Industrial Stopwatch
Industrial stopwatch times changeovers, cycle samples, and line balancing studies. Lap each step and export CSV for lean teams without dedicated hardware.
How to Use
- Define operational definitions for each lap point with the team.
- Start at last good piece or study start per SMED convention.
- Lap each changeover or station step at agreed boundaries.
- Export CSV into the team cycle-time workbook.
- Review trails in kaizen meeting before changing standard work.
Features
- SMED-style changeover step laps
- Station cycle sampling for line balance studies
- CSV export for lean spreadsheets and SPC
- Notes for line, SKU, and shift tags
- Runs on locked-down plant tablets in browser
- Multi-line parallel timing for pilot studies
Real-World Use Cases
- SMED changeover step timing on packaging lines
- Assembly line balance time studies
- Maintenance repair duration sampling
- Warehouse pick path time studies
- Quality hold inspection elapsed sampling
Practical Examples
Lap strip, clean, align; clean step always twelve minutes; next kaizen attacks tooling access.
Export twenty station laps; station four bar doubles others, triggering workload rebalance.
Benefits
- Cycle data without dedicated stopwatch fleets
- Export eliminates clipboard transcription errors
- Kaizen targets chosen from lap evidence
- IT-friendly browser deployment on floor tablets
Tips & Best Practices
- Write lap definitions on the standard work sheet before sampling.
- Tag SKU and shift in notes for fair comparisons.
- Export immediately after study; floor data gets lost fast.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Inconsistent first-good-piece definition between observers.
- Averaging samples with different lap definitions.
- Assuming browser timing replaces regulated exposure logging.
Frequently Asked Questions
OSHA exposure logging?
Only if your safety program approves; often this is lean observation timing.
Export for kaizen?
Yes. CSV into team templates with stable columns.
Plant tablet locks?
Browser tool often passes IT where app installs fail.
SMED steps?
Lap each changeover element; trails show attack order.
Multiple lines?
Multi-stopwatch parallel rows per line pilot.
Lab vs industrial?
Lab targets protocol steps; industrial targets line and changeover.
Offline factory Wi-Fi?
After load, timing continues locally.
History across weeks?
Save named studies or export to master workbooks.