In a nutshell: Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a methodology designed to integrate equipment maintenance as a part of the standard operating procedures of the manufacturing process.
Use: The goal of a TPM program is to reduce or eliminate losses resulting from unplanned downtime.
Summary: Total Productive Maintenance focuses on reducing the amount of downtime for equipment, one of the biggest sources of revenue loss for most businesses. TPM calls for integrating maintenance as part of the operation of equipment.
The strategies and techniques employed in Total Productive Maintenance seek to make organizations proactive rather than reaction in how they approach maintenance issues. Benefits of using TPM include
- Lower repair costs
- Less equipment downtime
- Better productivity
- Increased employee satisfaction
- Reduced customer complaints
- Improved quality of products and services
Implementing Total Production Quality
TPM implementation starts with a strong foundation in 5S, a strategy that involves taking five steps to improve workstations and maintain those improvements, such as having all tools visible and within easy reach. The term “5S” comes from the names used for each phase of the system.
- Seiri (Sort)
- Seiton (Straighten or Set in Order)
- Seiso (Shine)
- Seiketsu (Standardize)
- Shitsuke (Sustain)
With a strong 5S foundation in place, businesses that use TPM put The Eight Pillars of Total Production Maintenance in place.
Autonomous Maintenance: Putting routine maintenance in the hands of operators, including cleaning, lubricating and inspection.
Planned Maintenance: Using predicted failure rates determined by analysis of past performance to create a maintenance schedule designed specifically for each piece of equipment.
Quality Maintenance: Using root cause analysis to integrate design error detection and prevention into production processes.
Focused Improvement: Assigning small groups to work proactively, achieving regular, incremental improvements in equipment operation.
Early Equipment Management: Using knowledge gained through TPM to design new equipment.
Training and Education: Train operators, maintenance personnel and managers on what they need to know to achieve TPM goals.
Safety, Health, Environment: Considering the need to maintain a safe and healthy working environment for employees when making decisions on maintenance changes.
TPM in Administration: To make the biggest impact, organizations should also incorporate TPM into administrative functions.
