OBJECTIVE OF TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE

We have discussed “Root cause analysis method” in our last post, today we will continue with one important tool which is now in huge demand in each industry to meet the customer need with good quality and less cost. 

This post is based on the total productive maintenance; here we will try to understand each and every step and topic in respect of productive and reliable process of maintenance. 

For better understanding of total productive maintenance, we must have to understand the meaning or definition of TPM. 

TPM 

TPM, which is called as total productive maintenance, is a maintenance practice which is very efficient and productive and will be implemented by each and every member of organization. 

If you are considering that TPM should be implemented by only maintenance team, you are going to kill the efficiency of your organization. Each member of organization, from technicians or operators to top management, will be considered as the key member of TPM. 

TPM must be implemented by all departments, such as 

1. Planning engineering 
2. Purchasing 
3. Stores and inventory
4. Accounting and finance 
5. Logistic Dept
6. Design engineering
7. Project engineering 
8. Civil engineering 
9. Maintenance 
10. Operation team 
11. Quality Team
12. Site Management  

Objective of TPM

Let us think, what we will try to understand with this post and what are the main objectives of TPM?

If we are really focusing over each statement of this post, we can surely understand the following points. 

1. Improving the effectiveness of machines 
2. Improving the efficiency, reliability and effectiveness of maintenance of machine
3. Scheduling maintenance for avoiding early maintenance 
4. Involving operation team also in smaller scale maintenance, such as machine checklist inspection before starting and after closing the machines 
5. Arrangement of training for amending the skills of employees

Improving the effectiveness of machines 

TPM is completely focused on this objective. We must understand what the goal of TPM is by saying improving the effectiveness of machines. 

Improving the effectiveness of machines ensures the performance of machines in respect of the rated capacity of machines. We must note it that if our system is not supporting TPM for achieving this objective, we may not secure any objective of TPM.

Suppose, we have two organization A and B 

Both organizations have same assets and capacity of production, but organization A is producing more products as compared to organization B, Why? 

There will be more than one specific reasons of lower production , but the first reason that we will have to think that weather our machines are running with its designed capacity or machines are working under capacity .if machines are working with its designed capacities then in that case , our production cost will always be lower. 

So what is the basic root cause of not using the machines at its designed capacity? 

In my point of view there are lots of organization, those are not aware with the exact capacity of their assets and also they do not have information of exact production rate with good quality.

Efficiency, reliability and effectiveness of maintenance of machine

TPM concentrates over here the quality and costing of maintenance that we used to carry out at work sites or at workshop. It is observed that approximate 30% activities of maintenance are pointless i.e. result less activities. 

Hence, the second and quite important goal of TPM is to maintain the lower cost of maintenance. TPM is basically concentrated over here to provide the smooth maintenance i.e. lean maintenance. 

We will understand later the basic steps that we have to consider for lesser costing in maintenance, but i would like to mention three very important concept over here for reducing the cost of maintenance and these concepts are very crucial for reducing the maintenance costing .i.e. 

1. Planning and scheduling
2. Execution 
3. Backlog controlling

There is one more aim of TPM associated with earlier aim of lean maintenance, so what is other aim of TPM? 

TPM also focuses to maintain such maintenance practice that can minimize the impact over the availability of equipment and it could only possible if the above three steps will be taken in Maintenance SOP. We will have to maintain a very healthy communication between operation, electrical and mechanical team members for avoiding downtime. 

We will have to prepare and maintain some important records such as history card, Spare Parts and Items for each machine. 

If we have maintained such documents, we can compare the quality of raw materials and other input in maintenance, we can conclude the behaviour of machines and we can also help the purchase and design team in selecting the best materials for meeting our need. 

In my point of view, we can save significant costing of maintenance as well as we may minimize the level of inventory, if we are really planning, executing and controlling backlog.

Scheduling maintenance for avoiding early maintenance

Objective of this goal is basically to reduce the frequency of maintenance needed by machine. if we say in simple word , we will have to search such design that require less maintenance . We can also change or modify the design of our existing system but for related modifications we will require history and complete documents of that machine. 

I have one experience in my previous organization, we were using one shaft with oscillation unit but we were facing continuous problem of rupture of shaft after few month. 

we have analyzed the system and we have concluded that existing shaft had no radius at it's steps and hence stress concentration were high at that locations and that was the basic reason behind rupture of shaft after running few months. 

We have provided 2 mm radius at each steps for reducing stress concentration and we have also used shaft of material EN-24 instead of EN-8.

Do you know, what was the result?

Our modification was successful. Modified shaft reliability increased by 90 % and instead of replacement of shaft in each 3 month, we have replaced the shaft after 11 month. 

Many organizations do not keep the previous records as well other important technical information also and that's the basic cause of higher spare consumption rate. So we have to fix the problem and we will have to research and analysis any modification for system that could be proved as the catalyst for improving the reliability of machine. 

If we could not secure the above history and respected details, we could not make long term solution and instead of suitable solution, we will be busy in unwanted maintenance and also in increasing the consumption rate.

Involving operation team also in smaller scale maintenance 

Goal of TPM in this phase is to provide opportunity to the operator and other operation team member to take ownership of smaller scale maintenance of related machine such as machine checklist inspection before starting and after closing the machines. 

If we consider machine operator may perform 10 to 25 % maintenance of related machine and it will help to maintenance team to think and apply some modification work for amending the productivity of machine. Maintenance team can provide the related maintenance resources to the concerned machine operator such as spanners and other smaller scale maintenance resources. 

TPM objective does not mean to reduce the size of maintenance team by employing operator in smaller scale maintenance of machine but also TPM objective is to make free the maintenance team for higher and critical maintenance activities. 

Let us try to understand what benefit we will secure if we are engaging the machine operator in smaller scale maintenance of concerned machine? 

If we are doing so, we can use our maintenance team for advanced maintenance activities, preventive maintenance activities, predictive maintenance and reliability focused maintenance activities.  

Arrangement of training for amending the skills of employees 

It is very important to provide the skills and related information to the employees for contributing in achieving the objective of TPM. Training in respect of TPM is not only for maintenance people but also it is also applicable to the operation team. 

Once each involved person secures knowledge about the TPM and starts to contribute to secure the objective of TPM, it will be time to analyse their contributions by top management for achieving the goal of TPM.

Also discuss,

Maintenance Practice and procedure

How to inspect a gearbox

Difference between positive and non positive displacement pumps

Do you have any suggestion, please write in comment box