In many fabrication environments, the best “capacity upgrade” isn’t a new machine—it’s a faster, calmer changeover. When changeovers are sloppy, you pay twice: once in lost run time and again in defects or rework.
Split internal vs external work
Internal tasks can only happen when the machine is stopped (tool swaps, fixture changes). External tasks can be done while it’s still running (pre-staging material, loading programs, preparing tools).
Your first win is to push as much as possible external.
Design the layout to support setup
Layout is not just where machines sit—it’s where setup happens.
- Store setup tools at point-of-use
- Mark fixture locations and consumables
- Create a defined “next job” staging area
- Keep measuring equipment accessible and protected
If operators walk for tools, you’ve built changeover time into the floor plan.
Standard work is clarity, not paperwork
The goal is repeatability:
- same sequence
- same checks
- same handoffs
- same “done” definition
If the standard is too long or too hard to follow, it won’t be used. Keep it short, visual, and connected to the physical environment.
Make the handoff explicit
Many changeovers fail in the gap between programming, material staging, and machine setup. A simple improvement is to define:
- who owns “job ready”
- what “job ready” means (materials, file, tooling, fixtures)
- where “job ready” lives physically
When those are clear, changeovers stop being a negotiation.
The metric that matters
Track first good part time (not just “machine stopped to machine started”). The first good part is when the process is stable.
If you’d like, we can help you identify which setup tasks belong where (external vs internal) and how to re-layout staging so changeovers become routine instead of disruptive.