Review of fast tool change systems

Abstract The key to success in many manufacturing businesses is a move toward a leaner, more flexible, more responsive manufacturing environment. The ability of a company to change over rapidly from one product to another is essential if this move is to be achieved. There is a significant amount of information in the literature on specific ideas that have been used to reduce changeover times, but in the vast majority of cases this rich source of data is ignored by companies undertaking changeover reduction programmes. Research has shown that, although some companies have a genuine desire to ‘reinvent the wheel’, the main reason why companies fail to tap the information source is that it lacks structure and focus. This review brings together information from research literature, journals, conferences, industrial collaborations and trade and technical literature. The information has been classified, and is presented here as an overview of the state of the art techniques for reducing changeover times.