Reducing planned production downtimes by efficient setup planning A case study based on a production line at the food production company Paulig in Gothenburg

Abstract

This thesis presents a case study conducted at Paulig, a food production company in Gothenburg, Sweden, with the purpose of examining how productivity and the availability factor in the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) metrics can be increased when focusing on setup times. The examined research questions are “How can the availability factor in OEE measurements be increased when focusing on downtimes?”, “How can setup times be reduced?”, and “How can standardized setup processes be attained?” Six setup cases were identified and extensively analyzed, improved, and standardized using spaghetti diagrams, work classification, Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), and work instructions. Collaboration with operators and informal interviews with both operators and the management team played a crucial role in the improvement process. The first research question aimed to determine how the availability factor could be increased by focusing on downtimes. The answer revealed that reducing setup time could effectively minimize planned production downtimes. The answer to the second research question is that Spaghetti diagrams, work classification, and SMED analyses can together be used to reduce setup times. The third research question focused on how standardized setup processes can be attained. The result showed that providing clear instructions to operators can contribute to the standardization of setup processes. In conclusion, this thesis highlights that spaghetti diagrams, work classification, SMED analyses, and work instructions can be combined to increase productivity and the availability factor at a production line.