The importance of staggering tool changes to minimise downtime in Manufacturing 

In a busy manufacturing environment, especially one with multiple machines running similar or high-volume jobs, there’s a natural tendency for tools to wear out or need to be swapped at the same time. This usually happens when several machines finish their jobs simultaneously, and operators and engineers may need to replace tools on multiple machines at once. The problem arises when there aren’t enough engineers or setters to manage these changes efficiently. 

Tool changes aren’t instant. On average, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to perform a standard tool change, depending on the machine, part, and required adjustments. However, this time can be significantly increased if the tool change doesn’t start immediately after the job is completed. 

Let’s consider an example:
Imagine you have five machines in your plant, all finishing their respective jobs around the same time. Each machine requires a tool change that would typically take 1 hour to complete. However, if the tool change on the first machine is delayed by just 30 minutes before an engineer arrives to begin the process, it could result in a total downtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes for that machine instead of the expected 1 hour. Now, imagine that this delay happens for multiple machines at once—your total downtime increases rapidly. 

When tool changes are not staggered or planned in advance, you risk having several machines waiting for engineers to handle the changes simultaneously. This results in unnecessary downtime, lost production hours, and increased costs. The overall effect on efficiency can be profound, especially in high-volume environments where time is of the essence. 

The answer lies in proactive planning. Staggering tool changes allows engineers and setters to work sequentially, rather than scrambling to tackle multiple jobs at once. It spreads the workload, reduces stress, and — crucially — keeps machines offline for less time. 

A digital production monitoring system, such as Intouch Monitoring, can be an invaluable tool here. By tracking machine usage and job progress in real time, it can predict when a job will finish and a tool change is due — allowing production managers to adjust schedules and stagger changes accordingly. 

Picture a production run spanning multiple shifts. The monitoring system identifies three machines due for tool changes within a short window. Instead of allowing them to overlap, the system adjusts timing slightly, ensuring only one machine is stopped at a time. The result: smoother workflow, reduced pressure on staff, and minimal disruption. 

By staggering tool changes, you ensure that there is enough capacity for your engineers to handle each tool change effectively. With proper planning, your team will be able to handle tool changes without having to rush, reducing the likelihood of mistakes, prolonging the life of your equipment, and preventing the associated downtime from dragging on.

The Intouch Monitoring platform doesn’t just track when tool changes are needed but also provides real-time insights into how production schedules are progressing. The system will help notify planners in advance when tool changes are approaching and help schedule these changes strategically to prevent clashes and delays. 

One of the critical advantages of such a system is its ability to predict when tool changes will occur and give planners enough time to prepare. By integrating this information into your scheduling software, planners can adjust shift schedules, allocate resources effectively, and ensure that an adequate number of engineers are available for the required tool changes. 

For instance, if your monitoring system shows that three machines will require tool changes in the same window, the system can alert planners so they can either schedule an engineer for each change or stagger the tool change times to ensure one job follows the other. 

This type of predictive scheduling eliminates the risks of multiple tool changes happening simultaneously. It also helps balance the workload among available engineers, ensuring that downtime is minimised and production efficiency is maximised. 

At Intouch Monitoring, we understand the importance of minimising downtime through efficient planning. That’s why our Tool Change Report is included in all of our pricing plans. The Tool Change Report is a powerful feature of our monitoring system that allows manufacturers to track the tool change needs of each machine in real-time. 

With this report, planners can easily monitor when a machine is approaching the end of a cycle, when tool changes are likely, and how to adjust the schedule to ensure the right resources are available at the right time. The report helps identify potential bottlenecks, giving planners a heads-up on when multiple machines might finish at once and enabling them to stagger tool changes accordingly.