team. Ë INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

But how do we maintain, preserve, protect and stabi- The reasoning behind choosing these disciplines, is
lize the current system of manufacturing? And how do clearly Safety is a primary objective; Preventative
we preserve, protect, and stabilise the technology, the Maintenance and Maintenance are essential to keep
tools, and the equipment, our production the press & peripheral equipment in optimal condi-
activities and livelihood depend upon? tion; Cleaning and Housekeeping are designed to
01:
keep the equipment and the work areas in pristine and
The answer is System Maintenance. 02:
03:
efficient operating condition; Just-In-Time Organi-
04:
05:
zation is designed to maintain the press work areas
System Maintenance is a important 06:
07:
like cells in the Hospital Operating Room degree of
technique which should be integrated 08:
09:
organizational effectiveness; and Inventory Man-
into daily activities, to ensure optimal 10: agement is designed to make sure everything that
safety and optimum performance. is necessary to an effective operation, is in the right
The output potential of any system of place, in the right quantity, in the right condition, and
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
at the right time. STEP SIX:
Ë Choose a method of System Maintenance
To simplify the organization of these dis- Documentation.
ciplines, it is obviously an advantage to
Ë My recommendation is to use a card
choose one discipline, (Safety), and
system, such as 5x8” Index Cards, which
implement the System Maintenance
are stored in a plastic container, with ap-
for this activity.
propriate dividers. Several people have chosen
to use a Roladex type of system, and others have
STEP ONE:
selected a system using smaller index cards.
Ë Brainstorm the Safety discipline, and break it down Ë Each card would document each basic step, in
into a list of the smallest executable step, task, or
each discipline, and be stored in the sequence to
action.
reflect the frequency of execution.
Ë This could be to test one guard, to verify one Ë Each card or each step should be
Emergency Stop Button, to verify the First Aid Pro
given an identification of sequence
cedures are in place, to check the Lock-Out Tags, to
number so it can be kept in place
verify Safety Glasses are in position, etc. Safety
and/or reordered as the discipline
means anything and every thing, which can impact
expands.
or undermine the safety of the individu-
al and the work team. Ë One of the key advantages
STEP TWO: of the card system, is cards
can be added, removed and
Ë Create a short description for each reordered as necessary.
step, which can be augmented by dia-
grams, digital photographs, or video Ë Changes, comments, or further actions can be
thumbnail, and allocate a Key Word or added to a comment section on the card, and sig-
an Identification Number/Code for each individual naled with a post-it-note, for further analysis at the
step. end of the changeover cycle.
STEP THREE: STEP SEVEN:
Ë Sequence each step, time each step, and deter- Ë Implementation is very simple. As part of the
mine repeats and the number of repeats. preparation for the press changeover, the next card/
STEP FOUR: action in each discipline is lifted out and integrated
into the changeover activity.
Ë Identify the tools, the materials, supplies, infor-
mation and resources required to complete each Ë At the conclusion of the make-ready the card is
step. Determine a permanent or temporary on-press replaced at the back of the set of cards in the appro-
storage location for these materials. (These supplies priate discipline. In this way activities are continu-
would naturally fit into the Inventory management ously recycled, and obviously, if more repetitions of
discipline.) an action are required, a duplicate card is added.
STEP FIVE: Ë If there is insufficient time to complete one or
Ë Create a short Standard Operating Procedure more of the disciplines, the cards representing the in-
for each step/action, should this be necessary. (Note complete actions are replaced at the start of the cards
if the task takes longer than five in the appropriate discipline.
minutes it may be necessary to break Ë Each activity/card is checked with the date and
the task down into smaller steps. the initials of the press technician to signal comple-
However, if this is impractical, it will tion.
be necessary to schedule the activ- SUMMARY:
ity independently, allocate the task Ë This is a very simple system, which is bullet proof
to a non-changeover team member, in operation, however, even so, we recommend start-
or schedule the action as a separate ing slowly, review and revise as necessary, and begin
activity.) with as few as five cards/actions in each discipline.
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
Ë If more time is needed for more changeover steps, or Single Minute Exchange of Die, or Just-in-Time
then the changeover team can be expanded with Manufacturing, require many things to be determined,
someone who is part of the press team, but is not cur- many things to be organized, and many things to be
rently involved in press make-ready, whose primary put in place, before they can begin to be properly
responsibility is System Maintenance. implemented.
Ë When possible, determine what tasks can be
safely scheduled during press production, to mini- In the beginning Work Planning
mize the impact on press changeover. is simply attempting to figure out
what is necessary to prepare or to
System Maintenance represents one of the simplest organize before an event, which
and yet most effective systems for building and pre- will in turn ensure an efficient and
serving a World Class System of Diecutting Manufac- an effective activity. Basic planning
turing. questions could include:

Æ Work Planning & Closing the Loop Ë What are we doing?

Ë Who is involved and how?
Common Sense states that... the most efficient method Ë How are we doing it?
of planning and control, Plan - Execute - Control Ë What do we need to complete the task?
- Evaluate, recognizes the importance of planning for Ë How will we measure success?
every activity and for closing-the-loop to gain knowl- Ë What are the key constraints & benchmarks?
edge and skill from the experience, to improve plan- Ë Who makes decisions and why?
ning and preparation for the next production cycle.
Therefore, it is vital to “No matter how high or how excellent technology These and many other questions will need to be an-
may be and how much capital may
develop an effective be accumulated, unless the group swered in the first phase of developing a Changeover
plan of action; which of human beings which comprise Work Plan.
the enterprise work together
maximizes the poten- toward one unified goal, the
tial of all resources; enterprise us sure to go down the
path of decline.” Takashi Ishihara Implementing a Changeover Work Plan, is not an
which anticipates insignificant activity and it represents a major change
problems, obstacles and bottlenecks; which seeks to to current methods and practices, and it represents a
ensure everything needed to complete the planned major upheaval for all the people involved. Therefore,
activity is in the right place, at the right time, and in it is important to be patient, to use a slow and a steady
the right quantity; and to ensure this standardized approach, and to make sure everyone involved or im-
method of preparation and evaluation is continually pacted by the change is given sufficient time to adjust
revised and upgraded, as performance in the activity is and to get comfortable and familiar with the changes.
subsequently evaluated.
Therefore, to get the Changeover Work Planning
Every single recommendation, and every produc-
initiative underway, and literally to prepare for the
tive action specified in this manual requires precise,
implementation of any and all of the disciplines out-
detailed pre-planning, meticulous organization, and
lined in the manual, we need to consider three (3) key
checklist preparation. This is the most important rec-
initiatives.
ommendation in the manual, because nothing will go
to plan, if you don’t have a plan!
1: Standardize & Stabilize Current On-Press
To a large extent the planning or Activity.
re-planning process will be dic-
tated by which of the disciplines It makes little sense to
and the priority of the disciplines, develop a plan of action
the planning development team and ignore the experience,
determines to implement. For the knowledge, and the
example, System Maintenance, skills we have developed Do You have a Plan!
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
so far. However, the problem with current methods and in tool preparation;
practices is they vary from individual to individual, and finally by start-
and often from make-ready to make-ready ing the development
with the same individual! The last thing of a Specification
we need is variation in methodology System for all of
undermining the planning process. By the tools used in
randomly and inconsistently executing diecutting, we can begin to develop more effective de-
key set-up procedures, any performance sign and fabrication procedures, to eliminate the high
measured, and actions taken, would be percentage of changeover and production down time
assessed on a false basis. caused by ineffective tool performance.

The next step is to begin investigating the Naturally, these actions do not happen in a vacuum,
technical problems and issues which undermine cur- therefore, we need to consider the following steps as
rent changeover and production efforts. Therefore, step part of the Changeover Work Planning project:
two is:
Ë Select and appoint a Team Leader for the project.
2: Implement a Pareto Analysis of On-Press Ë Form a Work Planning Project Team, and include
Issues and Problems. representatives of all of the departments impacting
on-press performance.
The majority of planning focuses on anticipating Ë Invest in a Coach-Facilitator for the project.
problems, which undermine potential productivity and Ë Get everyone together who are involved in
quality, therefore, the sooner we can begin to gain an diecutting, either directly or indirectly, define, dis-
accurate picture of what is hap- cuss, brainstorm, and develop a consensus support
pening, we can begin to change
the methods and practices used to
On for the project.
Ë Describe the three initial project steps, and select
prepare for press changeover.
the team members who will be involved in the
Target! implementation.
It should also be obvious that the
press team has little or no control over the design Ë Schedule a series of information and discus-
and the specification of the tools, however, they have sion or meetings with the teams to keep everyone
to deal with the performance of the tools on-press. involved and up-to-date.
Therefore, it is important to revise the Design, the Ë Get started, time is of
Specification and the Fabrication of tools to make sure the essence!
the parameters chosen are the most effective for ef-
ficient converting. Therefore, the third step of the four A further refinement is
disciplines is: to start with one press,
then convert the second
3: In conjunction with the CAD-CAM, & and the third, in a gradual program of process im-
Diemaking/Toolmaking Teams, develop/ provement. These are all decisions to be made based
upgrade the Specification, the Design and upon the type of equipment, the nature of work, the
operating structure, the caliber of the team and the
the Fabrication of the Converting Tools.
team leaders in place.
Through the implementation of these disci-
This is not an easy task, even though each of the
plines we can find out what is currently hap-
steps and the technical changes are relatively simple.
pening in press set-up, and begin to forge
We are asking people to change, to work together as
the best-of-the-best practices; through the
a team, and to work for each other, for a more secure
implementation of a statistical Key Re-
future.
sult Analysis, we can identify, quantify
and attack specific technical problems
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
Single Minute Exchange of Die: Project 1: Safety-Speed-Quality &
Management Cost/Time
“The conventional definition of management is get-
The highest priority in
ting work done through people, but real management
manufacturing is to work
is developing people through work.” Agha Hasan
in such a way that the safety and the well being
Abedi
of every participant is protected at all times. The
It is unrealistic for an organization which is next step, surprising, is a focus on speed and not
not built, is not practiced, and is not experi- quality. Speed is the driving force of diecutting,
enced in practicing aggressive daily process anyone can run a press at slow speed, the goal
improvement, to embark upon a major is to maximize output, with the highest quality
process improvement program. Therefore, it is important possible. After Speed & Quality, the drive is to
to integrate key manufacturing principles such as Work become the lowest cost producer, which inevitably
Planning & Closing-the-Loop; it is important to involve the means the producer who produces the most, at
entire team and organization in an effective project plan- optimal quality, in the shortest time possible.
ning system; it is important to recognize the integration of
the Supplier-Customer Chain in manufacturing; and it is im- 2: Planning-Execution-Control & Evaluation
portant to integrate a Coach or Facilitator as part or project
organization and implementation. This is the learning cycle that is so important to
progressive improvement. Plan what you are go-
To ensure an effective project it is critical to integrate the ing to do, execute the procedure as specified, con-
following disciplines... trol the outcome as precisely as you can, but most
important of all, close the loop and learn from the
Æ Key Manufacturing Principles experience, so the next cycle and the next cycle
and the next cycle can be steadily and consistently
Æ SMED: Project Management improved.

Æ Integrated Services 3: Standardize-Benchmark-Simplify-Streamline

Æ The Coach-Facilitator
It is essential to develop a standardized approach
... starting with .... to manufacturing, which everyone is competent
in and which they can execute consistently, every
Æ Key Manufacturing Principles time. How do we measure the effectiveness of
the procedure? We benchmark the procedure
This is not just another project, but using time/cost, quality and consistency, as the
y
it is an opportunity to restructure the i m plif Ben measurement of success. However as soon as a
S chm benchmarked standard is established, we attack it
way we work together, and to create S ark
tre
a powerful and productive system am
line e
relentlessly through every cycle to develop faster
diz
of manufacturing. Effective com-
andar and simpler ways to do things.
munication is obviously essential; a St
focus on team building and teamwork Finally, we use the disciplines of Safety-Speed-
is a necessity; and a willingness to share knowledge Quality-Time/Cost and Plan-
and experience fundamental to success; but these key ning-Execution-Control &
ingredients must be integrated through a structured ap- Evaluation to streamline the
W

proach to manufacturing which continually reinforces

N

system of manufacturing as we
better methods and practices. seek faster, easier, and better
ways to do things.
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
Æ SMED: Project Management should be involved, even
though it will take lon-
This is not just another project, but it is a ger to get things done!
fundamental reorganization and realign-
ment of the system of diecutting manu- The preparatory work of
facturing. It is natural to be excited by the building the Project Man-
prospect of radical change and productive agement System, selecting and organizing the Project
improvement, however, there are 7 guide- Teams, choosing the best Team Leaders, and getting
lines it is important to consider. These are: everyone focused and organized will be the most chal-
lenging part of the project. Once the project is moving,
Ë Be Realistic. This initiative represents a major change, obstacles, and problems are inevitable, but if
change in the way people work, and it will take we have built a solid foundation, then the teams will
time for the entire workforce to adapt and em- work through bottlenecks and adapt as they go.
brace each level or each step.
Ë Assess your Resources. It is vital to be practical Starting slow, setting readily achievable goals, may
and make a very hard assessment of the resourc- seem a pedantic way to begin, but building teamwork
and success, will get the project off to a great start and
es, and particularly the people, who will drive the
build everyone’s confidence.
project.
Ë Choose your team leaders carefully. Resist the
Æ Integrated Services
politically correct choice and select key players
based upon their proven ability to work positively
This is not just another project, but it is a major change
and productively with people in the organization, the method of work-
and to work in a team envi- ing and the output performance of a key
ronment. link in the converting manufacturing
Ë Develop a Cost Plan-Budget. chain.
Given the scope of the proj-
ect it is sensible to develop a Change in a diecutting operation does
detailed financial plan for the first phase only. not happen in isolation, but everything is the result of
Ë Set Conservative Goals. It is better to over-achieve the cooperation between CAD & Structural Design,
in the beginning than over-reach and fall behind. External & Internal Diemaking, the Pre-Press Team,
Ë Add 25% to all time estimates for each project and the ever important Maintenance team.
step, to accommodate changes in work mix,
changes in people, changes in logistics and In addition, diecutting is the result of, it is integrated
changes in technology. with, and it impacts the performance of the entire
Ë Start Slowly. Getting organized and getting started manufacturing Supplier-Customer Chain. Therefore,
making major changes to the current system of manu-
is the most complex phase of this project, so allow
facturing, without the cooperative involvement of
plenty of time, for the entire workforce to adjust
Graphic Design, Platemaking, & Printing, would be a
and to get on-board.
serious mistake. Naturally, the post processes of Glu-
Ë Break the Project into Bite Size Pieces or Mini- ing & Finishing should be involved as should Estimat-
Projects. Start with a one month goal, then two ing, Work Planning & Scheduling. Nor are we trying
months, and then three months, to give the teams to create a bureaucratic monster, incapable of making
time to gel and learn to work to- decisions and moving quickly
gether.
Ë Communicate Relentlessly. The bottom line is representatives of
Get in touch, stay in touch, and keep all of these disciplines should play a
everyone connected and engaged. consultative role to the project, and reg-
Everyone who has to be involved ularly partake in meetings, where their
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
performance is critical to success, or their performance The investment in a professional coach is the missing
is impacted by planned changes in diecutting. piece in our productivity puzzle. We have everything
in place, we just need to focus the talent and the exist-
Æ The Coach-Facilitator ing knowledge, skill, and experience in a cohesive and
a cooperative manner.
This is not just another
project, but it is an op- Implementing Single Minute Exchange of Die
portunity to solve the “I shall try to correct errors where shown to be er-
primary reason diecutting rors, and I shall adopt new views as fast as they shall
operations struggle with appear to be true views.” Abraham Lincoln
excessive operating cost,
inconsistent yield, and
inadequate speed to market. Because they rely upon a Even when we break this project down into more
group of individuals with significantly different levels manageable parts, we are still facing a complex and
of knowledge, skill and competence. In most opera- time consuming organizational challenging. Everyone
tions individuals work using imprecise, non-scientific, would agree that if we are going to do this project,
inconsistently applied techniques and procedures, we should do it as well as we can. The real world
which have been proven time and again to be dilemma is most organizations run lean, and most
ineffective. Compounding this problem is there managers and supervisors have little enough time to
is no effective training program, no effective complete their daily duties, and realistically have
team building, and no effective plan of action little discretionary time to invest in a project of this
to rapidly change the situation! complexity.

We are faced with intense and increasing To overcome this deadlock it is obviously
pressure from an impatient marketplace, essential to add more management resources
who seem to have an unlimited choice to the project team. There are 4 ways to ac-
of cooperative suppliers. So what are the complish this:
recommended actions we need to take?
Ë A Coach/Facilitator - We dedicated a part of
Ë Give this project the highest priority and visibility
the previous section to the benefits of this role
in the organization, with full and demonstrable
and this type of proactive skill applied to almost
support from the top of the company, right
through the management team. every phase of process improvement. It may have
Ë Hire a Coach-Facilitator to coordinate seemed this was a luxury option, however, if we
Teambuilding, Standardization, Training and do not have a member of the management team
Certified Behavior Development. with the time to drive the project, the appoint-
Ë Organize and build work teams around team-lead- ment of a coach will certainly bridge many gaps.
ers, trainers, and in-house coaching/trainees. This does not mean the Coach is the Project
Ë Standardize, and ultimately, videotape every key Team Leader, but the person acts as an assistant
procedure involved in diecutting manufacturing. to the Project Team Leader.
Ë Implement the Training Map and the Skill Certi- Ë A Retired Manager - Many companies have
fication System, based upon demonstrated recently retired managers or supervisors, or they
Behavior Development and Behavior are located in an area where this type of individ-
Modification. ual has retired. Many of these individuals have
Ë Invest in this process ... allocate both the skill and the desire to dedicate one or
sufficient resources for practice, two days per week to a project of this type.
practice, and more practice.
As in the previous suggestion, I would not
Ë Don’t back down, don’t get
make them the Project Team Leader, how-
cold feet, and stay the course.
ever, they would be an invaluable resource
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
for the person filling this comprehensive system of
role. project management will
Ë Management Assistance pay dividends in imple-
- Depending upon the size mentation, and smooth
and the structure of your the way for rapid process
organization, it may be improvement.
possible for a number of
managers and/or supervisors to provide coverage Staying on Course!
for the Project Team Leader so this individual “Inspiration comes of working every day.” Charles
can commit one or two full days per week to the Pierre Baudelaire
project.
Ë Consultative Assistance - One option is to select Our industry is renowned for unfinished projects, in-
an industry consultant to provide organizational complete strategic planning, and unrealized and often
assistance to the Project Team Leader. Natu- unrealistic expectations. We announce a project with
rally, this is an expensive option, and it would be a mighty fanfare, we start at light speed, and soon, the
project quietly dies, and is rarely mentioned again.
necessary for the Consultant to be located close
to the operation.
Most would agree that this type of process improve-
Ë Team Leader Development - It is when we face
ment project is too important to ignore, and the conse-
our stiffest challenges that great people, often quences of failure are dire. So why do we struggle to
unexpectedly, emerge. This project contains integrate fast and effective process improvement into
many logistical details that do not necessarily daily manufacturing? There are a number of basic but
have to be executed by the Project Team Leader. important causes. These include:
Therefore, a program to develop team leaders
from the technicians and craftspeople already Ë COMMITMENT - Failing to gain the enthusias-
working in the departments involved, is a tic commitment of the Management
practical and often a very effective tech- Team, and particularly Upper Man-
nique. Dividing each project or projects agement and/or Ownership.
into smaller projects, each driven by a Ë COMMUNICATION - Not com-
small team, led by a team leader, will municating clearly with the entire or-
develop these individuals, give them a ganization, and failing to be realistic
great opportunity to grow and to succeed, as to the impact of the project. Natu-
and it would obviously provide excellent rally, communication should be an
logistical assistance to the team leader. ongoing process to explain progress
and issues, and to keep everyone informed.
As you can see, the innovation recommendations are Ë SUPPORT - Failing to gain the full and unequiv-
all about project management and are not directly ocal support of the CAD-CAM, the Diemaking,
linked to technical change. However, if we do not lay
the Pre-Press, and the Diecutting Teams. This
a solid project management foundation for this initia-
requires dealing with those people who are mal-
tive, and address the organizational challenges, prior to
contents or legends in their own minds, and who
commencing this project, our efforts will be severely
constrained. will surreptitiously and often blatantly sabotage
the process. You know who they are and you
We certainly must either deal with them up front or abandon
need to get this the project! It is as simple as that!
project going, Ë COSTS - Failing to accurately estimate the cost
but the time of the project, and failing to prepare a budget,
invested in which is approved by the President or CEO. Ask-
developing a ing the Financial Director, or the equivalent, to
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
help with cost estimation for the next stage of the project.
and budget preparation Four goals of improvement: Ë DEVELOPMENT - Having determined a plan
1) make things easier
is both practical, and 2) better of action and selected the changes or upgrades,
politically astute! 3) faster or research and testing, to determine the most
Ë TIME MANAGEMENT 4) and cheaper. effective methods & practices, we have to deter-
To achieve this we must
- Failing to get the mine the activities and steps required to accom-
1) focus on goals
help you need to man- 2) recognize multiple goals plish the task.
age your current duties 3) pursue goals systematically Ë PRACTICE - As we develop each new technique,
gradually toward the higher
and to provide back-up level of underlying goals. change or upgrade to key procedures, it is neces-
when you are engaged Shigeo Shingo sary to test the new methods, and to make a team
in Project Management. evaluation if the new practice is effective, or if it
This could mean a temporary assistant, a part requires further development and testing.
time secretary, a Coach or Facilitator, or support Ë CONSOLIDATION - After completing this de-
from other members of the Management Team. velopment cycle, and having given all the key
Production must go on, but you must be realistic people involved time to participate, we need to
in your assessment of the time required to make consolidate the upgrade into a standard operat-
this project work. ing procedure, set preliminary benchmark stan-
dards, and create a Video Training Session.
Unfortunately, and regrettably, completing all of these Ë TRAINING - Having identified a problem or an
preparatory activities does not guarantee success, but opportunity; brainstormed, revised and devel-
at the very least you will have laid the foundation for oped a new or an upgraded procedure; it is
a realistic and a practical system of process improve- necessary to get everyone trained in the proper
ment. execution of the new technique.
To prevent these traditional proj- When we have consolidated and stabilized the
ect killers from undermining this changed process, we repeat the cycle of Scheduling,
critical, and to ensure the Planning, Development, Practice, Consolidation, and
best chance of success it Training.
is vital to attack and to
minimize the impact of If we follow these recommended operating proce-
the following potential dures, and we invest in a comprehensive project pre-
barriers. planning and preparation discipline, then our chances
of long term success are higher.
Ë TIME - We have to gouge out time from an over-
burdened schedule, to organize and manage
Single Minute Exchange of Die: Summary
this project, and even more complex, we have to
“The real voyage of discovery consists in not see-
find time and coordinate time for all the people
ing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Mike
involved in the project.
Lancelot
Ë SCHEDULING - This requires coordinating the
time, the activities, the resources, the people,
It is unrealistic for an organization which is not built,
and ongoing production, to is not practiced, and is not experienced
set-up process improvement in making aggressive daily process
activities. improvement, to embark upon a major
Ë PLANNING - We must work process improvement program.
with the team leaders and
the team members, utilizing If you do have the experience and the
one or more meetings, to resources to attack this project com-
determine our plan of action prehensively, that is obviously the best
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide
way to begin, but for most organiza- will be far less arduous.
tions the recommendation is to pro-
ceed at a pace which reflects the ability Ultimately, you and your colleagues must
of your management and diecutting make your assessment and develop a plan of
teams. Start slowly and build confi- action which reflects your needs and abili-
dence and competence step-by-step; ties. The most important recommendation is
utilize team work and team building; to be cautious, to be patient, to be realistic,
stop regularly to ensure everyone and to be optimistic.
keeps up and consolidate changed
methods and practices; and build upon I like Joseph Conrad’s comments, when he
each success to accelerate progressive stated: “To have his path made clear for
change. him is the aspiration of every human being
in our beclouded and tempestuous existence.”
The obvious solution is to break the project down into
more manageable pieces, and to organize and complete Good luck!
one project at a time. This can be further refined and
more effectively controlled by implementing each proj-
ect on one press at a time.

A smaller project is simpler to organize

and causes less production disruption;
process improvement activities, such
as research, testing, and implementing
new techniques are easier to schedule;
the team is smaller, it can be hand
picked, and will be far less challeng-
ing to work with; and the costs of
process improvement and program execu-
tion are significantly lower.

This approach does require a delicate balance in the

department, as it is important to include the entire team
in the brainstorming and discussion, and the decision
making process. If the entire team are not positively
involved and comprehensively engaged, the eventual
implementation of the new procedures or techniques
on every press, on every shift, may turn into a
struggle. It should also be obvious that
we need to get everyone’s ideas and
suggestions so the upgraded process
really is the best of the best.

By involving the entire team in many,

if not all of the process improvement
meetings, we demonstrate respect for
their ideas and suggestions; we get the
benefit of all of the knowledge and all
of the experience of the entire team;
and approval, training, and implemen-
tation of new methods and practices,
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 The ABC’s of Diemaking & Diecutting Training Guide

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