The North American Die Casting Association has just released its Guide to Quick Die Changes, a book that reportedly describes how to execute die changeovers and set-ups in record time.

"The goal is SMED (single minute exchange of dies)," NADCA states, "a die changeover in less than 10 minutes. At the outset this may appear to be an impossible goal, however with continuous improvement this goal has already been achieved by some die casters."

Guide to Quick Die Changes is a guide to understanding and implementing SMED, including installation steps, design standardization, and training strategies. A step-by-step case study details the steps involved in implementing a SMED program.

The SMED methodology is described as simple and applicable to all die or tooling exchanges, and effective in operations worldwide. Benefits include quicker delivery time, better product quality, and higher productivity, the trade group says. Quickly executed setups can be repeated as frequently as needed, and thus the operator can make smaller-volume production runs.

To order Guide to Quick Die Changes, visit NADCA online.