Welcome to the team! This document will supply some of the information that you will need to get started in the TPM discipline.(This document is an example of the handout to the team members
when we are about to start a TPM effort)TPM stands for “Total Productive Maintenance” and builds a close relationship between Maintenance and Productivity, showing how good care and up-keep of equipment will result in higher productivity.
TPM is a philosophy of continuous improvement that creates a sense of ownership in the operator(s) of each machine as well as in their supervisor. We all reach a new attitude of higher responsibility and commitment. TPM is to Maintenance very much as Total Quality is to Production. TPM is another tool to help us reach our projects for the competitive years to come.
Implementation of TPM at our plant should be accomplished in accordance with the international guidelines. It consists of the creation of small teams, (5 to 7 people in each), composed of production and maintenance staff. They receive 5 to 12 hours (some times more) of classroom and “in the field” training. This will be determined by the level of complexity of each piece of equipment.
"One piece of equipment at the time".
Then, the implementation takes place. Sometimes the implementation is started during the training. After the first session of training the whole team becomes a group of inspectors who will look for “discrepancies” and oportunities for improvement.
The implementation consists of a series of improvements determined basically by the input that the operator gives to the team, since the operator is the person who knows the equipment best. These improvements will correct the discrepancies and restore any features that the machine might have lost through the time. Other tasks will be designed to make the machine more efficient, safe and easy to operate. Many of the improvements will include not only the machine itself, but the area in which it is installed.
Our focus will be:
One of the most common causes of damage, deterioration or even breakdown of the equipment is contamination from diverse sources. Dust, debris, water, oil spills or other agents frequently cause equipment to deteriorate and make it difficult to verify correct operation. For this reason, an initial cleaning and follow-up actions to prevent contaminants from getting to the machine are important tasks that we perform while going through TPM implementation.
- Ease the operation
- Improve the Productivity
- Ease the maintainability
- Make the operation and area Safer!
We will also make the operators and supervisors aware of the ease and comfort that a clean machine represents. A clean machine not only looks nice, but it is easy to inspect, maintain and keep up. When the machine is clean, we can tell if there are any new discrepancies, such as leaks, loose wires, hoses, bolts, nuts, screws, etc. A TPM’d piece of equipment is less likely to breakdown and its reliability will meet the most demanding expectations, limited only by the capacity it was designed for.
Once implemented, TPM has just begun... it is an ongoing process of continued improvement supported by all the team. The members of the team should communicate with each other on a regular basis to find out how the process is going and to decide if new improvements should be considered and, if feasible, scheduled.
Just like many of the changes, challenges and improvements that we must undergo in these competitive times, this one will make us face some reluctance from the most apathetic people. The benefits that this system generates for employees and the company make it worth the effort.
We have to be good self-motivators to do the job.
Training is the name of the game.
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