Valuable Information

as you begin the Lean transformation

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)

In last month’s newsletter, we defined TPM, its impact on business metrics and how to measure OEE. In this issue we will dive into the practical application of TPM.
HERE ARE THE STEPS IN A TPM EVENT
Step 1: Initial Inspection and Cleaning
Conduct an initial inspection of the equipment looking for any obvious issues that need to be corrected. Follow this inspection with a “deep” cleaning of the entire piece of equipment. The purpose of cleaning is twofold: to clean the machine to the point where it looks new and to get in those tight spots for a deeper inspection. You will find that most of the inspection findings come during the cleaning process. Remember, “Cleaning is Inspection.”
Step 2: Eliminate Sources of Contamination
During the cleaning process, you will clean the machine intensely. It is important to run the machine when the event is completed. This will allow the sources of contamination to re-contaminate, so the team can locate and eliminate those sources.
Step 3: Develop TPM Tasks
TPM tasks are those tasks that are conducted by the operator every shift. There are daily, weekly and monthly tasks; all to ensure the equipment is in operable condition. It is like a pre-flight inspection for a pilot. There are four basic categories for TPM Tasks: Inspection, Cleaning, Lubricating and Adjusting. The focus here is standardizing, visually controlling, and training to these tasks. One-Point Lessons are created to aid in this focus. We will cover one point lessons in step 6 below.
Step 4: Develop World Class Preventative Maintenance (PM)
In addition to the daily, weekly and monthly TPM tasks created, there is also a need to have a preventative maintenance process to support machine availability. We encourage these PM’s to be completed as a joint effort between Maintenance Technicians and Operators. This increases all operators’ understanding of the equipment. In this step we create a World Class PM Document that is easily executed by someone not familiar with the piece of equipment. We also ensure there is a process for managing the PM scheduling and completion.
Step 5: 5S (Sort, Shine, Straighten, Standardize and Sustain)
Now that the machine is clean and being well maintained, we want to ensure the surrounding area supports the new impression, so we conduct a mini 5S event in the general area of the equipment following the Sort, Shine, Straighten, Standardize and Sustain process. This approach works best if 5S has been performed on the plant level prior to TPM implementation.
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Step 6: Develop One Point Lessons (OPL)
There are some tasks to be performed that will require more detail. Rather than clutter up
the TPM task list with this detail, we create OPL’s. The OPL is a document that describes, in
great detail, the process to be followed, using pictures where needed, when conducting a
specific task. We also brainstorm other areas that will benefit from OPL’s as part of the event.
Common areas requiring OPL’s are machine startup, machine shutdown, further technical
understanding and crash recovery. The OPL’s are one of the first things to be used when
training new operators on a piece of equipment.
Step 7: Develop Fault Trees
Our ultimate goal is to have a machine with zero faults, but we are also realistic in knowing
some faults will occur. The Fault Tree serves as a tool to allow standardized recovery from a
fault condition. The fault tree is in the form of a flow chart, and it steps the operator through
the process of diagnosing and recovering from common faults. We brainstorm, or preferably
use historic data if available, to determine the top 5 faults on a machine and create fault
trees for each fault. When a Maintenance Technician is called for a fault, their first question
becomes “Have you followed the fault tree?” This frees up the Maintenance Technician to
focus on true root cause identification on other matters rather than fire fighting. Again, our
ultimate goal is to eliminate faults from occurring, so we can’t lose sight of these faults.
Stay tuned next month as we cover the final step in the TPM process, which is focused on
Continuous Improvement. This is the most crucial step. If we don’t sustain our
improvements, we will have wasted a lot of time and money.

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