Definition
Multi-species production conversion tools are arranged according to a fixed cycle sequence, balancing replacement efficiency with variety coverage.
In detail
The Set-Up Wheel is a scheduling tool that arranges changeovers across multiple product types in a fixed repeating sequence, balancing changeover efficiency with product coverage. It solves the problem that economic lot sizing (LT, KQty) for made-in-house parts cannot: use all available time for changeovers, maximize the number of changeovers to find the smallest reasonable lot size, then work backward to the Kanban parameters. Unlike SMED (shortening changeover time), the Set-Up Wheel focuses on scheduling sequence and lot size. It typically outputs the changeover wheel, Kanban parameters (LT, KQty), and so on.
Example in practice
An injection molding plant needed to produce products in multiple colors and models, and long changeover times led to large batch sizes and high inventory. By introducing a Set-Up Wheel and designing the cycle sequence based on changeover time and demand frequency, A-class products are produced every day, B-class every 3 days, and C-class every 5 days. The number of changeovers therefore reaches the maximum under current changeover capacity, which is used to minimize the batch size of each product and back-calculate the Kanban parameters for each product, reducing inventory and making delivery more flexible.