This study will chart the changeover work, with a standpoint in the SMED-theory, at the company Peter Ernst AB in Värnamo. They are suppliers in plastic moulding industry and delivers to amongst other Saab in Trollhättan and Scania. The company are in a very competitive market, and they have to make manufacturing more efficient and rationalise their costs to be able to compete. A big problem, which the company has identified, is their long changeovers. It brings higher costs, a more stressful work climate and holds back the company from becoming more efficient.

Field studies will be conducted on the changeover, which will be observed and filmed. The filming provides the possibility to go back and look at the changeovers again. The objective of the study is to map the changeover work, and also make clear suggestions for improvements.

To give the suggestions of improvements more depth they will be discussed with the changeover workers. All the machines in the study are plastic moulding machines and are CNC-guided.

Our study will result in a mapping of the changeover work, and some suggestions for improvements of the tool carrier and new work routine.