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
- Planning engineering
- Purchasing
- Stores and inventory
- Accounting and finance
- Logistic Dept
- Design engineering
- Project engineering
- Civil engineering
- Maintenance
- Operation team
- Quality Team
- 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.
- Improving the effectiveness of machines
- Improving the efficiency, reliability and effectiveness of maintenance of machine
- Scheduling maintenance for avoiding early maintenance
- Involving operation team also in smaller scale maintenance, such as machine checklist inspection before starting and after closing the machines
- 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.
- Planning and scheduling
- Execution
- 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,
Do you have any suggestion, please write
in comment box
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