SMED Checklist: Free Changeover Template for Faster Setups

Why do changeovers take longer than planned?

• The operator walks away to find tools, parts or the right settings.
• Each shift changes over in a different order.
• The first products after the changeover are scrap because of trial-and-error adjustments.
• Nobody measures the real changeover time, so nobody improves it.

What is SMED and when do you use this checklist?

SMED is a lean method developed by Shigeo Shingo to cut changeover time. Its steps: record the current changeover, separate internal and external work, convert internal to external, streamline the remaining internal work, and standardize. Use the analysis sheet once per machine to improve the changeover. Use the checklist at every changeover to keep the gains. The full method is in our SMED guide.

Part 1: SMED analysis sheet

Part 2: Changeover checklist

Header: Machine ______ · From product ______ → To product ______ · Operator ______ · Date ______

Before the stop (external, machine still running)

• Next order, product specification and settings sheet ready
• Tools, dies or change parts at the machine, cleaned and checked
• Materials, packaging and labels for the next order staged
• Gauges and first-article inspection form ready
• Preheating or presetting of tooling done, where applicable
• Changeover team and team leader informed of start time

During the stop (internal)

After the stop (external)

• First article produced and approved (form no. ______)
• Old tooling cleaned, inspected and returned to storage
• Changeover time recorded: machine stop ____ → first good product ____ = ____ min
• Problems and improvement ideas noted

How do you fill in the checklist?

1. 1Analysis sheet. film or time one full changeover. List every activity, however small.
2. 2Internal / External. ask for each activity "must the machine be stopped for this?" If not, it is external.
3. 3Before the stop. this is where most gains are. Make it a fixed trigger, e.g. 30 minutes before end of order.
4. 4During the stop. keep the internal steps in a fixed order. Add your machine-specific standards.
5. 5Changeover time. measure from last good product to first good product at full speed.

Example (blister line, product A → B)

Results depend on the machine and are measured during the pilot.

From paper to digital with Actarion

• AR guidance: each internal step appears on the machine, in the same order, every shift.
• Built-in timing: every step is time-stamped, so you see where changeover time goes.
• Fewer start-up rejects: settings and checks are confirmed in the instruction, not from memory.
• Continuous improvement: analyze step times across shifts and update the instruction centrally.

See the changeover and SMED use case.