Total Productive Maintenance

Part 3: Develop Autonomous Maintenance by Operators

by Roger A.P. Fielding, BENCHMARKS

The five S’s: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, shitsuke—which translate into: organization, tidiness, purity, cleanliness and discipline—are the basic principles of Japanese operations management. And, although most modern plants apply some of these principles, all too often their application is cosmetic—for appearances only. Autonomous maintenance by operators is a unique feature of TPM. And, because most operators and maintenance personnel have been brought up in an environment of: “I operate. You fix it,” this central pillar of TPM can take years to implement.

Cleaning is the first step of any effective maintenance program. Like everyone else, operators and maintenance people don’t like to get dirty and don’t fix what they can’t see. Initial cleaning by operators, management and maintenance staff, working as a team, teaches that routine cleaning can be very rewarding. Routine cleaning results in identifying and eliminating the causes of dust, dirt and chips. And limits their scatter and their sticking to machine parts.

Each work crew cleans and improves their own work area. Maintenance personnel co-operate and support their efforts. But, the following conversation between an American manager and his Japanese counterpart during a visit to Japan is most revealing:

A: “How do you keep the presses as clean as this?”

J: “The press crew cleans them.”

A: “What happens when you get busy?”

J: “I clean them.”

Starting by eliminating as much dust and dirt as possible, thereby making cleaning more efficient, the operators are shown how to lubricate and make minor adjustments to the machinery. Lubrication, inspection and adjustments go hand in hand. Lubricating bearings and sliding ways, tightening nuts and bolts, and adjusting couplings and rollers prevents further deterioration of the machines. Inspection reveals where more complete maintenance or repair is necessary to restore machinery to its original condition. Familiarity breeds understanding! Having machine operators responsible for lubrication, inspection and minor maintenance and repair of their equipment is also the first step to establishing a multi-skilled workforce.

The initial cleaning, to eliminate dust and dirt on the surfaces of equipment is accompanied by lubricating and tightening. By preventing dust and dirt from entering the work area, and containing that which does, the time taken to clean is reduced. Parts that are hard to lubricate are improved. A schedule of daily and weekly tasks further reduces the time spent on lubrication and tightening. With experience, inspection is formalized. In addition to locating loose nuts and bolts and rollers which are stuck, the operators identify and correct minor equipment defects. The daily and weekly checklists are extended to cover more items.

The introduction of autonomous maintenance reduces equipment failures by up to 80%. The Mean Time Between Failures is increased. As the time between breakdowns is increased, the standards for cleaning and lubrication are raised. The role of operators is re-evaluated and made clear to them. The need for additional skill training is identified.

Throughout the introduction of autonomous maintenance, the plant inspection tours conducted by senior management are supplemented by audits and progress reviews, which are reported formally and the results displayed for all to see. TPM—Total Productive Maintenance, maximizes equipment effectiveness, eliminates breakdowns, and promotes operator maintenance through day-to-day activities involving the total workforce.

Total Productive Maintenance - Part 4